Division of Indian Work

What Division of Indian Work does

Division of Indian Work (DIW) is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1954 that supports and strengthens the urban American Indian community of the Twin Cities through culturally-based education, traditional healing approaches, and leadership development. The organization delivers a portfolio of more than 15 programs organized across Youth (Youth Leadership Development Program), Families (Family Spirit, Women of Traditional Birthing, Strong Families, Parenting Capacity Services), Health (Ninde Doulas, Live It! teen pregnancy prevention, Minozekwedaa Traditional Foods), Elders (Mikwendaagozi dementia program, social/food/transportation, Grandparents as Caregivers), Foster Care (STAY In The Community, Healing Spirit House), Domestic Violence & Anger Management, and Resources (Horizons Unlimited Food Shelf, Diaper Bank, Legal Aid Clinic, Bridge Bags). DIW operates from a single headquarters at 1001 East Lake Street, Minneapolis, with a staff of 11-50 predominantly Indigenous employees led by Executive Director Louise Matson (since November 2014). Its services are delivered through in-person visits at the facility, in-home and community-based outreach, mobile units, and select virtual channels.

DIW has no proprietary technology; its "products" are human-delivered social services supported by evidence-based curricula such as Family Spirit (developed with Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health). The business model is that of a community-based nonprofit, funded primarily through government grants and service contracts with Hennepin County (20+ year partnership), Ramsey County, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the Minnesota Department of Health, and the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging, supplemented by private donations, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships (notably Allina Health as Presenting Sponsor of the annual Wambli Soars! fundraiser), individual giving, and cause-marketing partnerships such as the Velasquez Family Coffee fundraiser. Service recipients do not pay; programs are free to eligible participants or accessed via county agency referrals.

Name

Division of Indian Work

Legal name

Division of Indian Work

Website

https://diw-mn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Division of Indian Work is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit founded in 1954 that delivers culturally-based education, traditional healing, family, youth, elder, foster care, and maternal health programs to the urban American Indian community of the Twin Cities, funded through government contracts, foundation grants, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants & Contracts: Primary funding from government sources including Hennepin County, Ramsey County, MN Department of Human Services, MN Department of Health, and other government agencies through grants and service contracts.
2. Private Donations & Philanthropy: Donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and foundation grants including employer matching programs and in-kind donations of goods and services.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual fundraising events such as Wambli Soars! with corporate sponsors at various levels (Presenting Sponsor, Makwa Sponsor, Ma'iingan Sponsor, Tatanka Sponsor).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Division of Indian Work (DIW) is a non-profit community organization that delivers culturally-based education, family support, traditional healing, leadership development, and material assistance programs to urban American Indian people in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro area. Programs are organized across Youth, Families, Elders, Health, Foster Care, Domestic Violence & Anger Management, and Resource lines and are delivered directly or in partnership with Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Minnesota state agencies, and tribal nations.

Product overview

Division of Indian Work (DIW) is a non-profit community organization that has served the urban American Indian community for over 70 years. Rather than a single technology product, DIW offers a portfolio of culturally-based community programs and services organized into several core areas: Youth Programs (Youth Leadership Development Program with components including Be@School, The Right Path/TRiP, Academic & Activity Program, Indigenous Scholars Summer Program); Family Programs (Family Spirit, Women of Traditional Birthing, Ninde Doulas, Ashoodenim Anishinaabe, Parenting Capacity Services, Strong Families); Health Services (Live It! teen pregnancy prevention, Minozekwedaa Traditional Foods Program, Mobile Lactation Station); Elders Programs (Mikwendaagozi dementia program, Social/Food/Transportation, Grandparents as Caregivers); Foster Care Services (STAY In The Community, Healing Spirit House); Domestic Violence & Anger Management; and Resource Programs (Horizon's Unlimited Food Shelf, Diaper Bank, Legal Aid Clinic, Bridge Bags). These programs are delivered directly or in partnership with Hennepin County, Ramsey County, and tribal nations, focusing on culturally-based education, traditional healing approaches, and leadership development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wambli Soars!: An annual fundraising event featuring dinner, live and silent auctions, and community celebration to support DIW's programs and services.

Products and services

• Youth Leadership Development Program (YLDP) After-school and out-of-school program for American Indian youth in grades 1-12, providing tutoring, cultural enrichment, recreational, environmental, and artistic activities, plus prevention of at-risk behavior. Includes sub-programs such as Be@School, The Right Path (TRiP), Academic & Activity Program, and the Indigenous Scholars Summer Program.
• Family Spirit Peer-educator home visiting program supporting American Indian mothers and parents of children ages 3 and under, using an evidence-based and culturally-tailored curriculum designed by the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health.
• Women of Traditional Birthing Program supporting pregnant American Indian women through mentoring, education, community outreach, and weekly group meetings to help expectant mothers adopt healthy lifestyles that foster healthy babies.
• Ninde Doulas Trained Indigenous doulas providing informational, emotional, physical, and cultural support to Indigenous families during pregnancy, labor, birth, and the post-partum healing period. Grew from 5 trained doulas in 2016 to 22 certified doulas by end of 2021, serving American Indian and Latinx families in Twin Cities and Bemidji.
• Live It! Teen pregnancy prevention and sexuality education curriculum designed for American Indians by American Indians, targeting youth ages 11-18 with culturally specific content covering physiological, emotional, cultural, artistic, and self-reflective development.
• Minozekwedaa Traditional Foods Program Traditional foods program where a Nutrition Coordinator prepares traditional and other healthy foods for DIW's program participants, including meals for quarterly family nights and building blessing feasts. Operated in partnership with Dream of Wild Health.
• Horizon's Unlimited Food Shelf The only culturally sensitive food shelf in the west metro serving the urban American Indian population, operating since 1952. Open four days a week, providing families and seniors with fresh food including meats, fruits, vegetables, and non-perishables. Served in partnership with Second Harvest Heartland.
• Diaper Bank DIW distribution site for the Diaper Bank of Minnesota, providing diapers and wipes at no cost to families in need in the Twin Cities area.
• Legal Aid Clinic On-site clinic operated with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, providing free legal advice and representation on civil legal problems including child custody, eviction defense, and criminal expungement for DIW clients.
• Bridge Bags (Nitamising Gimashkikinaan) Program providing pasteurized human donor milk (PHDM) to the Native American community for families with a newborn under 6 weeks of age experiencing low milk supply, in collaboration with the Minnesota Milk Bank. Funded by the First Nations Development Institute.
• STAY In The Community Program for youth ages 14-22 in foster care, providing independent living skills groups, transition services, individual independent living skills, and youth leadership councils. Funded through the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
• Healing Spirit House Supportive, safe, drug- and alcohol-free in-house residential environment for long-term foster care American Indian males aged 16-21, designed like a typical home to teach independent living skills. Funded in partnership with Ramsey County.
• Mikwendaagozi (Be Remembered) Dementia program for the Native American community offering support and a guide showcasing signs, possible preventions, interventions, and resources for dementia caregivers.
• Grandparents as Caregivers Program providing support and resources to grandparents who have taken on the role of primary caregiver for children not more than 18 years of age.
• Domestic Violence & Anger Management Services for victims of domestic violence and support groups for anger management using a cultural-lens perspective, including Victims of Domestic Violence Group, Women's Anger Management Group, and Men's Anger Management & Domestic Violence Group. Includes a Native American advocate under contract with the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.

Quantifiable outcome

• Horizons Unlimited serves as the only culturally-sensitive food shelf in the west metro serving the urban American Indian population
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hennepin CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with contracts spanning 20+ years for domestic violence advocacy, parenting capacity services, anger management, and foster care services. Hennepin County Attorney's Office contract provides Native American advocate for domestic violence services.
• Ramsey CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Ramsey County to recruit clients for programming and provide foster care services. Funding source for Healing Spirit House program.
• Second Harvest HeartlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Second Harvest supports the Horizons Unlimited Food Shelf, which serves nearly 700 tribal members of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation.
• Diaper Bank of MinnesotaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIW serves as a distribution site for diapers and wipes provided at no cost to families in need in the Twin Cities area.
• Mid-Minnesota Legal AidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpened an on-site legal aid clinic providing free legal advice and representation on civil legal problems including child custody, eviction defense, and criminal expungement for DIW clients.
• Minnesota Milk BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNitamising Gimashkikinaan collaboration offers pasteurized human donor milk (PHDM) bridging bags for families with newborns under 6 weeks experiencing low milk supply in the Native American community.
• Dream of Wild HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIW partners with Dream of Wild Health (DWH) to manage a Traditional Foods Program, with DIW hiring a Nutrition Coordinator to prepare traditional and healthy foods for program participants.
• Allina HealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Sponsor of Wambli Soars! 2025 fundraising event. Represents key healthcare partner supporting DIW's mission.
• St. Luke's HospitalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMakwa (Bear) Sponsor of Wambli Soars! 2025 fundraising event.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Indian Health Board of Minneapolis: Urban Indian health organization providing medical, dental, behavioral health, and community wellness services to American Indians in Minneapolis. Direct peer for DIW's health programming including maternal health and traditional healing approaches.
• Ain Dah Yung Center: Saint Paul-based Native-led nonprofit offering emergency shelter, supportive housing, and youth development services for American Indian youth and families. Direct peer in adjacent Twin Cities geography with overlapping foster care, youth, and family service lines.
• Minneapolis American Indian Center: Long-standing Minneapolis-based nonprofit providing cultural, educational, and social services to the urban American Indian community. Most directly comparable peer given shared geography, mission, and multi-program delivery model.
• Native American Community Clinic (NACC): Twin Cities clinic offering culturally-grounded medical, mental health, and community services to American Indian families. Comparable in mission, target population, and integration of traditional healing with Western healthcare delivery.
• Little Earth of United Tribes: Native-preference housing community and nonprofit in Minneapolis providing youth, family, and elder programming to urban American Indian residents. Direct peer with shared wraparound service philosophy serving the same target population.
• Dream of Wild Health: Minneapolis-based Native-led nonprofit operating the Indigenous food sovereignty farm and traditional foods program in partnership with DIW. Direct peer and active partner in DIW's Minozekwedaa Traditional Foods Program, sharing the same Native community base and cultural healing approach.

Emerging players

• First Nations Development Institute: National Native-led nonprofit strengthening Native economies and communities through grantmaking, research, and capacity building. Already a DIW funder (Nitamising Gimashkikinaan Bridge Bags), operating one tier removed as a grantmaker rather than direct service provider.
• National Urban Indian Family Coalition (NUIFC): National coalition advocating for and supporting urban American Indian families through policy, research, and capacity-building for member organizations including DIW. Comparable as a Native-led social services infrastructure player, though operating at a national rather than direct service level.
• National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA): National organization dedicated to the well-being of American Indian children and families through training, advocacy, and resources. Comparable in foster care, family preservation, and child welfare mission overlap with DIW's STAY and Parenting Capacity Services programs.

Regional players

• American Indian Community Development Corporation (AICDC): Minneapolis-based Native-led nonprofit focused on affordable housing, economic development, and community programs for the urban American Indian population. Regional peer serving overlapping community with complementary housing and youth development focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DivisionofIndianWork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles36 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 Division of Indian Work