What CHEYENNE RIVER YOUTH PROJECT does

The Cheyenne River Youth Project (CRYP) is a grassroots, Native- and woman-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1988 by Julie Garreau in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. The organization serves Lakota youth ages 4-18 and their families, operating two youth centers \u2014 The Main for ages 4-12 and Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) for ages 13-18 \u2014 alongside the Winyan Toka Win 2.5-acre food sovereignty garden, social enterprises (Keya Cafe, Keya Gift Shop, and Leading Lady Farm Stand), the annual RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam, and a Family Services Program that maintains 369 family memberships at $30 per year. CRYP also runs a Teen Internship Program with five tracks (Native Food Sovereignty, Social Enterprise, Native Wellness, Art, and Lakota Culture) that has graduated nearly 500 interns since its 2013 inception, plus wellness offerings such as Midnight Basketball and Lakota cultural reclamation programs.

CRYP has no proprietary technology platform. Its physical infrastructure comprises a 5-acre main campus in Eagle Butte housing the youth centers, cafe, gift shop, and administrative offices; a 26,000+ square-foot teen center opened in 2006; the Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park; and, acquired in 2024, a nearly 40-acre parcel near Mato Paha (Bear Butte) called Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi, which serves as a base for seasonal culture and healing camps. A new Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count) Lakota Youth Arts & Culture Institute broke ground in July 2021 and is scheduled to open in 2026-2027. The organization employs approximately 13 people and is governed by a board composed primarily of Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal members.

Revenue is derived from individual and institutional donations, federal and state government grants, social enterprise proceeds, merchandise sales (online and in-person), and a $30 annual family membership fee. Major institutional funders have included the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, The Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Start Small Foundation, and The Wayfarer Foundation. CRYP has accumulated more than 20 awards since 1992, including a 1993 Presidential Points of Light Award, a 2015 Bush Prize for Innovation, and a 2018 David Rockefeller BCA pARTnership Award.

Name

CHEYENNE RIVER YOUTH PROJECT

Legal name

Cheyenne River Youth Project

Website

https://lakotayouth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cheyenne River Youth Project is a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1988 in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, serving Lakota youth ages 4-18 and families on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation through youth centers, cultural reclamation, food sovereignty, and social enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Youth development services
• Community nonprofit programming
• Cultural arts education
• Family support services
• Food sovereignty programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Eagle Butte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: CRYP relies heavily on charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations to fund its programs and operations. The organization conducts direct fundraising appeals through its website and email campaigns.
2. Social Enterprise Revenue: Revenue generated from Keya Cafe, Keya Gift Shop, and Leading Lady Farm Stand social enterprises. Proceeds support youth programming and family services.
3. Family Membership Fees: Families pay an annual membership fee of $30 to access family services including school supplies, winter clothing, household supplies, and toy distributions.
4. Merchandise Sales: Online and in-person sales of RedCan merchandise, t-shirts, mugs, coffee, and art prints.
5. Government Grants: Federal and state government grants supporting youth programs, food sovereignty initiatives, and community development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cheyenne River Youth Project is a grassroots nonprofit that operates youth development programs for Lakota youth ages 4-18 on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. Its core offerings include two youth centers (The Main and Cokata Wiconi), family support services, social enterprises (cafe, gift shop, farm stand), a community garden, arts and culture programming, and the annual RedCan graffiti jam. Programs are delivered free of charge to youth, with families accessing wraparound support through an annual $30 membership.

Product overview

Cheyenne River Youth Project is a grassroots nonprofit offering a portfolio of interconnected youth development programs rather than a unified software product. The organization operates two youth centers (The Main for ages 4-12 and Cokata Wiconi for teens), social enterprises (Keya Cafe, Keya Gift Shop, Leading Lady Farm Stand), a 2.5-acre community garden, and the award-winning RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam. These programs work together holistically, with internship tracks feeding into social enterprises, garden produce supporting cafe operations, and arts programming culminating in the annual RedCan event and the Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CRYP: Common acronym/abbreviation for Cheyenne River Youth Project used throughout the organization's materials and communications.

Products and services

• The Main Youth Center Youth center serving Lakota children ages 4-12 with arts and crafts, literacy, wellness, and gardening programs; the initial point of contact with CRYP for younger youth.
• Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) Teen Center 26,000+ square foot teen center for ages 13-18 featuring an art studio, classroom, dance studio, computer lab, library, full-size gymnasium, commercial-grade kitchen, and cafe space; provides job skills training, wellness programming, and internship opportunities.
• Family Services Program Family support division offering an annual $30 membership covering household supplies, winter clothing, school supplies, and access to distributions including the Wo Otúh'an Wi Toy Drive for families on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation.
• Keya Cafe Social enterprise dining venue within Cokata Wiconi providing job training opportunities for teens while serving meals, baked goods, coffee drinks, and smoothies to support CRYP programming.
• Keya Gift Shop Retail gift shop offering homemade food items, canned goods, CRYP merchandise, and local artisan products; functions as a component of the Social Enterprises Internship program.
• Leading Lady Farm Stand Seasonal weekly market selling fresh produce from the Winyan Toka Win Garden and homemade goods from community vendors, supporting sustainable food systems and community entrepreneurship.
• Winyan Toka Win (Leading Lady) Garden 2.5-acre naturally grown garden dedicated to food sovereignty, strengthening youth connection to traditional Lakota life ways through hands-on agricultural experience.
• RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam Award-winning annual four-day graffiti art festival bringing national artists to Eagle Butte to create murals alongside local youth, bridging graffiti culture with Lakota cultural reclamation; the first and only graffiti jam in Indian Country.
• Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park 5-acre free public outdoor space adjacent to Cokata Wiconi where community members and visitors can create and view art, featuring the Waniyetu Wowapi Art Walk trail.
• Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count) Lakota Arts Institute Arts institute offering programming in fine art, graffiti and street art, and traditional Lakota arts with classes in drawing, mural creation, hide painting, and video production.
• Teen Internship Program Internship program with five tracks (Native Food Sovereignty, Social Enterprise, Native Wellness, Art, and Lakota Culture) offering certifications and hands-on experience for teens.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served over 1,300 children through annual toy drive
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pyatt StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2021Boulder, Colorado-based architectural firm retained to design the new Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count) Lakota Youth Arts & Culture Institute.
• SquareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSquare produced the Lakota in America short film documentary as part of their For Every Dream series, featuring CRYP's work.
• Beaufort International Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm festival where CRYP's Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count) documentary was an official selection.
• Latino & Native American Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival at Southern Connecticut State University where CRYP's documentary was featured.
• Smithsonian Folklife FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational event where RedCan was represented, with two CRYP youth artists painting alongside RedCan headliner Hoka on the National Mall.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Indian College Fund: National Native-led nonprofit funding higher education for Indigenous students — overlaps with CRYP in foundation funding sources and Native education mission but focuses on post-secondary access.
• National Indian Education Association: National Native education advocacy organization; overlaps with CRYP in Native youth educational outcomes and policy advocacy (including U.S. Senate testimony) but operates as a membership/advocacy body rather than direct service provider.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Largest youth development nonprofit in the U.S., operating clubs that share CRYP's youth-center model (recreation, homework help, mentorship) — a broader incumbent with comparable programming taxonomy but much larger scale and different funding model.

Direct peers

• Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation: Lakota-led community development organization on Pine Ridge building sustainable communities through youth programming, housing, and food sovereignty — directly comparable mission and Lakota cultural grounding.
• Red Cloud Indian School: Lakota-led K-12 school and youth services organization on Pine Ridge Reservation, sharing CRYP's Lakota cultural foundation, reservation-based delivery model, and youth-development focus.
• First Nations Development Institute: Native-led nonprofit strengthening tribal economies and communities through grantmaking and capacity-building; comparable in funding sources, Native-led governance, and youth/economic programs.
• Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA): Urban Native American youth and family services nonprofit with comparable wraparound programming — youth centers, cultural education, family services, and social enterprise — serving a different geography but the same population archetype.
• Running Strong for American Indian Youth: National nonprofit supporting Native American youth through education, cultural programs, and community grants — closest comparable in mission, funding model, and target population to CRYP.
• Wisdom of the Elders: Native-led nonprofit using film, storytelling, and cultural preservation to engage Indigenous youth — directly comparable to CRYP's documentary work, Lakota Arts Fellowship, and cultural reclamation programs.

Regional players

• Sitting Bull College: Tribal college on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation — adjacent in geographic proximity and Lakota cultural mission, though its primary focus is higher education rather than youth community programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lakotayouth
• Facebookfacebook.com/LakotaYouth
• Instagraminstagram.com/lakotayouth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cheyenneriveryouthproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 CHEYENNE RIVER YOUTH PROJECT