NDN Collective

What NDN Collective does

NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2018 and headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Oceti Sakowin Territory in the Black Hills. The organization operates a comprehensive ecosystem of grantmaking, community development financing, organizing, narrative change, and educational programs structured around three strategic pillars: Defend, Develop, and Decolonize. Its primary constituents are Indigenous-led organizations, Tribal Nations, First Nations, Indigenous changemakers, and Native-owned enterprises across Turtle Island (United States, Canada, Mexico) and Island Nations including Hawai'i, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Boriken/Puerto Rico.

The organization's programmatic surface includes multiple grant vehicles: the Community Self-Determination Grant (up to $200,000 over two years), the Collective Abundance Fund ($25,000-$50,000 wealth-building gifts in MN/ND/SD), the Radical Imagination Artist Grant ($50,000 annually), the Community Action Fund (up to $15,000), and the now-sunset Changemaker Fellowship. Lending is conducted through NDN Fund, a Native Community Development Financial Institution offering SEEDING loans of $500,000-$3,000,000 and Relief & Resilience loans of $10,000-$500,000 to Indigenous-led projects. Additional lines include the Creative Resistance training program, a podcast network (LANDBACK For The People, In Our Power, SKO VOTE DEN, While Indigenous), the Power Building Library resource hub, organizing campaigns (He Sapa LANDBACK, Protect The He Sapa, Rapid City vs Racism), the Oceti Sakowin Community Academy (opened 2025 as Rapid City's first Indigenous-led school), and the Fluxx-powered grant application portal. The Resilience Impact Assessment is a proprietary indigenized adaptation of a CDFI lender resilience framework, now stewarded by the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire.

Revenue is generated primarily through philanthropic donations (one-time and recurring via cards, Apple Pay, Venmo, PayPal, bank transfers, stock gifts), foundation grants, and federal contracts. The largest single inflow is the $50 million Bush Foundation seed for the Collective Abundance Fund (2023). Since founding, NDN Collective has rematriated over $109 million to Indigenous communities and resourced 1,455 Indigenous changemakers and organizations. Stated organizational goals are $50 million per year in grantmaking and $100 million in for-profit investment deployment via NDN Fund. The operating structure comprises seven wholly-owned ecosystem entities (NDN Fund, NDN Holdings LLC, For The People, NDN Legal Fund, Oceti Sakowin Community Academy, Mniluzahan, Wright Street), and the organization holds Charity Navigator's 4-star rating and Candid's Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Name

NDN Collective

Legal name

NDN Collective

Website

https://ndncollective.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Indigenous-led nonprofit founded in 2018 in Rapid City, South Dakota, operating an ecosystem of grantmaking, community development financing, organizing campaigns, and educational programs to build collective Indigenous power across Turtle Island and Island Nations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Philanthropy and Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

Keywords

• Indigenous philanthropy
• Grantmaking services
• Community development lending
• Grassroots organizing
• Nonprofit advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Rapid City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: NDN Collective generates revenue primarily through donations from individuals, foundations, and allies who support Indigenous power-building. They accept online donations (credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Venmo, PayPal, bank transfers), monthly recurring donations, mail-in cash or checks, and stock gift transfers.
2. Grant Administration: NDN Collective administers the Collective Abundance Fund, seeded with $50 million from the Bush Foundation, to provide wealth-building gifts to Indigenous individuals and families in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. They also serve as outreach partner for EPA Environmental Justice Thriving Communities ($600M program).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led nonprofit that provides grantmaking, low-interest lending through its NDN Fund Community Development Financial Institution, community organizing, narrative change campaigns, and an Indigenous-led K-12 school. It funds Indigenous-led organizations, Tribal Nations, Indigenous artists, frontline organizers, Native-owned businesses, and Indigenous individuals across Turtle Island and select Island Nations to build collective Indigenous power.

Product overview

NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led organization offering a comprehensive ecosystem of programs organized around three strategic pillars: Defend, Develop, and Decolonize. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs including grantmaking (Community Self-Determination Grants up to $200,000, Collective Abundance Fund wealth-building awards of $25,000-$50,000, Radical Imagination Artists Grants of $50,000, Community Action Fund urgent response grants up to $15,000, and Changemaker Fellowships for Indigenous leaders), NDN Fund lending (SEEDING Loans $500K-$3M and Relief & Resilience Loans $10K-$500K for Indigenous economic development projects), organizing campaigns (Protect The He Sapa, He Sapa LANDBACK, Rapid City vs Racism, Free Leonard Peltier), Creative Resistance visual storytelling training, a podcast network (LANDBACK For the People, While Indigenous, In Our Power, SKO VOTE DEN), Oceti Sakowin Community Academy (Indigenous-led school), Power Building Library resources, and technology platforms including the Fluxx grant application portal and Resilience Impact Assessment tool. The organization utilizes the Fluxx platform for grant applications and LenderFit for loan applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Self-Determination Grant Up to $200,000 grants with up to two-year grant terms for Tribal Nations, communities, and Indigenous-led organizations supporting self-determination and climate justice initiatives.
• Collective Abundance Fund Wealth-building gifts of $25,000 or $50,000 over an 18-month award term to Indigenous individuals and families in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota for generational wealth building (homeownership, education, business development). $15.9M awarded to 396 individuals and families since 2023.
• Radical Imagination Artist Grant $50,000 one-year grants supporting Indigenous visual and performance artists, writers, filmmakers, and storytellers engaged in community and movement-building work.
• Community Action Fund Grants up to $15,000 for six-month terms supporting frontline Indigenous organizations, groups, and individuals executing non-violent direct action initiatives.
• Changemaker Fellowship Two-year fellowship investing in personal and professional development of Indigenous movement-building organizers. $9 million invested across 104 Indigenous community leaders supported since 2019.
• NDN Fund SEEDING Loans Loans ranging from $500,000 to $3,000,000 for Indigenous projects and businesses, providing pre-development, startup, bridge, and expansion capital for renewable energy, community development, sustainable infrastructure, social enterprise, and regenerative agriculture.
• NDN Fund Relief & Resilience Loans Loans ranging from $10,000 to $500,000 for Indigenous small businesses and nonprofits, designed to be dynamic and responsive for community needs and emergency situations.
• Oceti Sakowin Community Academy Indigenous-led K-12 school serving Indigenous students in Rapid City, South Dakota.
• NDN Collective Podcast Network Original podcast series covering land justice and Indigenous rights movements, distributed on Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Includes LANDBACK For the People (Seasons 1 and 2), In Our Power, SKO VOTE DEN, and While Indigenous.
• Creative Resistance Program Program training Indigenous communities in visual storytelling, activism art, wheatpasting, screenprinting, and non-violent direct action.
• Power Building Library Online resource library covering climate resilience, communications, design and construction, economy and trade, energy, indigenous regenerative development, land back resources, Mexico resources, regenerative agriculture, transportation, and water.
• Resilience Impact Assessment (RIA) Proprietary Indigenized version of the Resilience Assessment for CDFI Lenders, used to evaluate resilience of loan candidates and existing loans. Stewarded by the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire in its next phase.
• EPA Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program Outreach Outreach and program management partnership with the EPA deploying $600M in environmental justice grants to disadvantaged communities across EPA Regions 5, 8, 9, and 10, with NDN ensuring Indigenous communities are informed and amplified.

Quantifiable outcome

• $109M+ rematriated to Indigenous communities since 2018
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNDN Collective serves as outreach partner for EPA's Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program in Regions 5, 8, 9, and 10. The program deploys $600 million to disadvantaged communities. NDN focuses on ensuring Indigenous communities are well-informed about the program and amplifying stories of Indigenous Peoples who benefit.
• Carsey School of Public Policy at University of New HampshireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Resilience Impact Assessment (RIA), NDN Fund's Indigenized version of the Resilience Assessment for CDFI Lenders, is currently stewarded by the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire as they move into the next phase of testing and refining.
• Edgar VillanuevaminorOthersBoard member - Founder and Principal of Decolonizing Wealth. Brings expertise in philanthropy, racial equity, and indigenous wealth building to NDN Collective's board governance.
• Dave Archambault IIminorOthersBoard member - President of Brave Fox, Inc. Provides leadership and governance expertise to NDN Collective board.
• Judith LeBlancminorOthersBoard member - Director of Native Organizers Alliance. Brings community organizing and political action expertise to NDN Collective governance.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Native Americans in Philanthropy: A Native-led nonprofit membership organization dedicated to increasing philanthropic resources to Indigenous communities, sharing NDN Collective's grantmaking and Indigenous-capacity-building mission.
• Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples: A Native-led foundation that regrifts to Indigenous communities across Turtle Island for organizing, healing, and cultural preservation — directly comparable to NDN Collective's grantmaking and rematriation model.
• First Nations Development Institute: A Native-led nonprofit providing grants, technical assistance, and advocacy to strengthen Native economies and communities, overlapping directly with NDN's grantmaking and asset-building work.
• Oweesta Corporation: A Native CDFI intermediary providing capital, training, and technical assistance to Native CDFIs — the closest direct peer to NDN Fund's CDFI lending arm and braided-capital model.
• Indigenous Environmental Network: An Indigenous-led organization working on environmental justice, climate, and LANDBACK advocacy — directly comparable to NDN's organizing and Protect The He Sapa campaign work.
• Americans for Indian Opportunity: A Native-led nonprofit focused on Indigenous leadership development and nation-building, mirroring NDN Collective's Changemaker Fellowship and Indigenous-leadership programming.
• Honor the Earth: A Native-led advocacy and grantmaking organization focused on Indigenous environmental justice and cultural revitalization, overlapping with NDN's grantmaking, narrative, and movement work.
• Decolonizing Wealth Project: A movement-oriented philanthropic advisory and grantmaking initiative founded by NDN board member Edgar Villanueva, sharing the goal of shifting capital and decision-making power to Indigenous and BIPOC communities.

Emerging players

• IllumiNative: A Native-led narrative-change nonprofit using media, research, and storytelling to combat erasure of Indigenous peoples — directly comparable to NDN's podcasts, Creative Resistance, and tactical-media offerings.

Broad incumbents

• W.K. Kellogg Foundation: A major private foundation with significant Indigenous-focused grantmaking and racial-equity programming, providing the broader philanthropic-incumbent baseline against which NDN's Indigenous-led model competes for funder attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ndncollective
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ndncollective
• Facebookfacebook.com/ndncol
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ndncollective
• Instagraminstagram.com/ndncollective
• TikToktiktok.com/@ndncollective?lang=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries7 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 NDN Collective