Running Strong for American Indian Youth

What Running Strong for American Indian Youth does

Running Strong for American Indian Youth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1986 by Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills (Oglala Lakota) that operates a portfolio of community programs serving Native American youth, families, educators, elders, and entrepreneurs across more than 30 states and 78 tribal nations. Core program areas include the Dreamstarter family of youth and educator grant programs (110 youth leaders funded since 2015, 140+ educators in 91 schools reaching 23,000+ students), the Mni Wiconi clean water initiative (500+ families connected to running water on Pine Ridge), the Medicine Root Garden food sovereignty program (25,000–40,000 lbs of produce annually, 90–120 gardeners trained), the Oyate Ta Kola Ku Community Center (21,000+ sq ft on Pine Ridge serving 1,000+ children annually), Microenterprise Development (interest-free $5,000 microloans; 26 microbusinesses since 2022), Summer Youth Feeding (26,000 meals on Cheyenne River), Winter Warmth including a Heat Match program serving 2,410 families in FY25, and Health & Wellness distribution of dental, hygiene, maternal, and elder-care kits.

Name

Running Strong for American Indian Youth

Legal name

Running Strong for American Indian Youth

Website

https://indianyouth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Running Strong for American Indian Youth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986 by Olympic champion Billy Mills that delivers community-led programs in clean water, food sovereignty, youth leadership, education, cultural preservation, and microenterprise to Native American communities across 30+ states and 78 tribal nations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute directly to Running Strong through the organization's website donation portal, PayPal, or by mail. Donations can be designated to specific program areas or given as general support.
2. Institutional Grants & Foundation Support: The organization receives funding from institutional donors including foundations such as Newman's Own Foundation, Wallace Foundation, Tides Foundation, and government grants from agencies like National Endowment for the Arts.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners provide sponsorship support for programs and events, with the organization offering various levels of corporate partnership involvement.
4. Workplace Giving Campaigns: Running Strong participates in federal workplace giving campaigns (Combined Federal Campaign), state employee giving campaigns, and corporate matching gift programs.
5. Planned Giving & Bequests: The Running Strong Circle Society recognizes donors who include the organization in their estate plans through wills and bequests.
6. Vehicle Donations: The organization accepts vehicle donations through a third-party service (CARS), converting donated cars, trucks, or RVs into tax-deductible contributions.
7. Stock Donations: Donors can contribute appreciated securities, which often allows for larger gifts than would otherwise be possible due to tax advantages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Running Strong for American Indian Youth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers community-based programs serving Native American youth and families on reservations and in tribal communities. Its portfolio spans the Mni Wiconi clean water access program, Medicine Root Garden and Summer Youth Feeding food sovereignty/security programs, Dreamstarter youth leadership grants (including Teacher and Creative tracks), Microenterprise Development interest-free microloans, Winter Warmth heat match and cold-weather gear, health and wellness kits (dental, hygiene, maternal, elder), and the Oyate Ta Kola Ku Community Center on Pine Ridge Reservation.

Product overview

Running Strong for American Indian Youth operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of community programs rather than a software product. The organization provides youth leadership development through the Dreamstarter Program (including Teacher and Creative tracks), food sovereignty initiatives including the Medicine Root Garden Program, clean water access via Mni Wiconi, the Oyate Ta Kola Ku Community Center facility, Microenterprise Development for Native entrepreneurs, seasonal Winter Warmth support, health and wellness programs (dental/hygiene kits, Healthy Elder Box), and the Summer Youth Feeding Program. These programs work together to address critical needs in Native American communities while empowering youth leadership and cultural preservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dreamstarter Program A youth leadership grant program that provides funding, mentorship, and training to Native American youth leaders to launch community-driven projects addressing issues such as environmental justice, food sovereignty, education, and health. Since 2015, it has built a national network of 110 Native youth leaders across 30 states and 78 tribal nations.
• Dreamstarter Teacher Program A program supporting Native American educators with grants to implement classroom innovation, cultural enrichment, and academic support, impacting over 23,000 Native students across 91 schools.
• Dreamstarter Creative An arts program supporting Native artists through small grants of up to $2,500, promoting cultural celebration, creative expression, and community connection among Indigenous artists.
• Mni Wiconi (Water is Life) Program A clean water access initiative that has connected more than 500 families on the Pine Ridge Reservation to safe, running water, addressing systemic inequities in access to clean water.
• Medicine Root Garden Program A cornerstone food sovereignty initiative operated from the Oyate Ta Kola Ku Community Center, offering nine-month gardening courses that train 90-120 gardeners annually and produce 25,000-40,000 lbs of fresh produce each year, distributed via mobile markets across Pine Ridge Reservation.
• Oyate Ta Kola Ku Community Center A 21,000+ sq ft community center on Pine Ridge Reservation serving more than 1,000 children and young community members annually with daily cultural, educational, and recreational activities.
• Microenterprise Development Program A program providing interest-free $5,000 microloans, mentorship, and business training for emerging Native-owned small businesses, having launched or expanded 26 microbusinesses between 2022-2025.
• Summer Youth Feeding Program A 10-week summer meal program on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation providing free lunches and take-home meals to children and youth under 18, distributing approximately 26,000 meals annually across four community sites.
• Winter Warmth Program A seasonal support program providing winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, blankets, socks, and a Heat Match Program that matches family contributions of $100 with $400 to help families stay warm during harsh winter months. In FY25, 2,410 Oglala Sioux families were served.
• SmileStrong / Wičhiȟača Strong (Dental & Hygiene Program) A health program distributing dental kits, feminine hygiene kits, and maternal care kits to Native communities, providing 6,000 dental health kits, 3,228 feminine hygiene kits, and 2,000 maternal care kits annually.
• Healthy Elder Box A healthcare box program distributing 2,000 curated wellness boxes to tribal elders containing oxygen monitors, blood pressure monitors, multivitamins, bandages, and other health supplies.
• Intertribal Creatives An arts program featuring a brick-and-mortar and online store to sell Native-made products, connecting Native artists to broader audiences and supported by the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Neighborhood Grant Program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ families connected to clean water through Mni Wiconi program
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• First Peoples FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous-led organization supporting Native artists and cultural practitioners, aligned with Running Strong's cultural preservation mission.
• NDN CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous-led organization advancing Indigenous peoples' inherent rights to self-determination through organizing, activism, and philanthropy.
• Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous PeoplescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous nonprofit strengthening sovereignty and justice through grassroots organizing and cultural revitalization.
• Greenwich World Hunger AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization addressing world hunger through sustainable agricultural solutions, aligned with Running Strong's food sovereignty mission.
• Alliance for a Just SocietysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization building connections between communities to address economic and racial justice issues.
• The Cultural ConservancysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization protecting and restoring Indigenous knowledge, cultural practices, and lands.
• Fox River (Fox Sox)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFox River Mills produces RunStrong by Fox River socks, with proceeds benefiting Running Strong's programs.
• Apsáalooke Immíio (Crow Nation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by 2016 Dreamstarter JoRee LaFrance, advances food sovereignty and workforce development through local gardening and traditional food practices on Crow Nation in Montana.
• Lumbee Food CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Dreamstarter Karli Moore, connects Lumbee youth with traditional foods through workshops and cultural food demonstrations.
• Brave Heart SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization on Yankton Sioux Reservation dedicated to preserving Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota culture through rites of passage, intertribal lacrosse, community gardens, storytelling, and language programs.
• Euchee (Yuchi) Language ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization preserving the Yuchi language through immersion programs, elder recordings, and teaching materials for children.
• Sacred Healing CirclesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization in Keystone, South Dakota bringing together Lakota master teachers with young women and girls to teach sacred foods, prayers, ceremonies, and cultural teachings.
• Afraid of Bear American Horse TiospayesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily/community organization supporting Dakota and Lakota cultural traditions and practices.
• Billy Mills Native Studies ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup of Native leaders and Kansas educators who developed Billy Mills Lesson Plans to celebrate Native American heritage and emphasize civic action.
• Billy Mills Speakers BureausupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Billy Mills to deliver motivational talks to thousands across the country, particularly within Native American communities.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NDN Collective: Indigenous-led organization advancing Native self-determination through organizing, activism, and philanthropy. Listed as a core strategic partner of Running Strong, with overlapping focus on community-driven programming and grantmaking in Native communities.
• First Peoples Fund: Indigenous-led organization supporting Native artists and cultural practitioners. Listed as a core strategic partner; directly comparable in its grantmaking to Native creatives (paralleling Dreamstarter Creative) and cultural preservation mission.
• Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples: Indigenous nonprofit strengthening sovereignty and justice through grassroots organizing and cultural revitalization. Listed as a core strategic partner; operates in adjacent space of Indigenous grantmaking and community support.
• Notah Begay III Foundation: Native-led foundation focused on youth development, health, and sports programming in tribal communities. Directly comparable as a Native-youth-serving nonprofit with a sports heritage and community-based programming model.
• Partnership With Native Americans: Nonprofit serving reservation communities in the Plains and Southwest with food, water, education, and economic development programs. Directly comparable in multi-program service delivery to Native American communities.

Broad incumbents

• American Indian College Fund: National nonprofit providing scholarships and support for Native American students. Comparable in its Native-focused education support mission, particularly alongside Running Strong's Dreamstarter Teacher and education programs.
• Center for Native American Youth (Aspen Institute): Policy and program-focused organization supporting Native American youth leadership and opportunity. Comparable in its youth-development and leadership pipeline mission, operating at national scale.
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES): National nonprofit supporting Indigenous students in STEM education and workforce development. Comparable in targeting Native youth educational and career outcomes, with a more specialized STEM focus.
• National Indian Education Association (NIEA): National organization advocating for Native American education. Overlaps with Running Strong's Dreamstarter Teacher program in supporting culturally grounded education for Native students.

Emerging players

• IllumiNative: Native-led nonprofit focused on narrative change and visibility for Native peoples. Adjacent in advancing Native self-determination, but operates primarily through media/advocacy rather than direct service programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RunStrong4AIY
• Facebookfacebook.com/RunningStrongforAmericanIndianYouth
• Instagraminstagram.com/runstrong4aiy
• Xx.com/RunStrong4AIY
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/running-strong-for-american

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Running Strong for American Indian Youth