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8333 GREENWOOD BLVD
Denver CO 80221-4488
Mail donations to:
P.O. Box 172449
Denver CO 80217
Denver CO | IRS ruling year: 1989 | EIN: 52-1573446
The American Indian College Fund provides scholarships, internship opportunities, and other life skills and career readiness support to American Indian students. Edu ... (More)
The American Indian College Fund provides scholarships, internship opportunities, and other life skills and career readiness support to American Indian students. Education is often the difference between a happy, healthy, and self-sustaining productive life and one that is not. Approximately 14.5% of American Indians have a college degree, well below the national average. To strengthen our country as a whole, the American Indian College Fund seeks to strengthen native communities by empowering native people with skills, knowledge, and experience. The American Indian College Fund directly supports over 4,000 American Indian students annually, and thousands more through indirect services and support. (Less)
Good
This charity's score is 86%, earning it a Three-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores: 32% Accountability & Finance, 50% Impact & Results, 7% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 8/3/2021 | 2020 | 86.49 | |
| 5/1/2020 | 2019 | 82.81 | |
| 5/1/2019 | 2018 | 83.67 | |
| 7/1/2018 | 2017 | 88.36 | |
| 12/1/2017 | 2016 | 90.54 |  |
| 6/1/2017 | 2016 | 90.36 | |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| 9/1/2016 | 2015 | 90.17 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2015 | 87.79 | |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 8/1/2015 | 2014 | 84.73 | |
| 6/1/2014 | 2013 | 80.93 | |
| 6/1/2013 | 2012 | 88.85 | |
| 5/1/2012 | 2011 | 92.51 | |
| 9/20/2011 | 2010 | 93.44 | |
| Rating Version: 1.0 | |||
| 5/1/2011 | 2010 | 92.93 | |
| 6/1/2010 | 2009 | 93.02 | |
| 6/1/2009 | 2008 | 77.40 |  |
| 4/1/2008 | 2007 | 82.53 | |
| 4/1/2007 | 2006 | 65.00 |  |
| 12/1/2005 | 2004 | 83.73 | |
| 1/5/2005 | 2003 | 75.19 | |
| 12/1/2003 | 2002 | 88.12 | |
| 2/5/2003 | 2001 | 90.52 | |
| 10/15/2002 | 2000 | 93.28 | |
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for American Indian College Fund is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
American Indian College Fund has earned a 86% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2020, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
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Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not Applicable
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
| Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. Our analysts check the Form 990 to determine if the independent Board members are a voting majority and also at least five in number. (Less) | |
| No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
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| Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
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| Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) Making loans to related parties such as key officers, staff, or Board members, is not standard practice in the sector as it may divert the charity's funds away from its charitable mission and can lead to real and perceived conflict-of-interest problems. This practice is discouraged by sector trade groups which point to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act when they call for charities to refrain from making loans to directors and executives. And the IRS is concerned enough with the practice that it requires charities to disclose on their Form 990 any loans to or from current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and other "disqualified persons." Furthermore, some state laws go so far as to prohibit loans to board members and officers. And although employees and trustees are permitted to make loans to charities, this practice can also result in real and/or perceived conflict of interest problems for the charity. Furthermore, it is problematic because it is an indicator that the organization is not financially secure. (Less) | |
| Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference. Charities are not required to make their Board meeting minutes available to the public. As such, we are not able to review and critique their minutes. For this performance metric, we are checking to see if the charity reports on its Form 990 that it does keep those minutes. In the future, we will also track and rate whether or not a charity keeps minutes for its committee meetings. (Less) | |
| Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) Providing copies of the Form to the governing body in advance of filing is considered a best practice, as it allows for thorough review by the individuals charged with overseeing the organization. The Form 990 asks the charity to disclose whether or not it has followed this best practice. If the charity has not distributed its Form 990 to the board before filing, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
| Does not Compensate Board Members ... (More) The IRS requires that any compensation paid to members of the charity's governing body be listed on the Form 990. Furthermore, all members of the governing body need to be listed whether or not they are compensated. It is not unusual for some members of the board to have compensation listed. The executive director of the organization frequently has a seat on the board, for instance, and is compensated for being a full time staff member. However, it is rare for a charity to compensate individuals only for serving on its Board of Directors. Although this sort of board compensation is not illegal, it is not considered a best practice. (Less) | |
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Conflict of Interest ... (More) Such a policy protects the organization, and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer or director of the organization. Charities are not required to share their conflict of interest policies with the public. Although we can not evaluate the substance of its policy, we can tell you if the charity has one in place based on the information it reports on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Conflict of Interest policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
| Whistleblower ... (More) This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report any financial mismanagement. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. (Less) | |
| Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) Such a policy establishes guidelines for handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promotes data integrity. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Records Retention and Destruction Policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
| CEO Compensation Process ... (More) This process indicates that the organization has a documented policy that it follows year after year. The policy should indicate that an objective and independent review process of the CEO's compensation has been conducted which includes benchmarking against comparable organizations. We check to be sure that the charity has reported on its Form 990 its process for determining its CEO pay. (Less) | |
| Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) | Partial |
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) Charities are required to list their CEO's name and compensation on the Form 990. Our analysts check to be sure that the charities complied with the Form 990 instructions and included this information in their filing. (Less) | |
| Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) Our analysts check to see if the charity lists Board members on its website. Publishing this information enables donors and other stakeholders to ascertain the make up of the charity's governing body. This enables stakeholders to report concerns to the Board. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the Board members listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990, because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's Board members may have changed, and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. (Less) | |
| Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) It is important for donors and other stakeholders to know who runs the organization day-to-day. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the leadership listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990 because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's leadership may have changed and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. In other words, since the Form 990 isn't especially timely, it can not be used to verify the leadership information published on the charity's site. (Less) | |
| Audited Financial Statements Listed on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its audited financial statements for the fiscal year represented by the most recently filed IRS Form 990. It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. We currently rate charities on whether or not they publish their audit on their website. (Less) | |
| Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its most recently filed IRS Form 990 (a direct link to the charity's 990 on an external site is sufficient). It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. (Less) | |
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 2.19% - 10/10 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 2.19% - 10/10 pts
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Working Capital Ratio - 2.57 years - 10/10 ptsWorking Capital Ratio - 2.57 years - 10/10 pts
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency - $0.17 - 7.5/10 ptsFundraising Efficiency - $0.17 - 7.5/10 pts
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Administrative Expense Ratio - 6.10% - 10/10 ptsAdministrative Expense Ratio - 6.10% - 10/10 pts
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Expense Ratio - 21.90% - 2.5/10 ptsFundraising Expense Ratio - 21.90% - 2.5/10 pts
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Ratio - 71.89% - 6.25/10 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 71.89% - 6.25/10 pts
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s).
This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Growth - 4.88% - 4.89/10 ptsProgram Expense Growth - 4.88% - 4.89/10 pts
Organizations that demonstrate consistent annual growth in program expenses are able to outpace inflation and thus sustain their programs year to year. These organizations also supply givers with greater confidence by maintaining broad public support for their programs. We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Cheryl Crazy Bull, President, Chief Executive Officer
$280,255 (0.99% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Scholarships (other) (BMF activity code: 040)
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (American Indian College Fund) or EIN (521573446) in the 'Search Term' field.
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
American Indian College Fund reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Staffing
Administrative Capacity
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
During the COVID-19 pandemic the American Indian College Fund received over $9 million in emergency and transformative aid from foundations and corporations and over $500,000 from individuals responding to an emergency aid campaign. This aid was disbursed to Native students, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), and TCU faculty to address basic needs such as food, housing, heat and electricity, and internet connectivity. Transformative response aid was sent to TCUs to convert to on-line learning curriculum and provide additional services and supports to encourage student persistence. Additional supports included early warning systems, mental and emotional health services, computers, internet access and stipends, tutors, and help desk supports.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Indian College Fund halted travel on behalf of the organization to protect our team members and the vulnerable Native communities we serve. We increased our text messaging and e-mail communications, enhanced how we utilized social media, and converted conferences, convenings, student coaching, and student acknowledgement ceremonies to virtual gatherings using various virtual platforms. The College Fund hosted a series of culturally relevant webinars on mental well-being for students, their families, and TCU faculty and staff.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
The American Indian College Fund transitioned the majority of our team to a remote work environment immediately. In addition to how we adapted program services and grant administration, the College Fund adapted our internal processes to adjust to a remote work environment. The team quickly became comfortable with utilizing virtual meeting tools, paperless process, and continued to conduct our work without any stoppages.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
The College Fund will continue to utilize various virtual platforms for hosting some events. Although the face-to-face relationship building remains critical to our work with Native students, TCU faculty and staff, donors, and other partners, we recognize the benefits of virtual events that may have greater participation and reach.
American Indian College Fund has earned a 80% for the Impact & Results beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon estimates the actual impact a charity has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot Applicable
Program
Full Circle Scholarships
Activities
The nonprofit grants scholarships to beneficiaries.
Program Type
Postsecondary Scholarships
Beneficiaries Served
Program Geography
Time Period of Data
7/1/20 to 6/30/21
Outcomes: Changes in the lives of those served by a nonprofit. They can be caused by the nonprofit.
Costs: The money spent by a nonprofit and its partners and beneficiaries.
Impact: Outcome caused by a nonprofit relative to its cost.
Cost-effectiveness: A judgment as to whether the cost was a good use of resources to cause the outcome.
Outcome Metric
Increase in income for a scholarship recipient
Outcome Data Source
Ratings are based on data the nonprofit itself collects on its work. We use the most recent year with sufficient data. Typically, this data allows us to calculate direct changes in participants' lives, such as increased income.
Output data collected during the program. The nonprofit submitted data on the dollar value of all scholarships it grants and the number of scholarship recipients, which we use to calculate the additional income that the nonprofit's scholarship program generates.
Method for Attributing Outcomes
We don't know if the observed changes were caused by the nonprofit's program or something else happening at the same time (e.g., a participant got a raise). To determine causation, we take the outcomes we observe and subtract an estimate of the outcomes that would have happened even without the program (i.e., counterfactual outcomes).
We estimate the increase in income caused by a nonprofit's scholarship program in two steps. First, we compare the estimated postsecondary graduation rate of its scholars to that of comparable students who did not receive a scholarship (the “counterfactual”). Our estimates are drawn from rigorous social science studies of similar scholarship programs. The result is the number of scholars whose graduation was caused by the nonprofit. Second, we compare the earnings of graduates to non-graduates based on publicly available census data, matching on student demographic characteristics. We apply the earnings boost owing to a degree to those scholars whose graduation was caused by the nonprofit. Both steps are necessary to properly net out counterfactual successes from observed successes. Otherwise, we would be attributing changes (increase in graduation rate and increase in earnings) to the nonprofit when they would have happened anyway. Few nonprofits estimate the counterfactual themselves, so we construct our own counterfactual estimate based on research and publicly available data.
Cost Data Source
After estimating the program's outcomes, we need to determine how much it cost to achieve those outcomes. All monetary costs are counted, whether they are borne by a nonprofit service deliverer or by the nonprofit’s public and private partners.
Program cost data reported by the nonprofit. Partner and beneficiary costs reported by the nonprofit or estimated by Charity Navigator.
Cost Calculation
$5,720,000 program costs + $358,678 partner costs + $358,678 beneficiary costs = $6,437,356 total costs
We calculate impact, defined as the change in outcomes attributable to a program divided by the cost to achieve those outcomes.
Impact Calculation
$6,437,356 total costs / $9,370,555 additional income = roughly $7,900 increases income for a scholarship recipient by $12,000.
Benchmark for Rating
Impact & Results scores of postsecondary scholarship programs are based on income generated relative to cost. Programs receive an Impact & Results score of 100 if they increase income for a recipient by more than $1.50 for every $1 spent and a score of 80 if income increases by more than $0.85 for every $1 spent. If a nonprofit reports impact but doesn't meet the benchmark for cost-effectiveness, it earns a score of 65.
Determination
Cost-effective
American Indian College Fund reported its two largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Scholarships & Grants
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Public Education
American Indian College Fund has earned a 100% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
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Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 ptsConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 pts
30% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
The American Indian College Fund serves Native American and Alaska Native students and 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities across the United States.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
SMS text surveys, Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Case management notes, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?
Obtaining feedback has always been part of how the American Indian College Fund operates. We partner with the people and entities we serve. Our mission is foundationally about empowering Native American and Alaskan Native people and in turn, empowering tribal communities. We can only do this if we understand their needs and goals and support them in the way they want to be supported. Needs and circumstances evolve. The power is held by the students and tribal colleges and universities we serve to determine their pathways. It is the American Indian College Fund's role to give them a voice and recourses so they may move forward.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
We don't have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
The American Indian College Fund consistently utilizes focus groups, surveys, student groups, and inclusive strategic planning sessions. A couple of more recent changes in response to feedback from the people we serve includes: - Fundraising and program initiatives. One recently added initiatives is our Computer Science initiative. - This past year we modified our TCU scholarship program, increasing the minimum scholarship level and converting semester scholarships to academic year scholarships.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 100/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 100/100 pts
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 100 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 14 Equity Practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Equity Practices (7/7) | |
|---|---|
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Equity Policies and Procedures (7/7) | |
|---|---|
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
American Indian College Fund has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableMission - 10/10 ptsMission - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
The American Indian College Fund invests in Native students and tribal college education to transform lives and communities. The American Indian College Fund creates resources and programs that support American Indian and Alaska Native student education access and success and capacity of Tribal Colleges and Universities. By providing student access and success programs, the American Indian College Fund assists Native student pathways with preparation for and pursuit of post-secondary education for students to achieve personal and professional goals, leading to engaged citizenship and a high quality of life. We also advocate the value of tribal languages and cultures to the well-being of society and promote the historical and current contributions of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
The vision of the American Indian College Fund is for healthy, self-sufficient, and educated American Indian and Alaska Native people. The College Fund works towards this vision through community-based practices. By supporting Native American students within their communities and their cultures we acknowledge and respect their values and goals. Through supporting the strength and holistic well-being and growth of these students, we support strengthening Native communities as they give back and actively participate in their tribal nations.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals - 20/20 ptsGoals - 20/20 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Increase scholarship and holistic direct supports to Native students.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Increase financial and technical resources to tribal colleges and universities to strengthen their capacities to offer certificate and degree programs to increase student opportunities and success.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Increase public awareness of and change perceptions about American Indians and Alaska Natives, promoting cultural appreciation and socio-economic equity.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
The College Fund has contracted with an outside consulting team to support leadership development. The program consists of a series of leadership development trainings conducted with several groups of team members. Training includes defining and demonstrating organizational values and culture, strategic goal setting, delegation, communication, and collaboration. Participants have been participating in 363 evaluations and have opportunities for one-on-one coaching. Participants include the executive team, directors, program officers, managers, supervisors, and other specifically identified team members. The College Fund has also created a Leadership Team that includes Executive Leadership Team members and Directors within the organization. This expanded leadership team provides opportunities for Director level team members to have a deeper view and participation in the organizations operations and strategic planning.
Mobilizing for Mission - 15/15 ptsMobilizing for Mission - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
The College Fund conducts many external mobilization efforts. Some examples include: - Created a Native scholarship providers group. This group meets regularly to discuss how we may collectively support Native students and share resources and is in the process of developing a common database to track student impact. - Consistently presents at various higher education, scholarship provider, and research and evaluation conferences. - Members of the College Fund serve on external boards and advisory committees. - The College Fund maintains memberships and actively participates in membership organizations serving and promoting higher education and scholarships, Native communities, other Native serving organizations, and nonprofits in general. - Consistently develops public awareness campaigns and uses multi-media channels to distribute messaging. - Provides financial resources to Native students for community educational and cultural events.
Adaptability Story - 30/30 ptsAdaptability Story - 30/30 pts
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
The College Fund adapted to social distancing requirements without any stoppage of work. Leadership prioritized work and provided the resources and supports our staff needed, including the flexibility to manage their family circumstances. The College Fund also engaged a consulting firm to provide a series of sessions to support employees mental and emotional well-being. The College Fund adapted our program implementation and converted our collaborations to a virtual environment. Resources were allocated to increase our technology capacity and IT security systems were enhanced. The College Fund has a significant endowment and robust policies and processes in place to manage and monitor our investments. Board members serving on the Finance & Investment Committee met regularly to monitor our investments and financial stability. Due to the close relationships we have with our students and the TCUs we serve, we were able to quickly learn of their circumstances and identified supports and resources. Our donor partners responded generously and emergency aid was disbursed in early April 2020 and emergency and transformative aid continued to be disbursed through June 2021. College Fund leadership and program officers proactively met with donors of sponsored programs to discuss program adaptations, reallocations of funds, and adapted timelines as needed.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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