Strategic Plan
2022-2026
Jump to Initiative
TCU Capacity-Building
Sustainability
Public Awareness
Community and Cultural Engagement
Vision
We provide scholarships, programming to improve American Indian and Alaska Native student access to higher education, and the support and tools for them to succeed once they are there.
Mission
The American Indian College Fund invests in Native students and tribal college education to transform lives and communities.
Introduction to the Strategic Plan
The American Indian College Fund’s strategic plan serves as a guide to achieving the College Fund’s mission and purposes. The strategic plan is developed through the input of constituencies served by the College Fund and with analysis of information that describes promising practices in support of Indigenous students’ post-secondary success and Tribal College and University (TCU) capacity.
The 2022-26 strategic plan was developed with the support of an internal College Fund team and facilitation by Deborah His Horse Is Thunder as a planning consultant. A series of group exercises, discussions, and review of relevant reports articulated the needs, priorities, demographics, and challenges of Native students and the tribal colleges and universities. This new strategic plan seeks to address the needs of its constituents and rests solidly on the previous strategic plan. It builds upon the successes, accomplishments, and lessons learned over the past five years and beyond. The College Fund’s mission, vision, and guiding remain unchanged in this process.
The Strategic Plan is multi-faceted with the primary pillars being support of Indigenous students’ identity and well-being through post-secondary success, increasing the capabilities and capacity of tribal colleges and universities, promoting the visibility of Indigenous voices and prosperity, and ensuring the stability of the College Fund. We view the strategic plan as a structured framework from which to do our critical work of supporting students and tribal families and communities.
Initiatives and Goals
Student Success Initiative
By providing Native student access and success programs, the American Indian College Fund builds pathways to college for American Indian and Alaska Native students. The American Indian College Fund supports Native students’ vision by supporting their goals of engaged tribal citizenship and being a good relative.
Goal 1
Annually increase strategically focused scholarships and support to meet the needs of AI/AN students who seek an education at tribal colleges and universities and other accredited institutions.
Goal 2
Build, enhance, and implement Native student programming that is supportive and reflective of students’ goals and identity.
Goal 3
By investing in TCUs, nearby high schools, and other community-based partners, the College Fund provides culturally relevant and place-based approaches to impact Native student outcomes of enrollment, persistence, graduation, and meaningful work.
Goal 4
The College Fund provides funding to increase and enhance college and career success programs grounded in traditional knowledge and place-based values supporting academic and professional pursuits of Native people and increasing skills to serve their community and promote well-being.
Tribal College and University Capacity-Building Initiative
Capacity-building generates resources that foster relationships, knowledge, and tools for TCUs to carry out their respective missions and nurture the well-being of their local communities.
Goal 1
The College Fund provides support to TCUs to diversify resources, build human capital, and create processes, programming, and systems that are culturally aligned for long-term sustainability.
The College Fund supports opportunities for place-based learning, research, relationship building, and knowledge sharing opportunities among TCU leadership, faculty, staff, and students.
Goal 3
Place-Based Programming – The College Fund provides resources to support growth of TCU academic and community-based language and place-based programming opportunities for Native students, faculty, staff, and community.
Goal 4
The College Fund supports TCUs in their development of holistic and culturally grounded support services and wellness institutional practices to foster Native student, staff, and faculty success.
College Fund Sustainability Initiative
Ensure organizational sustainability of the American Indian College Fund and its mission through proactive and innovative financial and operational strategies.
Goal 1
The College Fund seeks to increase financial resources and maintain high quality oversight to expand its mission.
Goal 2
Execute a systems approach that aligns efficiencies and productivity that intentionally and proactively adapts to changing environments.
Goal 3
Embrace people as the key resource in ensuring the organizational environment is living and evolving to bolster success and growth as an adaptive organization.
Goal 4
Intentionally assess and reflect on the College Fund’s relevance to external impact within its mission that aligns with needs and engagement of TCUs, Native students, Native communities, current and potential donors.
Public Awareness Initiative
Increase public awareness of, change perceptions about, and strengthens knowledge of American Indians and Alaskan Natives to increase resources and opportunities to serve Native students and TCUs while promoting cultural revitalization and socio-economic equity.
Goal 1
The College Fund seeks to increase financial resources and maintain high quality oversight to expand its mission.
Goal 2
Increase awareness of and engagement with the College Fund and its mission by Native people, communities, and organizations.
Goal 3
Increase opportunities for public education/awareness and expand the College Fund reach by creating the infrastructure to fully accommodate this work.
Goal 4
Establish and build relationships with Native leaders and Native organizations to facilitate and share a consistent, cohesive Native perspective and voice with our constituencies and the media.
Community and Cultural Engagement Initiative
Increase TCU capacity to support their cultural missions through community and cultural engagement that supports Native student success and improves well-being, cultural revitalization, and social-economic quality of life.
Goal 1
Support the development of academic courses, academic degrees, and community programming to increase cultural knowledge through language, culture, and arts with engagement of students and community.
Goal 2
Support culturally rooted, innovative, place-based, holistic approaches to programming in Native language to enhance Tribal sovereignty, cultivate restorative wellness, and strengthen identity.
