Sealaska Heritage Institute
Sealaska Heritage Institute is a Form 990 (a public charity) based in Juneau, Alaska. Its website describes it as a private nonprofit founded in 1980; its 2024 filing lists 1981 as the year formed. The institute advances Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures and supports work in cultural education, language, arts, archives, and research.
Sealaska Heritage Institute at a glance
In short: Sealaska Heritage Institute gave $3.5M across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $289K), mostly in Alaska. 17% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,463,498
- -0.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- -14.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $288,625
- +15.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $76,467
- Total assets
- $60,199,425
- +12.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (2 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Alaska (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Sealaska Heritage Institute
- How to Apply
-
The available description of the Sealaska Language Program Grants does not provide application instructions or materials.
- Contact
Mailing address: 105 Heritage Way Suite 201, Juneau, AK 99801-1332
Phone: (907) 463-4844
Website: https://sealaskaheritage.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Sealaska Heritage Institute
Indigenizing Education for Alaska Scholarships Grant
Sealaska Heritage Institute
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Judson L. Brown Scholarship Grant
Sealaska Heritage Institute
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Northwest Coast Art & Museum Studies Scholarship Grant
Sealaska Heritage Institute
Amount
Up to US $5,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Sealaska Heritage Institute funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Juneau School District ($1.4M). Together the top 10 received $3.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 32 grants of 58 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The institute is based in Juneau, Alaska. Its stated cultural mission centers on Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska, and its website says it conducts research promoting Alaska Native arts, cultures, history, and education statewide. In 2024, all reported grant dollars went to Alaska recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sealaska Heritage Institute open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 12 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $27K; repeat grants $341K. How we count
Medians: $27K first-time, $123K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.5M (2021) to $3.5M (2023). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $3.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Juneau School District Juneau, AK | Subgrant | $1,400,839 |
| University of Alaska Southeast Juneau, AK | Subgrant | $1,006,741 |
| Sitka School District Sitka, AK | Subgrant | $345,588 |
| Southeast Regional Resource Center Juneau, AK | Subgrant | $319,309 |
| Ketchikan Indian Community Ketchikan, AK | Subgrant | $138,348 |
| Sitka Tribe of Alaska Sitka, AK | Subgrant | $107,421 |
| Ketchikan Gateway Borough School Ketchikan, AK | Subgrant | $45,513 |
| University of Alaska - Anchorage Anchorage, AK | Middle School Academ | $43,200 |
| Klawock City School District Klawock, AK | Subgrant | $26,539 |
| Craig City School District Craig, AK | Subgrant | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $60,199,425 | $28,606,101 | $22,098,969 | $3,463,498 | 12 | $360,007 |
| 2023 | $53,322,674 | $24,729,907 | $23,160,357 | $3,489,799 | 14 | $227,067 |
| 2022 | $51,958,938 | $19,786,285 | $18,554,792 | $1,933,440 | 16 | $12,412 |
| 2021 | $51,675,052 | $26,019,204 | $13,354,475 | $1,530,582 | 10 | $26,361 |
| 2020 | $39,329,759 | $17,539,694 | $12,544,248 | $1,570,338 | 6 | $69,783 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The mission stated on the institute’s website is to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures. Its 2024 filing describes a broader purpose of protecting and promoting the cultural, social, political, and economic traditions of Southeast Alaska Native tribes, as well as educational achievement and opportunities.
The institute’s stated programs include cultural education, language revitalization, early literacy, curriculum development, teacher professional development, scholarships and internships, Native arts training and preservation, cultural events, archives, and research. Its 2024 filing describes partnerships with universities, school districts, tribes, and other educational institutions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the institute reported 12 grants totaling $3,463,498. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $1,400,839, with a median of $76,467. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Alaska.
The largest grants included $1,400,839 to Juneau School District, $1,006,741 to University of Alaska Southeast, $345,588 to Sitka School District, and $319,309 to Southeast Regional Resource Center. Most listed grants were identified as subgrants. Southeast Regional Resource Center describes its mission as delivering exemplary services and programs to Alaska school districts.
The institute’s website describes the Sealaska Language Program Grants as supporting traditional-language growth and revitalization, including projects involving paid language mentors and learning materials. Its materials also describe the Ruth Demmert Language Award and Judson L. Brown Leadership Award as annual scholarships administered by the institute; these are participant scholarships rather than grants to outside organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2024 filing:
- Vicki Soboleff — Chair
- Lee Wallace — Vice Chair
- Mike Miller — Treasurer
- Barbara Cadiente-Nelson — Secretary
- Nathan McCowan — Trustee
- Maria Williams — Trustee
- Marcella AsicksiK — Trustee
- Preston Singletary — Trustee
- Lisa Lang — Trustee
- Barbara Blake — Trustee
Sealaska Heritage Institute is led by Rosita Worl, President on every filing since 2020; 8 of 22 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Rosita Worl
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$296K (2020) → $382K (2024)
Vicki Soboleff
Chair
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kari Groven
Art Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$101K (2020) → $146K (2024)
Kaylin Anderson - Hr And Admin
Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$115K (2022) → $129K (2024)
Maria Williams
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nathan McCowan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marcella Asicksik
Trustee
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Blake
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Taug
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Lang
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Preston Singletary
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alicia Marvin
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeane Breinig - Outgoing
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Liz Medicine Crow - Outgoing
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lee Kadinger
Chief of Ope
COO → Chief of Ope, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$213K (2020) → $303K (2024)
Kristy Ford
Education Di
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$121K (2021) → $171K (2024)
Ricardo Worl - Communications And
Publication
Publications → Publication, 2023
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$118K (2022) → $134K (2024)
Carmaleeda Estrada
Operations
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$137K (2024)
Chuck Smythe
Senior Ethnolog
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$136K (2024)
Barbara Cadiente-Nelson
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lee Wallace
Vice Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mike Miller
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Chuck Smythe - Cultural (2020–2023) — History Di
- Former: Jeane Breinig (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Liz Medicine Crow (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Marlene Johnson - Outgoing (2023) — Trustee
- Former: Marlene Johnson (2020–2022) — Chair
- Former: Albert Kookesh - Outgoing (2021) — Vice Chair
- Former: Shgen George - Outgoing (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Albert Kookesh (2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Kristi Dillingham (2020) — Education Di
- Former: Shgen George (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $382K, to Rosita Worl (President). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Sealaska Heritage Institute
How much does Sealaska Heritage Institute give each year?
Sealaska Heritage Institute gave $3.5M across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $3.5M across 14 grants.
What is Sealaska Heritage Institute's typical grant size?
Sealaska Heritage Institute's median grant in 2024 was $76,467, and its average grant was $288,625, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sealaska Heritage Institute that year got $27K on average.
Where does Sealaska Heritage Institute give grants?
Sealaska Heritage Institute gives mostly in Alaska: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Juneau, AK (4 grants), Sitka, AK (2 grants) and Ketchikan, AK (2 grants).
Does Sealaska Heritage Institute give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Sealaska Heritage Institute's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Subgrant" (11 grants).
Who are Sealaska Heritage Institute's largest grantees?
Sealaska Heritage Institute's largest 2024 grantees include Juneau School District ($1,400,839), University of Alaska Southeast ($1,006,741) and Sitka School District ($345,588), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 79% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sealaska Heritage Institute?
Sealaska Heritage Institute reported $60.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $28.6M.
What does Sealaska Heritage Institute fund?
The mission stated on the institute’s website is to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sealaska Heritage Institute?
The available description of the Sealaska Language Program Grants does not provide application instructions or materials. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sealaska Heritage Institute's EIN?
Sealaska Heritage Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 92-0081844. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 31, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Sealaska Heritage Institute funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sealaska Heritage Institute's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sealaska Heritage Institute funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sealaska-heritage-institute-morg_b20d274499e84115b2c2621bdfc1cab8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_920081844_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sealaska Heritage Institute funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sealaska-heritage-institute-morg_b20d274499e84115b2c2621bdfc1cab8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Sealaska Heritage Institute'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.
Sealaska Heritage Institute down — hundreds of funders to go?