Center for Native American Youth

What Center for Native American Youth does

The Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) is a national nonprofit education and advocacy organization housed within the Aspen Institute, founded in 2011 and headquartered at 2300 N Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC. It works alongside Native American youth ages 24 and under across reservations, rural villages, urban spaces, Alaska Native villages, and Native Hawaiian communities to improve health, safety, and overall well-being. The organization delivers a coordinated portfolio of programs: the flagship Champions for Change (ages 14-24), the CNAY Fellowship with three cohorts (Brave Heart for environmental and food sovereignty work, Remembering Our Sisters for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People advocacy, and California Native Youth Collective for state-level policy advocacy), Democracy is Indigenous for civic engagement (ages 11-24), Building Communities of Hope for foster care system transformation, Creative Native for youth artistic expression with cash prizes ($300 per category, $1,000 grand prize), and the Pūkoʻa Fellows Program for Pasifika students.

CNAY does not develop or deploy proprietary technology products; its digital footprint consists of a website (cnay.org), email newsletter, and active accounts across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, X/Twitter, and TikTok, with a combined social following above 35,000 and an organic reach exceeding 40,000 individuals. Core content includes youth-authored narratives, research publications, and a Center-Us Survey. Programs are made available to Native youth at no cost through application-based entry for fellowships and open access for resources and microgrant opportunities.

Revenue is generated exclusively through donations, foundation grants, and program-support contributions; specific revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Visible 2023-2026 funders include the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, The California Endowment, Decolonizing Wealth Project, Pechanga Band of Indians, Lemelson Foundation, National Recreation Foundation, Native Voices Rising, Satterberg Foundation, and Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, alongside a historic 2025 grant for mental health work. The organization is led by Executive Director Tracy L. Canard Goodluck, a JD/Indian Law credentialed former Senior Advisor at the Department of the Interior and former Domestic Policy Council lead on Tribal Affairs. CNAY is governed by a Youth Advisory Board and a Board of Advisors and currently operates with a 1-10 person staff.

Name

Center for Native American Youth

Legal name

Center for Native American Youth

Website

https://cnay.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) is a national nonprofit at the Aspen Institute that runs fellowship, civic engagement, and advocacy programs for Native American youth ages 24 and under across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Advocacy and Leadership Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI)

Keywords

• Youth leadership development
• Indigenous youth advocacy
• Civic engagement programs
• Nonprofit fellowship programs
• Community action grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: CNAY accepts individual and organizational donations via the Aspen Institute giving portal. Donations support fellowships, microgrants, programs, and operational costs.
2. Grants and Foundation Funding: CNAY receives grant funding from foundations and government sources. In November 2025, CNAY was named a recipient of a historic grant to address mental health. The Pūkoʻa Fellows Program is supported by the Democracy is Indigenous initiative.
3. Program and Fellowship Support: CNAY provides microgrant funding to fellows for community action projects. Corporate and foundation partners co-fund convenings, training, and programmatic activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CNAY operates a portfolio of fellowship cohorts, civic engagement initiatives, and community action grant programs for Native American youth ages 24 and under across the United States. Programs provide culturally grounded leadership training, advocacy skills development, microgrant funding, mentorship, and in-person convenings that connect participants to Tribal, local, state, and federal policy engagement pathways.

Product overview

The Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) operates as a national education and advocacy non-profit organization offering a coordinated portfolio of youth leadership and empowerment programs. The core programs include Champions for Change (flagship fellowship for ages 14-24), the CNAY Fellowship with three distinct cohorts (Brave Heart for environmental/climate justice, Remembering Our Sisters for MMIP advocacy, and California Native Youth Collective for California policy advocacy), Democracy is Indigenous for civic engagement, Building Communities of Hope for foster care system transformation, Creative Native for artistic expression, Pūkoʻa Fellows for Pasifika students, and a Youth Advisory Board for organizational governance. CNAY also provides micro-grant funding, mentorship, resources, hands-on training and technical assistance to Native youth across Indian Country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Champions for Change: CNAY's flagship program that recognizes and amplifies Native youth who inspire one another to make a positive impact in their communities. This yearlong Fellowship provides opportunities to five-six changemakers (ages 14-24) to develop their advocacy and leadership skills on a national scale.
• Brave Heart Fellowship
• Remembering Our Sisters
• California Native Youth Collective
• Democracy is Indigenous
• Building Communities of Hope
• Creative Native
• Pūkoʻa Fellows Program

Products and services

• Champions for Change Yearlong flagship fellowship program that recognizes and amplifies five to six Native youth changemakers ages 14-24, providing opportunities to develop advocacy and leadership skills on a national scale.
• CNAY Fellowship Comprehensive fellowship program for aspiring Native youth leaders ages 18-24 providing tailored sovereignty, leadership and advocacy training, education and knowledge sharing opportunities, and micro-grant support to complete community action projects. Members of three distinct cohorts engage in a shared core curriculum and convene in community.
• Brave Heart Fellowship Track of the CNAY Fellowship providing pathways for Native youth to hone skills as protectors of lands, waterways and sacred sites, and stewards for food sovereignty. Addresses representation gaps and inequities facing Indigenous Peoples in climate justice.
• Remembering Our Sisters Track of the CNAY Fellowship supporting female and femme youth passionate about advocating and raising awareness for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) epidemic through virtual storytelling and digital arts.
• California Native Youth Collective Movement to connect, engage and provide opportunities for Native youth in California by bringing together a network of youth leaders from across the state to hone leadership skills, amplify voices, and advocate for their communities through policy advocacy.
• Democracy is Indigenous Civic engagement initiative connecting Native youth ages 11-24 to pathways of civic action at Tribal, local, state, and federal levels. Provides tailored training, a national platform, and micro-grant funding.
• Building Communities of Hope Initiative for Native youth ages 18-24 with lived experience in or passion about transforming the foster care system. CNAY is developing a first-of-its-kind training curriculum in collaboration with child welfare experts and advocates.
• Creative Native Annual art program highlighting the creativity and expression of young Indigenous artists ages 5-24. Native youth submit art inspired by a unique prompt; artists in each age category are eligible to win $300, with one grand prize winner receiving $1,000.
• Pūkoʻa Fellows Program Program for Pasifika students focused on building leadership and advocacy skills through culturally grounded leadership development, sovereignty education, and community engagement opportunities.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting, minor and major.

• Little Big Horn CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026CNAY hosted 30 students (ages 14-20) and chaperones from Little Big Horn College — a Tribal College in Crow, Montana — for a day of training, community building, and Civic engagement activities at the Aspen Institute offices in Washington, DC.
• Malki Museum (Morongo Band of Mission Indians)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026The California Native Youth Collective cohort visited the Malki Museum — the first Native-owned museum in California — on the Morongo Band of Mission Indians Reservation as part of their 2026 convening activities.
• So'oh-Shinálí Sister ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Elena Nourrie (Hopi, Cherokee & Chicana), Executive Director of the So'oh-Shinálí Sister Project, led a beading and balancing workshop for the Remembering Our Sisters cohort to help them remain grounded through MMIP advocacy work.
• Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla IndianscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Hosted the 2026 CNAY Fellows kickoff convening on Cahuilla lands in Palm Springs, CA. Vice Chairman Anthony Purnel welcomed fellows and led a hike through Indian Canyons, providing insights into local plant life, animal life, and water rights settlements.
• Center for Rising Generations (Substack: The GroupChat)supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025CNAY partners with the Center for Rising Generations' Substack platform to publish youth-authored content, expanding reach and narrative change capacity. Content such as Giselle Alvarez's blog on Indigenous Knowledge and AI, and Sophia Many Turning Robes' Earth Day piece, first appeared on this platform.
• Aspen InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNAY is housed within and operates as a national education and advocacy organization of the Aspen Institute. The Aspen Institute provides institutional infrastructure, funding, and operational support.
• Anpo (Founded by Jodi Archambault)minorOthersAnpo is an Indigenous-led organization founded by former Special Assistant to the President for Native American Affairs Jodi Archambault, focused on restoring and protecting generational connections to lands, languages, and cultures. Jodi Archambault helped establish the Gen-I movement that paved the way for CNAY's programs.
• Sister Sky Inc.minorOthersA 100% Native American woman-owned company dedicated to delivering culturally-conscious training and technical assistance to Tribal communities. CNAY Brave Heart Fellow Sophia Many Turning Robes works as an operations support specialist at Sister Sky Inc.
• Interwoven Futures NetworksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNAY served as a partner at the Interwoven Futures convening (August 2025) focused on Indigenous Youth, Land Stewardship, and Community Wellbeing.
• Cheyenne River Youth Project (RedCan)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNAY has been a longtime partner of the Cheyenne River Youth Project, attending the annual RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam (10th annual in 2024).
• NDN Girls Book ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the Beauty All Around Us Indigenous food sovereignty zine project. A microgrant from NDN Girls Book Club helped fund the Native youth illustrator and printing costs.
• Abalone Mountain PressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA Native woman-owned press that is publishing the Beauty All Around Us Indigenous food sovereignty zine. The press distributes printed copies alongside CNAY.
• Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNAY Brave Heart Fellow Sophia Many Turning Robes graduated from the inaugural cohort of the Native Youth Grantmakers program managed by NAP. CNAY Fellow Sadie Hill Kelley works as Grant Coordinator for NAP.
• Gramercy Green Research Collective (NYU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with CNAY Communications Coordinator Alyssa Mosley to create artwork for a NYU dormitory hall using clothing donations. The collective provided space for Mosley's 'Thrift and Thrive' workshop.
• Future AlliesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported Giselle Alvarez's participation at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues by clearing logistical and financial barriers.
• UNITY (United National Indian Tribal Youth)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNAY co-hosted the 2024 White House Tribal Youth Forum with UNITY. Both organizations serve Native youth and collaborate on youth leadership initiatives.
• White House (Executive Office of the President)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNAY collaborated on the 2024 White House Tribal Youth Forum, co-hosted with UNITY. CNAY staff and alumni have participated in White House Tribal Youth Forums. CNAY has been engaged in Generation Indigenous (Gen-I) work originating from the Obama Administration.
• Trust for Public LandminorOthersJodi Archambault, a CNAY advisor and former Gen-I leader, serves on the Board of Directors for Trust for Public Land.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UNITY (United National Indian Tribal Youth): UNITY is the most direct peer — both organizations focus exclusively on Native American youth leadership development and have co-hosted the White House Tribal Youth Forum. They operate overlapping fellowship and youth council programs targeting similar age cohorts.
• Americans for Indian Opportunity: A national Native-led organization focused on Indigenous self-determination and youth leadership. CNAY's current Executive Director previously led youth initiatives at AIO, indicating a deeply comparable programmatic focus and operating model.
• First Nations: A Native-led nonprofit supporting tribal community development and youth programs. First Nations provides grantmaking and capacity building to Native communities — a comparable operational model focused on Native empowerment across geographies.

Broad incumbents

• National Indian Education Association (NIEA): The largest Native education advocacy organization in the U.S., operating across K-12 and higher education. NIEA is a broader incumbent in Native education and policy compared to CNAY's youth-focused civic engagement niche.
• American Indian College Fund: The largest U.S. charity supporting Native student access to higher education through scholarships and tribal college support. Comparable as a Native education nonprofit serving youth, but with a higher-education rather than civic engagement orientation.
• Native American Rights Fund (NARF): A major national Native legal advocacy organization. NARF is comparable as a Native-serving advocacy nonprofit but operates at much greater scale and with a legal rather than youth-leadership focus.
• National Congress of American Indians (NCAI): The oldest and largest national organization representing Tribal governments and Native peoples. NCAI overlaps with CNAY on federal policy advocacy but operates at substantially greater scale and with a Tribal-government rather than youth focus.
• The Aspen Institute: CNAY's parent organization and a major policy think tank. Operates the broader portfolio of which CNAY is a part, providing institutional infrastructure, funding, and policy convenings across many issue areas beyond Native youth.

Others

• Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP): A Native-led philanthropic intermediary advancing Indigenous-led giving. NAP is an ecosystem partner rather than direct peer; CNAY Fellows have graduated from NAP's grantmaker program and CNAY participates in joint initiatives.

Regional players

• Ain Dah Ing (American Indian Community Housing Organization): A regional Native-led organization in Minnesota providing youth services, housing, and cultural programming. Comparable in mission scope (Native youth wellness and community) but operates in a single region rather than nationally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/center4native
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWsHzXw_L-tR7mjSjWPffcw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Center4Native
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center4native
• Instagraminstagram.com/center4native/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@center4native

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Native American Youth