American Indian Community Housing Organization

What American Indian Community Housing Organization does

The American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) is a Duluth, Minnesota-based nonprofit founded in 1993 that delivers a continuum of housing, shelter, and support services targeted at Native American and Indigenous communities in the St. Louis County region. Its two anchor programs are the Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin permanent supportive housing initiative, which pairs housing placement with ongoing strengths-based case management, and the Dabinoo'igan Domestic Violence Shelter, a 10-bed facility offering up to 30 days of crisis shelter, advocacy, legal support, and safety planning for women and children fleeing violence, trafficking, or stalking. Supporting services include a Street Outreach Team with a 24-hour hotline, Legal Advocacy for protection orders and court accompaniment, Case Management for Housing Services, Traditional Health programming, and a Lead Organizer role for renewable energy and sustainable practices initiatives. The organization also operates the IndigenousFirst.org gift shop, which showcases Indigenous artists and makers and generates modest supplemental revenue.

AICHO's business model is philanthropy- and grant-driven. All direct services are provided at no cost to clients; revenue is sourced from individual donations (via the website and GiveMN platform), foundation and corporate grants (e.g., a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota grant dated 2023-10-24), and county-level program funding tied to grant reporting and invoicing requirements. The organization reaches clients primarily through the regional Coordinated Entry System (via United Way 2-1-1), crisis hotlines, referral partnerships with the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Strong Hearts Native Helpline, Day One, and St. Louis County Public Health & Human Services, as well as direct community outreach and a physical retail presence through IndigenousFirst.org. Governance is provided by an Indigenous-led Board of Directors chaired by Dr. Mary Owen (Tlingit), and the organization explicitly positions cultural competency and traditional health practices as differentiators that mainstream providers cannot replicate. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations are delivered through physical facilities, staff-driven case management, and standard web/social marketing channels.

Name

American Indian Community Housing Organization

Legal name

American Indian Community Housing Organization

Website

https://aicho.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AICHO is a Duluth, Minnesota-based nonprofit serving Native American and Indigenous communities with permanent supportive housing, a 10-bed emergency domestic violence shelter, case management, street outreach, legal advocacy, and traditional health programming, funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social and Community Housing Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural, Tribal & Special-Population Housing Programs (FSALAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Independent Living with Supportive Services (Light ADL/IADL Support) (HLADAAAE), Community Health & Health Equity/Social Determinants Units (HLAJAAAO), Behavioral Health–Capable Assisted Living (Mental Health/SUD Support) (HLADABAI)

Keywords

• Supportive housing services
• Domestic violence shelter
• Homeless outreach services
• Culturally grounded health
• Indigenous community housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Duluth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: AICHO relies on financial contributions from donors to support its housing and domestic violence services. The organization accepts donations through its website and provides opportunities for supporters to contribute to specific projects and initiatives.
2. Grant Funding: AICHO seeks and secures grant funding for its programs including the Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin permanent supportive housing program, Traditional Health programming, and domestic violence services. Staff positions are funded through various grant programs with reporting and invoicing requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) is a Duluth, Minnesota-based nonprofit that delivers permanent supportive housing through the Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin program, operates the 10-bed Dabinoo'Igan emergency domestic violence shelter, and provides case management, street outreach, legal advocacy, and traditional health services tailored to Native American and Indigenous community members. The organization also runs the IndigenousFirst.org gift shop showcasing Indigenous artists.

Product overview

AICHO is a non-profit organization providing a portfolio of housing and support services to the American Indian community in Duluth, Minnesota. The core offerings include the Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin permanent supportive housing program and the Dabinoo'igan emergency domestic violence shelter (10-bed facility). These are supported by Case Management - Housing Services, Legal Advocacy Services, Traditional Health Services, and a Street Outreach Team. The organization also operates a Gift Shop through IndigenousFirst.org.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin: Permanent supportive housing (PSH) program operated by AICHO.
• IndigenousFirst.org

Products and services

• Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin Permanent Supportive Housing Permanent supportive housing (PSH) program that provides housing placement and ongoing supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
• Dabinoo'igan Domestic Violence Shelter A 10-bed emergency shelter for women and children fleeing physical and sexual violence, trafficking, and stalking, providing up to 30 days of shelter with advocacy, information and referral, housing search assistance, and financial assistance.
• Legal Advocacy Services Advocacy services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking, including assistance filing protection orders, court advocacy, and help with crime victims' compensation claims.
• Case Management - Housing Services Direct support and advocacy to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, housing instability, or transitioning into permanent housing through strengths-based case management and individualized service planning.
• Gift Shop (IndigenousFirst.org) Retail gift shop operated by AICHO that showcases products from Indigenous artists and makers, generating revenue to support the organization's programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-bed emergency domestic violence shelter capacity
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 core and minor.

• United Way 2-1-1coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way 2-1-1 serves as the entry point for the Coordinated Entry System, directing homeless and at-risk individuals to AICHO for housing assessments and services. This partnership ensures systematic referrals to AICHO's permanent supportive housing programs.
• Day One Emergency Shelter and Crisis HotlinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDay One provides emergency shelter and crisis hotline services for domestic violence survivors, with referrals to AICHO for additional support services. Day One's hotline (1-866-223-1111) complements AICHO's Dabinoo'Igan shelter services.
• St. Louis County Public Health & Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAICHO connects clients with St. Louis County Public Health & Human Services for comprehensive health and human services support. The partnership provides access to the full spectrum of county services for AICHO clients.
• National Human Trafficking HotlineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership providing resources and hotlines for human trafficking victims accessing AICHO's domestic violence shelter services.
• Strong Hearts Native HelplineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulturally-specific helpline for Native American survivors of domestic violence and trafficking, with referral pathways to AICHO services.
• IndigenousFirst.orgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAICHO's gift shop platform that showcases Indigenous artists and makers, generating revenue and community engagement while supporting local Indigenous entrepreneurs.
• St. Louis County Street Outreach ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAICHO's Street Outreach Team operates in partnership with county efforts to reach homeless individuals, providing 24-hour hotline services (218-461-8505) and on-the-ground outreach.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center: Indigenous-led nonprofit serving Native American women and families in the Twin Cities with advocacy, shelter referrals, and culturally grounded programming — highly comparable population, geography, and service mix.
• Ain Dah Yung Center: Minneapolis-based Native American nonprofit providing emergency shelter, supportive housing, and youth services for the urban Indigenous community — a close mission and operational peer to AICHO within the same regional context.
• Division of Indian Work: Minneapolis-based Native American social services organization offering family advocacy, youth programs, and community support for the urban Indigenous population — overlapping client base and case management model.
• CHUM (Churches United in Ministry): Duluth-area shelter and supportive housing nonprofit operating the Steve O'Neil Apartments and family shelter programs — direct peer for housing and homeless services in the same geographic market.
• YWCA Duluth: Duluth-based domestic violence shelter and social services provider operating in the same city; competes for the same DV-shelter funding and referral streams though without AICHO's Indigenous-specific focus.

Emerging players

• Sacred Hoop Coalition / Mending the Sacred Hoop: Indigenous-led technical assistance and advocacy organization focused on ending violence against Native women; closely aligned mission around DV services for Indigenous populations.
• Native American Community Clinic: Minneapolis-based Native American health services organization offering culturally grounded health programming — comparable Indigenous-led service approach though focused on clinical care rather than housing/DV.
• National Indigenous Women's Resource Center: National resource center supporting Indigenous-led domestic violence and sexual assault programs; comparable mission around DV advocacy for Native survivors, though operating at a national policy/funding level rather than direct service.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities of Duluth: Regional social services and housing provider in the Duluth area; competes for similar government grants and serves overlapping low-income and homeless populations, though broader in scope.
• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: National umbrella organization providing training, policy advocacy, and resources for domestic violence programs; comparable DV advocacy mission though operating at national scale rather than direct service.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AICHOmn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-indian-community-housing-organization

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 American Indian Community Housing Organization