About American Indian College Fund
The American Indian College Fund invests in Native students and tribal college education to transform lives and communities.
Focus Areas
Higher educationScholarshipsIndigenous educationTribal college capacity-buildingStudent support and retentionFaculty developmentResearchNative arts and cultural programsCareer readiness
Funding Style
operational supportprogram supportgeneral operating supportcapacity building
About American Indian College Fund
The American Indian College Fund’s recent grantmaking is built around direct operating and program support for Tribal Colleges and Universities. Large awards in the current record include $936,733 to Aaniiih Nakoda College, $818,003 to Tohono O'odham Community College, and $758,603 to Sitting Bull College, all for operational or program support. That pattern points to an institution-level strategy rather than project-only funding: the foundation backs colleges as organizations, not just individual initiatives. Across the grant list, the same grantee can appear in multiple years, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. Sinte Gleska University received grants in 2024 and 2025, and Turtle Mountain Community College also appears more than once. The foundation’s active program menu reinforces that approach, with support for capacity-building, student success, leadership development, language and culture, health and wellness, infrastructure, and community-centered programming. The funder also supports field-specific work tied to Native education and tribal college life, including faculty development, early childhood education, adult education, Native arts, and Indigenous leadership. That mix makes the College Fund relevant to researchers tracking both institutional strengthening and student-serving grants in Native higher education.
What American Indian College Fund Funds
A central theme in the American Indian College Fund’s portfolio is institutional support for tribal colleges. It gave $684,503 to the College of the Muscogee Nation for operational/program support and $624,503 to Northwest Indian College for the same purpose, showing a preference for keeping colleges functioning and responsive to local needs. Faculty and workforce capacity also appear as a distinct thread. The Graduate Hours Fellowship supports tribal college and university faculty who need graduate credits to teach in another discipline, and it is capped at $15,000. That program is tied directly to retaining qualified faculty and broadening course offerings. The foundation also funds Indigenous education across age groups. Ihduwiyaypi: Advancing Indigenous Early Childhood Education Grants support early learning programming, while Native Students Stepping Forward supports adult education and GED completion for American Indian communities and Tribal Colleges. These programs sit alongside student-centered and community-based support within the College Fund’s broader Indigenous education work.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$13.9M
Total Assets
$215.1M
Total Revenue
$66.5M
Total Expenses
$62.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $25K and $515K, with a median of $125K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$125K
75th Percentile
$515K
Geographic Reach
National14 states funded
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NM.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
CHERYL CRAZY BULL
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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