National Congress of American Indians

The National Congress of American Indians Fund is a separate 501(c)(3) organization that acts as the education and grant-making arm of NCAI. ³

Background

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was founded to connect individual American Indian and Native Alaskan tribes together as an advocacy organization to oppose federal legislation that would limit the sovereignty of or terminate tribal governments. Created in 1944, the NCAI began with 80 representatives from 50 tribes,¹ and currently represents all 573 federally recognized tribes. ²

The organization’s policy issues and initiatives are created and voted on by delegates chosen by the tribes and are meant to be the unified voice of tribal nations. ⁴

Funding

The NCAI is partly funded by its membership, which is open to recognized tribes and individuals both with and without American Indian ancestry. Only members of a recognized Indian tribe are eligible to submit and vote on resolutions, and to vote for the organization’s Executive Committee. Membership dues are currently $40 per year, or $1,000 for a lifetime membership. ⁵

The NCAI receives support from the federal government including the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Justice. ⁶ The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) partners with NCAI in the Environmental Information Exchange Network, an online network that shares environmental data with tribes, states, and territories. ⁷

The NCAI receives grants from left-wing foundations like the Ford Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF). ⁶ CNAI has received over $26 million in funding from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. ⁸

Issue Advocacy

While National Congress of American Indians is one of the main advocates of issues specific to Indian governance, it has taken strong positions on other key political issues. ⁹

In 2017, the NCAI issued a resolution stating their support for the Paris Climate Agreement, following the Trump administration‘s announcing plans to withdraw the U.S. from the accord. ¹⁰

The NCAI supported former President Barack Obama’s proposed American Jobs Act, which on the surface proposed to create jobs by offering tax cuts to small businesses, and an extension of the payroll tax cut. ¹¹ In actuality, the proposal would have increased infrastructure spending, and taxes on the middle class. The bill was not supported by moderate Democrats, and did not pass. ¹²

In a 2018 Resolution, NCAI affirmed its position to restrict commercial activity in the Pacific Ocean, especially as it relates to offshore drilling. ¹³

Voter Mobilization

In the weeks leading up to the 2020 presidential election, NCAI held events encouraging people to vote, handing out voter kits, which included a t-shirt, masks, gloves, wipes, and Indian Center brochures. ¹⁴ NCAI also partnered with Business for America to promote Get-Out-The-Vote efforts in Native American communities, and provide face shields, food, beverages, and other items to tribal nations in several states in order to encourage Native Americans to vote. ¹⁵

Leadership

Larry Wright Jr. is the Executive Director of the NCAI, serving in the position since being appointed in September 2022. He was previously the NCAI’s Director for Leadership Engagement. He previously served as chairman of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska from 2015 through 2021. In addition, he was the NCAI Executive Committe’s Vice President, the Board Chair of the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs, and the Chairman of the Nebraska Inter-Tribal Coalition. ^{16 17}

Mark Macarro is the president of the NCAI, as of 2024. In addition, he is the Tribal Chairman of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians from southern California, serving in the position since first elected in 1992. ¹⁶

Coalition Memberships

• Funders Committee for Civic Participation (FCCP) (non-profit)
• Census Counts 2020 (other group)
• Nonprofit VOTE (non-profit)

Donor Organizations

• Aetna Life Insurance Company (for profit)
• The Agua Fund (non-profit)
• Annie E. Casey Foundation (non-profit)
• AT&T (for profit)
• Bank of America Foundation (non-profit)
• Bank of America Merrill Lynch (for profit)
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (non-profit)
• Bush Foundation (non-profit)
• Department of Agriculture (government agency)
• Department of Defense (government agency)
• Department of Health and Human Services (government agency)
• Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (government agency)
• Department of the Interior (government agency)
• Department of Justice (government agency)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (government agency)
• Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund (non-profit)
• Ford Foundation (non-profit)
• Google (for profit)
• Key Bank (for profit)
• Nathan Cummings Foundation (non-profit)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) (government agency)
• National Science Foundation (NSF) (government agency)
• NEO Philanthropy (Non-profit)
• Northwest Area Foundation (non-profit)
• Open Society Foundations (OSF) (non-profit)
• Pew Charitable Trusts (non-profit)
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) (non-profit)
• Small Business Administration (government agency)
• Strategies 360 (for profit)
• U.S. Peace Corps (government agency)
• Walmart Foundation (non-profit)
• Walton Family Foundation (non-profit)
• Washington University, St. Louis (non-profit)
• Wells Fargo (for profit)
• K. Kellogg Foundation (non-profit)

Affiliated Organizations

• EPA Environmental Information Exchange Network
• Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR) (non-profit)
• Native American Rights Fund (non-profit)
• Native Financial Education Coalition (NFEC)