photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

The campus of Haskell Indian Nations University is pictured Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025.

A nonprofit dedicated to supporting Haskell Indian Nations University is raising donations to support the emergent needs of the university since dozens of staff members were laid off earlier this month.

The foundation says on its website that it’s hoping to raise at least $350,000 to support the university after the layoffs, which were part of the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce. At Haskell, 35 probationary employees lost their jobs.

The foundation hopes to use part of the goal amount, $235,000, to fund temporary contracts for discharged employees, including coaches, a bus driver and custodial and dining staff, for three months. The Haskell Foundation website explicitly states however, that it is not raising funds to hire back discharged employees.

“While this idealistically would be a tremendous support, this is not a realistic goal at this time,” it said on its website. “Haskell University employees are federal employees and we are not able to circumvent the federal process.”

Donations would also be used to help students who may be affected by Pell Grant delays and freezes; provide limited emergency assistance to discharged employees and affected students; ensure that cultural events can continue; and possibly assist with any unexpected university funding cuts.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, the foundation had raised more than $60,000 toward the $350,000 goal. Last Friday, Dan Wildcat, an instructor of Indigenous and American Indian Studies at Haskell, told a crowd gathered to discuss the layoffs that one way people can support Haskell is through the foundation.

Those interested in donating can visit www.haskellfoundation.org.