Indigenous People's Education Fund
The Indigenous People’s Education Fund is a private foundation based in Brooklyn, New York. It provides scholarships and other educational support to enrolled members of state- or federally recognized Native American tribes, and may support teachers, schools, and pre-college education.
Indigenous People's Education Fund at a glance
In short: Indigenous People's Education Fund gave $499K across 34 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), top state Colorado. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $499,400
- +115.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 34
- +385.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $14,688
- -55.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $12,883,759
- +84.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Colorado (37% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Indigenous People's Education Fund
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that applications for undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate scholarships are available by request and on its website. Completed applications may be submitted by email. Its filing lists Noreen Weiss and James Wickenhauser as application contacts. Applicants must be enrolled members of a state- or federally recognized Native American tribe; Navajo and Lakota members receive priority. The foundation considers applicants in any field, with possible priority for STEM, medicine, or law. Its website says college and university applicants must be applying to an accredited, not-for-profit institution and demonstrate satisfactory completion of secondary education. Graduate and postgraduate applicants must demonstrate academic excellence at an accredited, not-for-profit university or liberal arts college during the last two years of undergraduate enrollment.
- Contact
Application contact: Noreen Weiss Or James Wickenhauser
Mailing address: 168 Clinton St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (646) 513-3284
Email: jwickenhauser@theknowledgefund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Indigenous People's Education Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Indian College Fund ($170K across 2 grants). Together the top 2 received $260K.
Organizations only. It also paid 31 individual scholarships ($239,400), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 40 grants of 47 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated eligibility extends to enrolled members of any state- or federally recognized Native American tribe. In 2025, the largest reported shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado (37%), an individual recipient (23%), and Michigan (15%), followed by Utah (5%) and Oklahoma (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Indigenous People's Education Fund gives
- Giving grew 443% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $92K (2022) to $499K (2025). In 2025 it made 34 grants totaling $499K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian College Fund Denver, CO | Scholarship awards to eligible students in the native pathways program to facilitate, encourage and support native high school seniors to attend college. | $130,000 |
| American Indian Science and Engineering Society Albuquerque, NM | Scholarship awards to eligible students in the native pathways program to facilitate, encourage and support native high school seniors to attend college. | $90,000 |
| 31 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $239,400 |
| American Indian College Fund Denver, CO | Support General Mission | $40,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12,883,759 | $6,853,272 | $552,022 | $499,400 | 34 | $508,357 | $262,878 | $531,892 |
| 2024 | $6,971,241 | $1,309,405 | $241,017 | $231,606 | 7 | $239,351 | $119,892 | $304,892 |
| 2023 | $5,907,163 | $217,623 | $151,237 | $138,000 | 3 | $207,309 | $117,623 | $288,756 |
| 2022 | $5,839,737 | $3,020 | $112,967 | $92,000 | 3 | $229,335 | $3,020 | $292,110 |
| 2020 | $6,000,024 | $6,011,272 | $11,248 | — | — | — | $24 | $19,432 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Indigenous People's Education Fund reported a distributable amount of $532K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation was founded to support the education of enrolled members of state- or federally recognized Native American tribes. Its stated areas of support include undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate scholarships; educational support for teachers and schools; and potential support for primary education and pre-college STEM programs.
In 2025, the foundation reported awarding grants to three educational institutions to support 37 students in the Native Pathways program, as well as a grant to support the mission of the American Indian College Fund. It also reported that scholarships were awarded to 30 students.
The American Indian College Fund describes its mission as investing in Native students and tribal college education to transform lives and communities. The an individual recipient Science and Engineering Society describes its mission as substantially increasing the representation of Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in STEM studies and careers.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 34 grants totaling $499,400. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $130,000, with a median of $5,000.
Notable grants included $130,000 to the American Indian College Fund and $90,000 to the an individual recipient Science and Engineering Society, both for scholarship awards to eligible students in the Native Pathways program. The foundation also awarded $40,000 to the American Indian College Fund for general mission support. Other reported awards included $10,000 to an individual recipient Highlands University for scholarships and scholarship grants to individual recipients, including $72,400 for study at the University of Michigan and $20,000 for study at the University of Utah.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Noreen Weiss as executive director and treasurer and James Wickenhauser as grants officer and secretary.
Indigenous People's Education Fund is led by Noreen Weiss, Executive Director & Treasurer since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Noreen Weiss
Executive Director & Treasurer
Executive Director & Secretary → Executive Director & Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$7K (2022) → $5K (2025)
James Wickenhauser
Grants Officer & Secretary
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Joseph San Filippo (2020) — Chairperson & Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $5K, to Noreen Weiss (Executive Director/Treasurer).
Frequently asked questions about Indigenous People's Education Fund
How much does Indigenous People's Education Fund give each year?
Indigenous People's Education Fund gave $499K across 34 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $232K across 7 grants.
What is Indigenous People's Education Fund's typical grant size?
Indigenous People's Education Fund's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $14,688, across 34 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Indigenous People's Education Fund give grants?
Indigenous People's Education Fund's top state is Colorado, with 37% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Mexico (23%) and Michigan (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (2 grants).
Does Indigenous People's Education Fund give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of Indigenous People's Education Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 34) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
How large is Indigenous People's Education Fund?
Indigenous People's Education Fund reported $12.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $508K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $532K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Indigenous People's Education Fund fund?
The foundation was founded to support the education of enrolled members of state- or federally recognized Native American tribes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Indigenous People's Education Fund?
The foundation states that applications for undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate scholarships are available by request and on its website. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Indigenous People's Education Fund's EIN?
Indigenous People's Education Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-4207890. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Indigenous People's Education Fund funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Indigenous People's Education Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Indigenous People's Education Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/indigenous-people-s-education-fund-morg_67b9f9753c04445ea2030bf23fc3b70a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_854207890_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Indigenous People's Education Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/indigenous-people-s-education-fund-morg_67b9f9753c04445ea2030bf23fc3b70a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Indigenous People's Education Fund's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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