North Dakota Native Vote selected for Bush Prize

The awards, announced Tuesday morning by Strengthen ND and the Bush Foundation, are given annually to nonprofits found to have a history of positively impacting their communities.

North Dakota Native Vote Communications Director Jessica Beheler said the money will likely be used to cover the nonprofit’s operational expenses.

The nonprofit, which works to promote civic engagement among North Dakota’s Native population, has been busy preparing for the Nov. 5 general election, Beheler said.

She said field organizers are working daily to educate Native voters on the election. Their goal is to make sure Native North Dakotans are informed and have a plan for Election Day, Beheler said.

“We don’t ever tell people how to vote,” she said.

In a news release, Strengthen ND highlighted North Dakota Native Vote’s Data Democracy Project, which was created in response to state legislation requiring all voters to have IDs with physical addresses.

Many people who live on reservations in North Dakota have post office boxes instead of street addresses, which has created a barrier for Native voters.

As part of the Data Democracy Project, North Dakota Native Vote has been visiting Native communities to help analyze the impact of the legislation, according to Strengthen ND’s announcement.

This includes partnerships with researchers to map Native voters in North Dakota and to create street addresses for voters that don’t have them.

North Dakota Assistive also recognized

North Dakota Assistive, a nonprofit that helps provide assistive technology to people with disabilities, was also awarded a Bush Prize. The nonprofit will receive $377,000, according to Strengthen ND.

Among the organization’s initiatives is its Assistive Financial Loan Program, which provides low-interest loans to help people purchase assistive technology like vision and hearing aids, motorized wheelchairs, and vehicle and home modifications. It’s given out more than 43 loans amounting to nearly $1 million, Strengthen ND said in its announcement.

ND Assistive also has a model home outfitted with assistive devices and modifications, so people can test out technology before they buy it.

Bush Prize winners receive awards equal to 25% of their organization’s expenses for the previous fiscal year, up to $500,000.

Four finalists for the Bush Prize — Bowman County Job Development Corporation, North Dakota Full Service Community Schools Consortium, Service Dogs for America and TNT Kids Fitness — have also been awarded grants for $10,000, according to Strengthen ND.

The Bush Foundation gives out awards in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota and the 23 federally recognized tribes that share geography with those states.

Strengthen ND is a nonprofit that focuses on supporting North Dakota organizations and rural communities.