The American Indian College Fund is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Denver, Colorado, founded in 1989. It is the nation's largest charity dedicated to supporting Native American access to higher education. The organization provides scholarships to American Indian and Alaska Native students and offers financial support to tribal colleges and universities. With 96 employees, the College Fund serves more than 4,000 American Indian students annually through scholarships, programming, and institutional support.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$215.1M
+5.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$13.9M
-21.5% YoY
Grant Count
38
-7.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$365K
-15.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The American Indian College Fund invests in Native students and tribal college education to transform lives and communities.
Vision: Healthy, self-sufficient, and educated American Indian and Alaska Native people.
The organization's primary purpose is increasing the number of American Indians who hold college degrees. Currently, only 15% of American Indians have a college degree—less than half the national average. The College Fund addresses this disparity through:
- Direct scholarships to American Indian and Alaska Native students
- Support for tribal colleges and universities, including operational and program support
- Capital support for tribal institutions
- Cultural preservation activities
- Career and employment readiness programming
- Student success initiatives spanning from early childhood through post-graduate career placement
Grantmaking
The College Fund has distributed more than 143,281 scholarships totaling $237.1 million since its founding in 1989. Recent financial data shows total giving of $38,385,304 in 2025.
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The College Fund's grant-making focuses primarily on Montana, Minnesota, and New Mexico, though it serves American Indian students nationally.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2025 (most recent filing):
- Total Assets: $215,085,677
- Total Revenue: $66,504,283
- Total Expenses: $62,846,628
- Total Liabilities: $3,890,000
- Number of Employees: 96
Fund Allocation: The organization allocates funds to scholarships, programs, and public education, with a portion dedicated to management and general operations and fundraising.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $215,085,677 | $203,027,815 | $196,090,412 |
| Revenue | $66,504,283 | $55,544,229 | $83,877,964 |
| Expenses | $62,846,628 | $61,332,195 | $46,083,405 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $6,703,583 | $5,582,919 | $2,830,262 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
209 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from American Indian College Fund
American Indian College Fund Scholarship - High School Student Grant
AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND
Amount
US $2,000 - US $3,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
American Indian College Fund Scholarships
AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND
Amount
Varies
Deadline
May 31, 2026
Scholarships for Non-Tribal College Students Grant
AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND
Amount
US $2,000 - US $3,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEANDER MCDONALD | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| TWYLA BAKER | 1ST VICE-CHAIR | 1 | — |
| DUANE BEDELL | 2ND VICE-CHAIR | 1 | — |
| BILL PARKER | TRUSTEE/MEMBER AT LARGE | 1 | — |
| ASHLEY HUBKA | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KATHY BAIRD | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DAN KING | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| NICOLE BELLEFEUILLE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| HOLLY LUNSFORD | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| SEAN CHANDLER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL OLTROGGE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| EVA FLYING | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| BRENDA TOINEETA PIPESTEM | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DAWN FRANK | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MONTE RANDALL | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MEREDITH VAUGHAN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DAWSON HER MANY HORSES | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CHARLES ROESSEL | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CHERYL CRAZY BULL | PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 40 | $370,135 |
| TAMELA A MILLER-CARLSON | TREASURER/CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $233,447 |
| CARRIE BASGALL | SECRETARY/EXEC ASST TO PRES. | 40 | $88,824 |
| NANCY JO HOUK | CHIEF MARKETING & DEV. OFFICER | 40 | $237,168 |
| DAVID SANDERS | VP RESEARCH & EVALUATION | 40 | $200,968 |
| EMILY WHITE HAT | VICE PRESIDENT PROGRAMS | 40 | $193,189 |
| JAMIE SCHWARTZ | DIRECTOR OF MAJOR GIFTS | 40 | $129,486 |
| TIFFANY GUSBETH | VP STUDENT SUCCESS SERVICES | 40 | $191,654 |
Recent Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The College Fund announced the Spring 2026 Faculty Fellow Cohort and opened its 2026 scholarship season on February 1. The organization also announced support for its largest Full Circle Scholarship cohort to date. The College Fund received an award for its adult education program and continues to expand its professional development offerings through student grants and faculty fellowships.
Student Professional Development Grant ApplicationSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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