Co-Chair. Susan Balbas is a multi-racial community organizer, nonprofit leader, and philanthropic strategist whose work has helped shape Indigenous-led philanthropy and community development throughout the Pacific Northwest. She founded the Na’ah Illahee Fund, an Indigenous women-led organization created to support Native leadership, climate justice, and regenerative community economies.
Across her career, Balbas has helped establish and strengthen influential Indigenous institutions, including the Potlatch Fund and the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) in Portland, where she previously served as Executive Director. She has also contributed in leadership and advisory roles across the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, and has served on boards such as the Sightline Institute and Washington Progress Alliance, helping advance regional conversations on sustainability, equity, and social justice.
In 2022, she received the Native Action Network Enduring Spirit Award for her contributions to Indigenous leadership and community empowerment. Today, Balbas supports development and philanthropic partnerships for Salmon Returns, a bioregional initiative working across Pacific salmon watersheds to mobilize capital for Indigenous- and community-led ecological restoration, self-determination, and regenerative economies. Her work continues to center Indigenous leadership, cultural knowledge, and community-driven solutions for regenerative futures across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.