Circle
of Hope
Special Edition 2024
Generational Trauma
is Real- and Important
to Acknowledge
Circle
of Hope
Special Edition 2024
Generational Trauma
is Real- and Important
to Acknowledge
Our Vision
Since its founding in 1989, the American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native student access to higher education. We provide scholarships and programming for American Indian and Alaska Native students to access higher education. And once students are in college, we provide them with the tools and support to succeed.
This Native American Heritage Month President Cheryl Crazy Bull of the American Indian College Fund shares how your support helps Native American students—and why it matters more than ever.
Our Events
Book Club: Deborah Taffa
November 26th, 2024
Deborah Jackson Taffa, author of “Whiskey Tender”, discusses her work with College Fund President Cheryl Crazy Bull as part of our Native American Heritage Month 2024 Book Club series.
Twin City EATSS
February 18th, 2025
Rescheduled to Spring 2025, this one-night-only event aims to bring together the tradition and diversity of Native culture and expression, served to you at the esteemed Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.
Denver EATSS
April 11th and 12th, 2025
Originally home to more than 10 nations, Colorado is steeped in American Indian roots. Today, we are excited to bring back a night of total immersion in Native culture, with art, food, discussion, and music from Indigenous creators.
American Indian boarding school students. U.S. Library of Congress.
Featured News
President Biden Apologizes on Federal Boarding School Policy
Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, “The legacy of boarding schools touches nearly every Native American alive today. This federal policy with a goal of total assimilation of Native people saw abuses perpetuated on our family members across several generations. Yet this dark period in American history is largely unknown to non-Natives. I hope President Biden’s apology not only raises awareness of true Native history in our country but is a step towards national reconciliation and healing.”
American Indian boarding school students. U.S. Library of Congress.
Featured News
Cheryl Crazy Bull Publishes Brief on Native Student College Access
The Campaign for College Opportunity published “Ensuring College Access and Success for American Indian/Alaska Native Students,” authored by Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, as part of its “Affirming Equity, Ensuring Inclusion, and Empowering Action,” a national initiative that elevates best practices supporting the college preparation, admission, affordability, and success of minoritized students that came in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to curtail the use of race in college and universities admissions. The Campaign’s national initiative seeks to ensure America does not return to an era of exclusion in higher education.
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Despite centuries of trauma connected with education as an assimilation tool, American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) peoples have remained resilient and advocated tirelessly to achieve equal opportunity in higher education, building a movement to restore Native culture and community life with the creation of tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCUs). Yet the participation of AIAN people in higher education remains low with 16% of AIAN people ages 25-64 earn a bachelor’s degree compared to 32% of the rest of the U.S. population. The number of Native youths in higher education is significantly less than that of the rest of the U.S. population and substantially decreased over the last 10-15 years.
President Crazy Bull urges all colleges and universities to strive for ensuring equal opportunity, inclusion, and creating a strong sense of belonging on their campuses, and for learning from TCUs to build education institutions that honor Native identity and empower these students to succeed. “Ensuring College Access and Success for American Indian/Alaska Native Students” presents the current state of higher education access and completion for American Indian/Alaska Native Students (AIAN) and details a series of best practices and recommendations that ensure AIAN students can succeed in higher education without abandoning their cultures. The brief also explores how leaders at the federal, state, and institutional level can ensure access to higher education for AIAN students in ways that affirm their cultures and the unique sovereign political status of American Indian and Alaska Natives.
Our Impact
MILLION
Invested into Native Communities
SCHOLARSHIPS
Awarded since 1989
%
OF OUR SCHOLARS
Give back to their communities
How Your Donations are Used
4%
Management and General
23%
Fundraising
73%
Scholarships, Programs, and Public Education
A Commitment to Donors
Guidestar
2023 Gold Seal of Transparency
Best Charity
Certified by America’s best charities
Charity Navigator
View our Charity Navigator profile
BBB Wise Giving Alliance
View our give.org charity profile
Tribal Colleges and Universities
Tribal colleges and universities provide dynamic higher education opportunities, most on or near reservation lands. Known for their remarkable programs, culturally-relevant curricula, and familial student care – tribal colleges allow students to further their careers, attain an advanced degree, or better support their communities.
Recent Blog Posts
From Our President
Press Release
Jonathan Breaker, TCU Student Success Program Officer, Earns Strategic Enrollment Management Endorsement
Jonathan Breaker, Tribal Colleges and Universities Student Success Program Officer at the American Indian College Fund, has earned the Strategic Enrollment Management Endorsement from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (AACRAO). Breaker is among an elite group of only 83 individuals internationally and is the first person from the state of New Mexico to earn this endorsement. Breaker is receiving the SEM Endorsement Badge through Credly and his name will soon appear in the national registry.
FOR STUDENTS
Waabaabigan, Working with Our Namesake
Janet and Eliza Klarer, a mother-daughter duo from the White Earth Ojibwe community, are preserving traditional Woodland-style pottery inspired by their ancestor Judy Toppings, who revitalized White Earth clay lifeways. Through workshops and their own artistry, they share the significance of working with White Earth clay, nurturing creativity and connection in their community.
Programs
From The Chippewa Cree Perspective
This blog from Stone Child College on Rocky Boy’s Reservation in Montana shares insights into navigating higher education and preserving Chippewa Cree culture in the modern world. It highlights the college’s dedication to fostering pride in tribal heritage, featuring an interview with art instructor John Murie, who carries forward traditional beadwork techniques and philosophies passed down through generations, emphasizing the importance of Native storytelling and cultural preservation through education and art.
Featured News
Save the Date: Rateliff Sings Rateliff | Denver EATSS Returns with Indigenous Cuisine, Art, and Nathaniel Rateliff with Colorado Symphony
The Colorado Symphony and the American Indian College Fund proudly announce a thrilling collaboration with acclaimed singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff for two unforgettable performances on April 11 and 12, 2025, at Denver’s Boettcher Concert Hall, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the American Indian College Fund. The concert will feature new orchestrations of Rateliff’s most beloved songs, showcasing his signature sound reimagined through the lush and dynamic lens of a full symphony orchestra.
Save the Date: Twin Cities EATSS Returns with Indigenous Cuisine, Art and Music Featuring Grammy-Winner Rufus Wainwright
The American Indian College Fund is thrilled to announce the return of its celebrated Twin Cities EATSS (Epicurean Award to Support Scholars) event, taking place Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at the iconic Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. This one-of-a-kind evening celebrates the vibrancy of Native culture through exceptional Indigenous cuisine, original art, and a performance by three-time-Grammy Award-winning artist Rufus Wainwright.
Student News
Waabaabigan, Working with Our Namesake
Janet and Eliza Klarer, a mother-daughter duo from the White Earth Ojibwe community, are preserving traditional Woodland-style pottery inspired by their ancestor Judy Toppings, who revitalized White Earth clay lifeways. Through workshops and their own artistry, they share the significance of working with White Earth clay, nurturing creativity and connection in their community.
Jonathan Breaker, TCU Student Success Program Officer, Earns Strategic Enrollment Management Endorsement
Jonathan Breaker, Tribal Colleges and Universities Student Success Program Officer at the American Indian College Fund, has earned the Strategic Enrollment Management Endorsement from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (AACRAO). Breaker is among an elite group of only 83 individuals internationally and is the first person from the state of New Mexico to earn this endorsement. Breaker is receiving the SEM Endorsement Badge through Credly and his name will soon appear in the national registry.
Breaking Through Fences in Indian Country
Lorita Nearing shares in her own words how she persevered to attain her high school equivalency diploma and chose to say “Yes” to building a promising future for her and her family.
News from our Progams Team
College Fund Programs Team
From The Chippewa Cree Perspective
This blog from Stone Child College on Rocky Boy’s Reservation in Montana shares insights into navigating higher education and preserving Chippewa Cree culture in the modern world. It highlights the college’s dedication to fostering pride in tribal heritage, featuring an interview with art instructor John Murie, who carries forward traditional beadwork techniques and philosophies passed down through generations, emphasizing the importance of Native storytelling and cultural preservation through education and art.
Waabaabigan, Working with Our Namesake
Janet and Eliza Klarer, a mother-daughter duo from the White Earth Ojibwe community, are preserving traditional Woodland-style pottery inspired by their ancestor Judy Toppings, who revitalized White Earth clay lifeways. Through workshops and their own artistry, they share the significance of working with White Earth clay, nurturing creativity and connection in their community.
Breaking Through Fences in Indian Country
Lorita Nearing shares in her own words how she persevered to attain her high school equivalency diploma and chose to say “Yes” to building a promising future for her and her family.
College Fund in the News
Tribal College Campuses Are Falling Apart. The U.S. Hasn’t Fulfilled Its Promise to Fund the Schools.
Cheryl Crazy Bull Publishes Brief on Native Student College Access
Jasmine Seeks Role as Voice for Her People and Environment as University of Michigan Law Student
Congratulations Dyani White Hawk
Higher Education Leaders Respond To Court’s Affirmative Action Ruling
