Native American Community Development Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) is an American Indian community development intermediary - the first of its kind in the region - created by and for American Indians. NACDI is committed to transforming the American Indian community to effectively respond to 21st century opportunities. NACDI, working from the premise that deficit and poverty-based strategies must be replaced with comprehensive asset-centered strategies, focuses on promoting innovative ideas and cross-sector partnerships that embrace technology, entrepreneurship, and community development. Our mission is to partner with American Indian communities to build and execute 21st century community development strategies.
- Income
- $1.8 million
- Spending
- $2.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 69%
- Reserves
- 5.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 75%
- Employees
- 15
- Volunteers
- 100
- Highest pay
- $139,017, president/ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 47% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 13% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 27% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 11% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1569% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $490,186 spent. NACDI's Four Sisters Food Sovereignty programs are connecting neighborhood residents by rebuilding our relationship with the living world. Our work is guided by the community and the engagement in the practices that sustain us physically and culturally. We break the cycles of trauma and social isolation set into motion by the disruption of our traditional ways by rebuilding Indigenous food knowledge and pursuing equitable food systems. Our goal with Four Sisters is to restore health and well-being in the Urban Indian and Phillips communities by recovering knowledge and access to Indigenous food, medicine, and traditions. The Four Sisters programs are creating a more inclusive, welcoming, and accessible ecosystem in this racially and culturally diverse neighborhood. This project will greatly benefit the surrounding neighborhood by bringing together community members, improving healthy food access, and celebrating Indigenous heritage and culture. Four Sisters Urban Farm, through skills training and community gatherings, will seed opportunities to grow fresh and healthy food and heal land, bodies, and spirits.
- $519,417 spent. All My Relations Arts (AMRA) continues to bring the highest quality of contemporary Native artists working today to our gallery. Exploring topics of sovereignty, family systems, and the living world, AMRA artists challenge the notion of what it means to be Indigenous in the modern world. AMRA began its second cohort of the Native Authors Program, a program designed to expand the careers and representation of Native writers while supporting their growth in practice. Under the program facilitator and mentorship of Art Coulson (Cherokee), authors will engage in the development of their craft. We also began the second cohort of We Are Still Here, a multiyear collaborative partnership between NACDI and Hennepin Theatre Trust, which brings large-scale, high-profile public artworks to the Hennepin Theatre District and the American Indian Culture Corridor. Paired with mural artist, mentor Thomasina TopBear, this cohort is learning the techniques of mural creation to expand their mediums to a highly visible public art environment.
- $600,277 spent. Make Voting A Tradition (MVAT) is a culturally specific, year-round, multi-generational approach to increase voter turnout and civic engagement now in its eighth year of operation. The fundamental principle of MVAT is that Native Americans are more likely to become more politically active when engaged by peers. By utilizing MVAT's statewide and national profile, the project continues to establish and nurture relationships that will strengthen the voices of individuals to create access and influence in elections. Now, in partnership with Minnesota Voice, MVAT is spearheading a first of its kind Statewide Native Table focusing on civic engagement and voter mobilization.The goal of the Native Table is to create a network of Indigenous people and organizations throughout the state including rural and Tribal Nations to build collective civic engagement power for Native people of Minnesota.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 2004.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.