Giving Back

In 2022, IEG decided to shift away from the 1% for the Planet program to pursue a different method of giving. We wanted to do more to give back to Indigenous communities by supporting community-driven projects that may not otherwise be able to acquire external funding or afford to hire a consulting company. This aspiration led to the creation of IEG’s 2% for the People program. IEG donates 2% of our annual fee revenues to the 2% for the People program. 

The primary goal of the 2% for the People program is to contribute to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous communities in Canada. This is achieved through both monetary contributions and in-kind contributions of IEG staff time and resources towards Indigenous community-driven projects, with a focus on communities in the areas we work.  

The first project completed through the 2% for the People program was a 2022 tree planting campaign with the Clearwater River Dënë Nation in northern Saskatchewan. The program was so valued and well-received that IEG has returned annually to continue supporting the program, with additional funding provided by NexGen Energy. 

Some of the other community initiatives supported through the 2% for the People program include: 

• Land-based education program (Clearwater River Dënë School, La Loche, Saskatchewan): Funding supports projects that have led to deeply informed conversations and the co-creation of community research protocols and frameworks that prioritize the well-being of community members and strive to do no harm. This work challenges researchers to critically examine the systems that have failed communities and to advance radical systems of care, compassion, and accountability that address existing power imbalances. Through these efforts, they are also creating opportunities for Indigenous science that strengthen community research autonomy, uphold data sovereignty, and advance Indigenous self-determination by ensuring communities have the authority to shape research priorities, govern their knowledge and data, and lead research processes that reflect their own values, needs, and visions for the future.
• Firewood for Tū Łī́dlīnī Dena (Ross River) Elders: Funding provided for the purchase and delivery of firewood to Elders in Tū Łī́dlīnī, a remote Yukon community.
• JFKBLC Case: To support the Beaver Lake Cree Nation Treaty Litigation, the funding helped cover professional fees for a cumulative effects assessment report.
• Reconnection Vision: To support climate action driven by Indigenous youth in the Yukon through the Reconnection Vision organization, our funding supported an in-person strategic planning session, bringing together the youth leaders to guide the direction of the organization over the upcoming years.
• Strategic Planning for Indigenous Youth-led Climate Action: Funding provided to support strategic planning for implementation of the Reconnection Vision, a youth-led Yukon First Nations climate vision and action plan. The Reconnection Vision is endorsed by Yukon First Nations as their unified approach to climate action.
  
• Land-based Education Program, Elsie Fabian School, Fort McKay, Alberta: Funding provided to purchase supplies and equipment for program activities, including berry-picking, ice fishing, and hunting and trapping.
• Sponsorship of the Landform Design Institute (LDI) Case Histories Book Project: The book will highlight international case studies of how Indigenous communities are contributing to landform design, reclamation, and mine closure. IEG’s sponsorship was used to cover compensation and honoraria for Indigenous participants.
• Landform Design Institute Case Histories: IEG funding was used to support honoraria and travel expenses for a Dënësułinë Elder and a smelqmix Elder to attend and co-lead a half-day workshop, focused on how to work respectfully and collaboratively with Indigenous communities in reclamation and closure  for mine sites. This workshop was part of a 5-day short course on landform design held at UBC in November 2025. Additionally, one of the current LDI projects is to compile case histories of Indigenous collaboration with mining companies and/or regulators on mine closure, which the group has been working towards since January, 2026. IEG contributed honoraria for the Elders to attend these remote meetings.
• Feasibility Survey for Restoring a Tū Łī́dlīnī Dena Cemetery: At the request of Tū Łī́dlīnī Dena Elders, IEG and BGC Engineering conducted a site survey to determine the feasibility of understanding characteristics of a historic cemetery that was damaged during construction of the Faro Mine using a non-invasive hand-held laser scanner.
• ALCES Flow Training Sessions and Resources for Indigenous Communities: IEG prepared resource materials to help community staff with running simulations in ALCES Flow. We then delivered training sessions with several of our Indigenous clients who use ALCES Flow to model cumulative effects within their traditional territories. ALCES Flow is a cloud-based modeling platform for cumulative effects assessment and land use planning.
• BC Mine Reclamation Symposium Panel: Every year we sponsor a travel fund for Indigenous attendees, who face barriers to attendance not only in the cost of registration, but also in travel, accommodations, and meals.
• Mikisew Cree Elders’ Retreat: We sent money to the Mikisew Cree to sponsor their 21^st annual Elders’ retreat. The Retreat provides a unique opportunity for knowledge sharing—allowing the community to learn from one another’s traditions and experiences while deepening mutual understanding.
• Fort Chipewyan Metis Nation to UNESCO World Heritage Committee: Funding supported to cover travel costs to support meaningful Indigenous representation and relationship-building at the UNESCO World Heritage Committee conference in South Korea. We received these kind words from FCMN: Thank you so much to you and the entire IEG team for your unwavering support. We are truly grateful,  it continues to inspire and energize us.
• Walk for Wenjack: Funding provided to the Gord Downie and Chanie Wejack Fund as part of IEG’s annual participation in the Walk for Wenjack.
• Kenneth Strath Moore Scholarship: This scholarship is for the First Nations University of Canada. We matched the donation from Jennifer Rattray, who generously donated her honorarium from the EDI speaker series.
• Moosehide Campaign: Moosehide Campaign is a BC-born, Indigenous-led grassroots movement to engage men and boys in ending violence towards women and children. We received 1,000 moosehide pins from our donation.
• Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly Tattoo and Wellness Gathering: We supported a three-day event where community members were are able to celebrate traditional and contemporary Indigenous tattooing, in partnership with Awakening our DNA and the Nlaka’pamux Health Services Society. The tattoos created are significant in Nlaka’pamux culture for the community connectiveness that they foster between the artist and the recipient, between the recipient and their culture, and between the recipient and the artist’s culture. Our money helped cover costs for CNA community members who would like to experience the ITWG but aren’t able to cover the cost of their own medicinal tattooing session.
• Yukon University Faro Mine tour: Yukon University has an environmental monitoring program for members of Yukon First Nations. IEG spent a day with the instructor and students, giving them a tour of reclamation activities at the Faro Mine Complex.
• Supporting community members directly: The 2% Fund helps us provide direct support to folks in communities where there is a sudden event or urgent need.
  • Funding supported a young Tū Łī́dlīnī Dena (Ross River) tree planter working on the Faro project who had an urgent medical issue that required transport to BC. IEG helped cover travel costs for the youth and their grandparents to be able to travel to and from hospitals in BC, and accommodations and food during that travel.
  • Funding provided support for the Clearwater River Dene Nation water crisis.
  • Funding supported a Tū Łī́dlīnī Dena (Ross River) Elder who was hospitalized.
  • Funding supported in honor of Dave Nordquist, with whom the Cumulative Effects Team worked closely on their work in Secwépemc Territory. Dave was a wonderful man and a true leader. We worked with Dave over the years using ALCES to assess impacts of development on ecosystems in the Secwépemc Territory. Gentle but strong, Dave was more than willing to ruffle feathers when needed to advocate for Adams Lake Indian Band’s right to self-determination. And he was dedicated to building capacity for Adams Lake Indian Band to manage their natural resources. We are thankful to have been able to work with Dave, and will miss him.
• Additional miscellaneous donations were made where there were causes that IEG has connections to:
  • Pacific Regional Soil Science Annual Meeting: Many IEGers have been members of the PRSSS over the years and benefited from the connections and learning opportunities that this non-profit group provides with very low barriers to entry. 
  • Easter Seal’s camp

We hope the 2% for the People program inspires other companies to consider how they can advance reconciliation in their work and in their giving.