What Kauffman & Associates does

Kauffman & Associates, Inc. (KAI) is a private, American Indian- and woman-owned management consulting firm headquartered in Spokane, Washington, founded in 1990 by Jo Ann Kauffman, MPH. The firm delivers a portfolio of professional services — Behavioral Health, Public Health, Education, Environment, Indian Health Care Delivery System, Tribal Relations, Communications, Meeting & Event Planning, Research & Evaluation, Strategic Planning, and Training & Technical Assistance — to federal, state, and tribal governments and Native-serving nonprofits. Core capabilities are built on cultural competency in federal Indian law, tribal sovereignty, self-determination, and the government-to-government relationship, with documented delivery to 100+ tribes, urban Indian organizations, and Native-owned businesses, plus more than 100 tribal consultations and national convenings annually (sizes ranging from 20 to 2,000 participants). The firm holds SBA certifications (WOSB, MWOSB, ISBEE) and a GSA Schedule contract (GS-00F-0012S) enabling direct federal procurement.

KAI generates revenue primarily through government consulting contracts (federal, state, and tribal), with pricing determined via GSA Schedule contracts and negotiated agreements rather than public list pricing. The go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales into government agencies, augmented by a channel-partner motion through the Wallowa Strategies LLC joint venture with Cayuse Technologies (a tribally-owned 8(a) entity) and through event-driven demand generated by KAI's convening of 100+ tribal consultations per year. The customer base spans federal agencies (SAMHSA, VA, IHS, BIA, CDC), state governments (California DHCS, Arizona, Michigan, Montana), tribal nations (Blackfeet, Navajo Nation, Nez Perce, Colville, Catawba Indian Nation), and Native-serving nonprofits (Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, California Rural Indian Health Board, California Consortium for Urban Indian Health). Notable engagements include the lead technical assistance role on California's CalAIM Traditional Health Care Practices waiver (40+ counties, 96%+ of Medi-Cal enrollment), the BIA Native Language Revitalization 10-Year National Plan, and national TA provider status under the Opioid Response Network.

KAI does not operate proprietary software products. Its underlying technology stack is service-delivery oriented: project management, communications, and event-planning tooling used to coordinate virtual, in-person, and hybrid convenings at scale. The firm monetizes frameworks such as the Indigenous Language Fluency Transfer System (ILFTS) — used by 30+ language communities — through dissemination and partnership (e.g., Indigenous Fluency Now) rather than licensing. The operating model is labor-intensive professional services with billable expertise in Indian Country policy, health, education, and tribal governance, and the company's value proposition rests on deep cultural trust, regulatory certifications, and an embedded position across federal, state, and tribal ecosystems that generalist consultancies cannot easily replicate.

Name

Kauffman & Associates

Legal name

Kauffman and Associates, Inc.

Website

https://kauffmaninc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kauffman & Associates is a Spokane-based, American Indian- and woman-owned management consultancy founded in 1990 that provides behavioral health, public health, education, tribal relations, research, and event-planning services to federal, state, and tribal governments and Native-serving nonprofits across 100+ tribes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Spokane

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Consulting Contracts: KAI generates revenue through federal, state, and tribal government consulting contracts. The company holds a GSA Schedule (GS-00F-0012S) enabling direct procurement by government agencies. Work includes policy analysis, strategic planning, research and evaluation, training and technical assistance, and program management.
2. Tribal Health Services: KAI supports tribal health programs including Medicaid rate enhancement, 638 contracting/compacting, and behavioral health services. Revenue comes from supporting tribal health authorities and Indian health care providers.
3. Training and Technical Assistance: KAI provides tailored training and technical assistance to tribal communities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, generating revenue through service contracts.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KAI is a management consulting firm that provides strategic planning, research and evaluation, training and technical assistance, meeting and event planning, communications, and policy advisory services to federal, state, and tribal government clients. The firm's services focus on American Indian and Alaska Native health, behavioral health, education, environment, tribal relations, language revitalization, and Indian health care delivery system support, delivered through government contracts and small business set-aside vehicles.

Product overview

Kauffman & Associates (KAI) is a management consulting firm offering a portfolio of professional services rather than a unified software product. The company provides specialized consulting across multiple service lines including Behavioral Health, Public Health, Education, Environment, Indian Health Care Delivery System, Tribal Relations, Communications, Meeting & Event Planning, Research & Evaluation, Strategic Planning, and Training & Technical Assistance. These services are designed to support federal, state, and tribal governments and organizations working with American Indian and Alaska Native communities, emphasizing culturally grounded and Indigenous-informed approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Behavioral Health Consulting services supporting tribal and urban Indian behavioral health programs with strengths-based and trauma-informed approaches, culturally grounded interventions, Tribal 988 services, substance use disorder care, and prevention/postvention strategies.
• Public Health Services supporting public health capacity in tribal and urban Indian communities, including assessment, strategic planning, facilitation, and financial modeling using an Indigenized model of essential public health services.
• Education Educational consulting services spanning early childhood through lifelong learning, including contextualizing outcomes, Indian Education implementation, ESSA consultation, educational leadership, assessment/evaluation, teacher professional development, and parent/community engagement.
• Environment Environmental resilience and sustainability services for tribal communities including climate risk assessments, adaptation planning, grant writing support, Indigenous Knowledge integration, and community education and training.
• Indian Health Care Delivery System Consulting for the complex Indian health care delivery system covering traditional practices integration, 638 contracting/compacting, and Medicaid rate enhancement for tribal residential SUD facilities.
• Tribal Relations Expert services in tribal affairs including tribal engagement, tribal consultation, policy expertise in federal Indian law and sovereignty, and tribal IRB experience for data collection in tribal communities.
• Communications Communications services elevating Native voices through storytelling, digital strategies, advocacy campaigns, and social media engagement, including multicultural reach, strategic marketing, creative services, and analytics.
• Meeting & Event Planning End-to-end event planning services for tribal consultations and national convenings including planning, budgeting, site selection, contract negotiation, speaker coordination, and real-time support for virtual, in-person, and hybrid events.
• Research & Evaluation Culturally responsive evaluation services engaging communities in achieving value-driven outcomes using mixed methods, knowledge transfer, and privacy-compliant approaches meeting ethical and scientific standards.
• Strategic Planning Strategic planning services with participatory, consensus-based, data-driven approaches producing actionable implementation plans with measurable goals for tribes, nonprofits, and government agencies.
• Training & Technical Assistance Strengths-based training and technical assistance services building community capacity and empowering youth, organizations, and tribal governments with sustainable solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• KAI's facilitators and planners have worked with over 100 tribes, nonprofits, and Native-owned businesses across the country
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Indigenous Fluency Now (IFN)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025IFN is a British Columbia-based nonprofit launched to promote successful Indigenous language fluency and build a network of communities for implementing advanced Indigenous fluency transfer systems. IFN is working with communities in Alaska, Yukon Territory, British Columbia, New Mexico, and Australia.
• California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2024KAI serves as the lead technical assistance provider supporting DHCS in implementing the CalAIM Traditional Health Care Practices waiver, which authorizes Medi-Cal reimbursement for traditional healing services delivered by Indian health care providers. KAI provides hands-on support to IHCPs as they navigate this transformative policy.
• California Rural Indian Health Board (CRIHB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2024KAI supports CRIHB as a tribal-led partner in implementing traditional healing practices as Medi-Cal health benefits under the CalAIM waiver. CRIHB and CCUIH were early advocates driving this policy change.
• California Consortium for Urban Indian Health (CCUIH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2024KAI supports CCUIH as a tribal-led partner in implementing traditional healing practices as Medi-Cal health benefits. CCUIH represents urban Indian organizations in California working to integrate traditional healing into Medicaid.
• Salish School of SpokaneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAI has published content featuring Salish School of Spokane's Indigenous language revitalization work, including the Indigenous Language Fluency Transfer System (ILFTS) developed by LaRae Wiley and Christopher Parkin.
• Rising HeartsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAI has featured Rising Hearts, an Indigenous-led organization, in blog content about running for justice and community advocacy through movement.
• Wallowa Strategies LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAI is a partner venturer in Wallowa Strategies LLC, a joint venture with Cayuse Technologies, a tribally-owned 8(a) entity. This partnership enables KAI to pursue contracting opportunities requiring 8(a) certifications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cherokee Nation Businesses: Tribally-owned holding company of the Cherokee Nation offering federal contracting, consulting, and professional services. Comparable as a tribally-owned diversified services firm pursuing federal and tribal government work, with overlapping practice areas in health, education, and government services.
• Cayuse Technologies: Tribally-owned (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs) SBA 8(a) IT and federal consulting firm. Direct peer in tribally-owned federal contracting; KAI is partnered with Cayuse in the Wallowa Strategies LLC joint venture, making them simultaneously collaborator and head-to-head competitor for tribal 8(a) opportunities.
• Doyon Government Group: Subsidiary of Doyon, Limited (Alaska Native Regional Corporation), providing government contract services including management consulting, IT, and program management. Comparable ANC-owned competitor for federal contract work serving similar agencies (IHS, BIA, VA, SAMHSA).
• Oneida Total Integrated Enterprises (OTIE): Oneida Nation-owned SBA 8(a) federal contractor providing management consulting, environmental, and engineering services to federal agencies. Comparable tribally-owned 8(a) competitor pursuing similar federal contract vehicles and serving overlapping agencies (IHS, BIA, DOD).
• S&K Technologies: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes-owned SBA 8(a) contractor providing aerospace, IT, environmental, and professional services. Comparable as a tribally-owned 8(a) federal services firm competing for similar government contract vehicles with a comparable ownership-based competitive position.
• Alutiiq LLC: Alaska Native Corporation-owned 8(a) federal contractor providing management, professional, and technical services. Comparable as an ANC-owned federal contractor competing for similar management consulting and program support contracts with federal agencies serving Indigenous and rural communities.

Broad incumbents

• Accenture Federal Services: Large federal consulting arm of Accenture serving federal health and civilian agencies. Competes for large-scale federal contracts in healthcare, Medicaid, and tribal services, but as part of a broad portfolio without KAI's specific AI/AN cultural expertise or tribally-owned status.
• Deloitte Government & Public Services: Big Four federal consulting practice with established tribal nations, healthcare, and human services practices. Competes for large multi-million dollar federal contracts in similar spaces (Medicaid, public health, tribal affairs) but is significantly larger and broader in scope.
• Booz Allen Hamilton: Large publicly-traded federal consulting firm with established tribal affairs, public health, and behavioral health practices. Competes with KAI for larger recompetes at SAMHSA, IHS, VA, and BIA, but does not focus exclusively on AI/AN communities and lacks KAI's tribally-owned procurement advantages.
• ICF International: Large publicly-traded consulting firm with significant federal health, environment, and tribal practice areas. Competes for similar federal contracts (IHS, EPA, HHS) and offers overlapping capabilities in research, evaluation, and environmental consulting, but as part of a much broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCl7qRW0D16bVqN6gEKLa1_A
• Xx.com/kauffmaninc
• Facebookfacebook.com/kauffmaninc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Kauffman & Associates