Dawn Knickerbocker

Dawn Knickerbocker (Waaseyaaban, “First Light at Dawn”) is an Indigenous strategist and philanthropic systems leader working at the intersection of climate justice, governance, and community self-determination. She co-leads In Our Ways Strategy Group and facilitates a Climate Justice Community of Practice that connects Indigenous youth-serving organizations across the U.S. and Canada. Dawn serves on the boards of Friends of the Earth, the Urban Native Collective, and Green Umbrella, the Midwest’s regional sustainability and climate collaborative. Her work advances Indigenous governance, youth leadership, and climate justice inside philanthropy, public systems, and movement spaces.

Dawn has more than two decades of experience designing equity-based grantmaking structures, collaborating with Tribal Nations, and guiding national institutions through systems change. She previously served as Vice President of Philanthropic Strategies at the National Congress of American Indians and Vice President of Communications and External Affairs at Native Americans in Philanthropy. She is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Tribal Leadership Executive Education Program and the Rockwood Leadership Institute’s Art of Leadership for Philanthropic Leaders. She was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major for Justice Award (2018) for her public service and advocacy. She is based in Ohio and continues her work to move resources, policy, and narrative power toward Indigenous sovereignty and climate justice.