American Indian Center of Arkansas

What American Indian Center of Arkansas does

The American Indian Center of Arkansas (AICA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Urban Indian organization founded in 1977 and headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas, with a second office opened in Springdale in September 2024. The organization is governed by a Native American/Alaska Native board of directors and provides a portfolio of community-based services to members of federally recognized tribes, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians with permanent residency in Arkansas. Its service lines span youth education (ACE Program, K-12), workforce development (WIOA Section 166 and WORC initiatives under the Department of Labor), senior employment (SCSEP for low-income adults 55+), behavioral health for youth and young adults (SAMHSA Native Connections, 988 Tribal Response Program), and opioid recovery (MATPDOA medication-assisted treatment).

AICA operates no proprietary technology platform; its offering consists of human-delivered direct services such as case management, counseling referrals, job training, educational support, and culturally grounded community events. The "product surface" is effectively the coordinated program portfolio administered through two physical offices and partner referrals from tribal communities, healthcare providers, schools, and social service agencies across six Arkansas counties (Benton, Crawford, Pulaski, Saline, Sebastian, Washington).

The business model is grant-funded: revenue derives primarily from federal grants (Department of Labor WIOA Section 166, SAMHSA Native Connections, 988 Program, MAT-PDOA, WORC initiative) supplemented by individual donations. All services are provided free of charge to eligible participants, and there is no pricing or fee structure. The organization employs approximately 11-50 staff, including a Fiscal Director, Director of Human Resources, Federal Compliance Coordinator, program directors across each service line, case managers, peer recovery specialists, and an Executive Director (Star Jackson). Customer logos in the strict sense are program beneficiaries rather than revenue payers; meaningful revenue concentration risk sits on the funder side across a handful of federal agencies.

Name

American Indian Center of Arkansas

Legal name

American Indian Center of Arkansas

Website

https://aicago.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The American Indian Center of Arkansas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Urban Indian organization serving Native Americans and Alaska Natives in Arkansas with youth education, workforce training, behavioral health, and opioid recovery programs funded primarily by federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock, AR

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: Primary revenue from federal grants including WIOA Section 166 grant through Department of Labor, SAMHSA Native Connections funding, 988 Program funding, and MAT-PDOA grant. Additional funding from ARORP (Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership).
2. Donations: Individual donations from supporters to help provide services including utility bills, groceries, and supportive services for low-income Native Americans in Arkansas.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The American Indian Center of Arkansas (AICA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Urban Indian organization delivering a portfolio of free community services to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians living in Arkansas. Its core offerings include youth education support (ACE Program), workforce training and placement (WIOA, WORC, SCSEP), behavioral health and suicide prevention (Native Connections, 988 Tribal Response), and medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder (MATPDOA), administered through offices in North Little Rock and Springdale.

Product overview

The American Indian Center of Arkansas is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Urban Indian organization offering a coordinated portfolio of community services rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include the ACE Program for youth education, WIOA/WORC employment initiatives, SCSEP senior employment, Native Connections behavioral health services, MATPDOA recovery support, and 988 Tribal Response crisis intervention. These programs are administered through a main branch in Little Rock and a Springdale location, serving Native Americans and Alaska Natives in Arkansas through culturally appropriate services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACE Program (Accessing Choices in Education): Educational assistance program for Native Americans under age 18 providing resources for grades K-12
• MATPDOA (Medication-Assisted Treatment Prescription Drug Addiction)
• Native Connections
• 988 Tribal Response Program
• SCSEP (Senior Community Service Employment Program)
• WIOA & WORC (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act / Workforce Opportunities in Rural Communities)

Products and services

• ACE Program (Accessing Choices in Education)

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants gain employment and certificates (e.g., Microsoft Office Specialist)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ARORP (Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARORP, an initiative of the Association of Arkansas Counties and Arkansas Municipal League, partners to provide support for Arkansans in recovery from substance-misuse disorders and families affected by the opioid epidemic. AICA participates in this network providing MAT services.
• Association of Arkansas CountiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough ARORP, partnership with the Association of Arkansas Counties working to abate opioid misuse and addiction in Arkansas.
• Arkansas Municipal LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough ARORP, partnership with the Arkansas Municipal League supporting recovery efforts for Arkansans affected by substance misuse.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Native American Health Center: Oakland-based Urban Indian health organization providing medical, dental, behavioral health, and community services to Native Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area. Comparable as a multi-program Urban Indian org with similar federal grant-funded service model and tribal-community focus.
• Denver Indian Center: Denver-based Urban Indian organization providing cultural, educational, social, and health services to Native Americans in Colorado. Comparable as a community-based Urban Indian center serving a single state with multi-program service delivery.
• American Indian Community House: New York City-based nonprofit Urban Indian organization providing cultural, social, health, and educational services to Native Americans. Comparable as an Urban Indian org with similar community-based service delivery, grant-funded model, and whole-person service philosophy.
• Native American Connections: Phoenix-based 501(c)(3) Urban Indian organization providing behavioral health, housing, and workforce development services to Native Americans in Arizona. Directly comparable in mission, organizational structure, federal-grant funding model, and multi-program service delivery to AICA.
• Chief Seattle Club: Seattle-based nonprofit serving Native American/Alaska Native adults experiencing homelessness, with services including housing, behavioral health, and cultural programs. Comparable as a Native-serving Urban Indian organization with similar social services, behavioral health, and community engagement approach.
• Minneapolis American Indian Center: Minneapolis-based Urban Indian organization providing cultural, educational, employment, and health services to Native Americans in Minnesota. Comparable as a community-based Urban Indian center with multi-program service model and similar federal/state funding mix.
• Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley: San Jose-based Urban Indian health center providing medical, dental, behavioral health, and community wellness services. Comparable as a multi-service Urban Indian organization serving a specific geographic area with grant-funded behavioral health and community programming.

Others

• National Congress of American Indians: The oldest and largest national organization representing Tribal governments and Native American communities. Related as a broader advocacy umbrella for Native-serving organizations, including Urban Indian orgs like AICA.
• National Indian Health Board: National advocacy organization representing Tribal governments and Urban Indian organizations on health policy. Related as a key advocacy and funding coordination body for the Urban Indian health ecosystem in which AICA operates its mental health and recovery programs.
• National Urban Indian Family Coalition: National umbrella organization supporting Urban Indian organizations across the country. Related as the national coordination body for organizations similar to AICA, providing policy advocacy, capacity building, and resource support to the Urban Indian ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/aicarkansas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-indian-center-of-ar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Indian Center of Arkansas