The Tribal Trust Foundation
The Tribal Trust Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 that supports Indigenous-led cultural preservation projects worldwide through grantmaking, education, documentary storytelling, fiscal sponsorship, and immersive donor travel. It serves Indigenous communities across Africa, Asia, and the Americas and is funded by individual donations and partner organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersSanta Barbara, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Tribal Trust Foundation does
The Tribal Trust Foundation (TTF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 by Barbara Savage and headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. It functions as an ally organization that responds to requests from Indigenous communities worldwide for cultural preservation support, partnering with local nonprofits, foundations, and businesses to sustain joint initiatives. Its core programs comprise "Two-Eyed Seeing" education that bridges Indigenous and Eurocentric teaching methods, Indigenous-led grantmaking, cultural documentation and storytelling (including award-winning documentaries and published books such as 'Monpa Medicinal Plants'), immersive donor travel journeys, and a fiscal sponsorship program that provides tax-exempt status and administrative support to grassroots Indigenous projects. Beneficiary communities span at least six groups across Africa, Asia, South America, and North America, including the San Bushmen of Namibia, the Monpa people of Bhutan, the Shipibo-Konibo of Peru, the Mbuti Pygmies of the DRC, the Lakota, and the Navajo, Chumash, and Standing Rock Sioux.
TTF generates revenue primarily through individual donations and charitable contributions, supplemented by fees and disbursements from its fiscal sponsorship program (which serves as a financial intermediary for aligned projects such as Ancestors Film, Bringing the Sacred Back, and Guardian Saga) and revenue from donor travel experiences to Bhutan, Namibia, Peru, and forthcoming Mongolia. The organization does not sell products or services, has no proprietary technology platform, and operates with 11–50 staff and a board of directors supplemented by named advisors with academic and fundraising credentials. Its go-to-market is community-led: TTF identifies Indigenous-led cultural preservation projects globally, then delivers funding, education, and storytelling infrastructure through on-the-ground partnerships, digital channels (website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, email newsletter), film festivals such as Mountainfilm, and immersive travel programs.
The Tribal Trust Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Tribal Trust Foundation
- Legal name
- Tribal Trust Foundation
- Website
- https://tribaltrustfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Tribal Trust Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 that supports Indigenous-led cultural preservation projects worldwide through grantmaking, education, documentary storytelling, fiscal sponsorship, and immersive donor travel. It serves Indigenous communities across Africa, Asia, and the Americas and is funded by individual donations and partner organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Tribal Trust Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Cultural Preservation Philanthropy
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Indigenous & Community Cultural Institutions (THAJADAK), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)
Keywords
Where The Tribal Trust Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Barbara
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Tribal Trust Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The primary revenue stream comes from individual donor contributions and charitable donations from supporters who believe in the mission of preserving Indigenous wisdom and cultural traditions.
- Fiscal Sponsorship Program: The organization serves as a tax-exempt nonprofit that receives and disburses funds for programs, providing administrative, financial, and other program support to groups that may lack administrative or fiscal capability. TTF provides this service to individuals and groups engaged in projects aligned with its mission.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Tribal Trust Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Tribal Trust Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that preserves Indigenous cultures, languages, and traditional knowledge systems globally through Indigenous-led grantmaking, Two-Eyed Seeing education, documentary filmmaking and storytelling, fiscal sponsorship services for grassroots projects, and immersive donor travel journeys. Its core deliverables are cultural preservation programs, fiscal sponsorship administration for aligned groups, and published works documenting endangered Indigenous knowledge such as the "Monpa Medicinal Plants" book.
Product overview
The Tribal Trust Foundation is a nonprofit organization operating as a single unified entity focused on preserving Indigenous wisdom. Rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, the organization offers an integrated portfolio of programs including Two-Eyed Seeing education, documentation and documentary filmmaking, fiscal sponsorship services for Indigenous projects, and immersive travel experiences. Key products include published works like 'Monpa Medicinal Plants,' documentary films about Indigenous cultures, and the Savage memoir. These offerings are interconnected through the foundation's mission of bridging Indigenous knowledge with broader audiences through education, grantmaking, storytelling, and community engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tribal Trust Foundation Programs
Companies that use The Tribal Trust Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Tribal Trust Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Tribal Trust Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Bari WesnacorePeruvian nonprofit partner working with Shipibo-Konibo communities to strengthen and preserve Indigenous traditions through essential cultural components including fishing instruments, native language through song, and medicinal plant/healing workshops.
- Tarayana FoundationcoreBhutanese foundation partnership for Monpa cultural preservation initiatives including recording native language and stories, documenting traditional healer knowledge, and publishing the Monpa Medicinal Plants book.
- Yangphel Adventure TravelcoreBhutan-based travel company led by Karma Lotey that organizes and supports TTF travel trips to Bhutan, facilitating donor visits to Monpa communities.
- Mountain CraftsminorBhutanese business owned by anthropologist Seeta Giri created to empower local communities through preservation and marketing of Indigenous arts and crafts, supporting Monpa traditional dress with nettle cloth.
- Ancestors FilmminorGlobal adventure documentary project for healing body, mind, spirit and Mother Earth, providing viewers opportunity to see into previously hidden cultures offering Indigenous wisdom.
- Bringing the Sacred BackminorLakota-led initiative to unite indigenous ceremonies and establish a place in the Black Hills for traditional, educational, and ceremonial use, working toward acquiring land for cultural preservation.
- Guardian SagaminorNonprofit division of Guardian Art seeking to rewild the Guardian Spirit among youth through land-based teaching, honoring ancestral domain and restorative justice.
- Kalahari Peoples FundcoreSupporting San Bushmen communities in Namibia with funding coordination for village school construction and Indigenous-led educational programs.
- Guardian NexusminorFiscal partner organization supporting Indigenous cultural preservation initiatives.
- The Circle for ChangeminorFiscal partner organization aligned with TTF mission for cultural preservation.
- The Salt HorseminorFiscal partner organization supporting Indigenous-led projects.
- One Thread CollectiveminorFiscal partner organization aligned with TTF mission.
- SurudevminorFiscal partner organization supporting Indigenous cultural preservation.
- Spirit Pine SanctuaryminorSustainable off-the-grid venue in Santa Ynez Valley hosting TTF fundraising events, working model of sustainable living on 160-acre agricultural preserve.
- Ju/'hoansi Development Fund (JDF)coreKey stakeholder supporting Nhoma San community's vision for schooling framework and Indigenous-led educational programs.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Tribal Trust Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Seacology: Nonprofit preserving Indigenous cultures and environments on islands globally through grant funding in exchange for land protection — comparable cultural-preservation grantmaking model.
- Indigenous Environmental Network: Indigenous-led environmental and cultural advocacy organization with overlapping communities of focus (Navajo, Lakota, Standing Rock) and grantmaking to grassroots projects — partial overlap with TTF's North American portfolio.
Direct peers
- Honor the Earth: Indigenous-led nonprofit addressing environmental and cultural issues affecting Native communities in North America through grantmaking and advocacy — closely aligned with TTF's Lakota, Navajo, and Standing Rock partnerships.
- Amazon Watch: Nonprofit protecting the Amazon rainforest and advancing Indigenous rights in South America through grantmaking and advocacy — overlaps with TTF's Shipibo-Konibo and Peruvian Amazon work.
- Rainforest Foundation Fund: Funds Indigenous-led conservation and land rights initiatives in tropical rainforest countries — directly comparable to TTF's Indigenous-led grantmaking and cultural-land preservation model.
- Cultural Conservancy: Native-led nonprofit working to preserve and revitalize Indigenous cultures, lands, and languages through grants, cultural programs, and media — closely comparable in scope and method to TTF.
- Cultural Survival: Indigenous-led nonprofit supporting Indigenous peoples' rights, self-determination, and cultural preservation globally through advocacy, grantmaking, and media — directly comparable mission and operational model to TTF.
- Survival International: Global movement for tribal peoples' rights, supporting Indigenous communities to defend their lands and cultures through advocacy, education, and funding — directly comparable focus on Indigenous cultural and land protection.
- The Christensen Fund: Grantmaking foundation supporting Indigenous communities to maintain biocultural diversity and cultural traditions worldwide, with a focus on Indigenous-led philanthropy — closely aligned with TTF's grantmaking and cultural preservation model.
- First Peoples Worldwide: Indigenous-led organization supporting economic self-determination and cultural preservation of Indigenous communities globally — directly comparable grantmaking and capacity-building approach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Tribal Trust Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Tribal Trust Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Tribal Trust Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
The Tribal Trust Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Tribal Trust Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Tribal Trust Foundation
What does The Tribal Trust Foundation do?
The Tribal Trust Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that preserves Indigenous cultures, languages, and traditional knowledge systems globally through Indigenous-led grantmaking, Two-Eyed Seeing education, documentary filmmaking and storytelling, fiscal sponsorship services for grassroots projects, and immersive donor travel journeys. Its core deliverables are cultural preservation programs, fiscal sponsorship administration for aligned groups, and published works documenting endangered Indigenous knowledge such as the "Monpa Medicinal Plants" book.
Is The Tribal Trust Foundation a public or private company?
The Tribal Trust Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Tribal Trust Foundation founded?
The Tribal Trust Foundation was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Tribal Trust Foundation based?
The Tribal Trust Foundation is headquartered in Santa Barbara, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Tribal Trust Foundation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are fiscal Sponsorship Program.
Who are The Tribal Trust Foundation's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Seacology and Indigenous Environmental Network. Direct peers are Honor the Earth, Amazon Watch, Rainforest Foundation Fund, Cultural Conservancy, Cultural Survival, Survival International, The Christensen Fund and First Peoples Worldwide.
Does The Tribal Trust Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Tribal Trust Foundation.
What industry is The Tribal Trust Foundation in?
The Tribal Trust Foundation's product category is Nonprofit Cultural Preservation Philanthropy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAI, Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations, with a secondary code of THAJADAK, Indigenous & Community Cultural Institutions. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8200.