Joshua Franks

Joshua Franks is the Director of Native Children and Youth Funding at the Children’s Funding Project and is an enrolled member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. He is committed to ensuring access to health and wellness resources for Native American and Alaska Native peoples. With decades of experience advocating for Tribal health and wellness issues, he works to provide quality care for Native communities. A long-time Alaskan, he recently moved to Portland, Oregon.

Joshua joined the Children’s Funding Project in January 2025, where he aims to develop the Native Children and Youth program to connect Native communities with strategic public financing tools.

Previously, he served as Chief of Staff at Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. (CITC), overseeing governance functions for CITC and its subsidiaries and affiliates. He also worked as staff for the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children, traveling the country to learn from Native communities about effective practices and areas for improvement. This work culminated in a report to the United States Congress and Executive Branch, outlining solutions to better address the needs of Indigenous peoples in the U.S. Additionally, he led the Government Relations function, facilitating education and advocacy with various federal agencies.

Joshua dedicated nearly 20 years to Southcentral Foundation (SCF), a non-profit Alaska Native healthcare organization, holding various roles. In his last position, he managed the planning, development, and execution of SCF’s comprehensive fundraising program across both private and public sectors, cultivating and maintaining relationships with SCF’s private, state, and federal funding agencies. He has also presented nationally and internationally on SCF’s relationship-based Nuka System of Care.

In 2023, he was recognized by the Alaska Journal of Commerce as a Top Forty Under 40 recipient and received the National Indian Health Board’s National Impact Award for his outstanding service to advance American Indian and Alaska Native Health.