The Fund Marks its 20th Anniversary

Jan 6, 2009 | Archives, Blog

Here at the Fund we are celebrating 20 years as the nation’s premiere scholarship organization for American Indian students.

The Fund was created in 1989 by the tribal colleges and universities and private partners to raise scholarship funds and funding for America’s tribal colleges. The first tribal college was Diné College, founded as Navajo Community College, in 1968. Today there are 32 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which serve college students and provide much-needed services to American Indian communities.

The Fund has raised millions of dollars for scholarships and capital funding for campus infrastructure in its mission, and last year awarded nearly 4,000 scholarships to American Indian students to encourage students to remain in college, complete a college degree and build a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.

We hope you will join us this year in celebrating our achievements over the past 20 years, while continuing to help us grow to meet the demands of our community so that they may realize their dreams of earning a college education and helping to effect change in Indian country and our nation.

Recent Blog Posts

Remembering Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne) 

Remembering Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne) 

The former Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell passed December 30, 2025, surrounded by family shortly after a visit with tribal elders. Eddie Box Jr. sang the sacred Southern Ute Sundance songs which carried Native people between worlds for generations, and the vision of Nighthorse-Campbell donned in his war bonnet and buckskins and riding his horse home into the next world. 

Our Students’ Success is Our Wealth: Join Us to Help More Students Access Higher Education 

Our Students’ Success is Our Wealth: Join Us to Help More Students Access Higher Education 

Winter is a special season, full of holidays, good food, good company. And no matter the culture, storytelling and the spirit of reflection, growth, giving, and gratitude take center stage this time of year. It is no different for Native peoples, many of whom wait to tell certain stories on long, cold winter nights.