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Native Governance Center

EIN 47-4901644 · Minneapolis, MN

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER (NGC) IS A NATIVE-LED NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO ASSISTING TRIBAL NATIONS IN STRENGTHENING THEIR GOVERNANCE SYSTEMS AND CAPACITY TO EXERCISE SOVEREIGNTY.

Income
$7.2 million
Spending
$2.3 million
Spent on programs
82%
Reserves
37.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 96%
Employees
17
Volunteers
10
Highest pay
$188,717, & admin., int. exec. dir. (outgoing)

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

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 37.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 9% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 68% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 135% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    82% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 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

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    9 of 9 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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 (4)
  1. $695,666 spent. TRIBAL FINANCE:USING A NATIVE NATION REBUILDING APPROACH TO TRIBAL FINANCE, WE EQUIP TRIBAL LEADERS WITH THE INSPIRATION, SKILLS, RESOURCES, AND CONNECTIONS THEY NEED TO EFFECTIVELY IMPROVE THEIR TRIBAL FINANCIAL SYSTEMS. DURING THE 2-YEAR COHORT, WE WORK WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AND FINANCE DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATION TO BUILD THEIR FINANCIAL CAPACITY THROUGH IN-DEPTH FINANCIAL ASSESSMENTS, EDUCATIONAL TRAINING AND RESOURCES, PEER LEARNING WITH OTHER NATIVE NATIONS, GROUP CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE, MENTORSHIP AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND PROJECT BASED FUNDING. IN 2024, WE KICKED OFF COHORT 2 WITH 4 NATIVE NATIONS. EACH NATIVE NATION COMPLETED AN IN-DEPTH FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT. WE HOSTED 2 IN-PERSON CONVENINGS AND 1 VIRTUAL CONVENING WHICH PROVIDED 6 FULL DAYS OF EDUCATIONAL TRAINING AND PEER LEARNING. MONTHLY EXECUTIVE COACHING SESSIONS STARTED FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS IN SEPTEMBER AND INCLUDED A CLIFTON STRENGTHS TOP 5 ASSESSMENT. INFORMAL COFFEE CONNECTION VIRTUAL MEETINGS BEGAN IN NOVEMBER AND WILL CONTINUE DURING MONTHS WHEN NO OTHER PROGRAMMING IS SCHEDULED. NEWLY ADDED CFO ROUNDTABLE VIRTUAL MEETINGS BEGAN IN NOVEMBER AND WILL CONTINUE EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS DURING THE 2-YEAR COHORT OR AS LONG AS THEY ARE PRODUCTIVE AND USEFUL FOR PARTICIPANTS.
  2. $441,719 spent. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT:NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER PROVIDES LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIGENOUS CHANGEMAKERS THROUGH THE NATIVE NATION REBUILDERS (NNR) PROGRAM. THIS TWO-YEAR, COHORT BASED PROGRAM WAS BUILT TO STRENGTHEN LEADERSHIP IN OUR REGION BY EQUIPPING INDIGENOUS CHANGEMAKERS WITH TOOLS AND FRAMEWORKS THEY CAN USE TO HELP REBUILD THEIR NATIONS. OVER 225 NATIVE CHANGEMAKERS FROM ACROSS THE REGION HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM. IN 2024, NGC ENGAGED 21 REBUILDERS FOR COHORT 13. THE REBUILDERS PARTICIPATED IN FIVE MODULE SESSIONS, TOTALING 101 HOURS, INCLUDING TWO VIRTUAL SESSIONS AND THREE MULTI-DAY, IN-PERSON SESSIONS HELD AT THREE DIFFERENT NATIVE NATIONS IN OUR SERVICE REGION. EACH SESSION FOCUSED ON ENHANCING SKILLS IN NATION REBUILDING, INCLUDING FACILITATION TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR SEVENTH-GENERATION PLANNING. THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM, 16 COMMUNITY LEADERS INTERACTED WITH THE REBUILDERS DURING BOTH ONLINE AND IN-PERSON SESSIONS. ALL 21 REBUILDERS COMPLETED THE NATIVE NATION REBUILDING CURRICULUM, PRESENTED THEIR COMMUNITY ACTION PLANS, AND ARE ON TRACK TO IMPLEMENT THOSE PLANS WITHIN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS. THE REBUILDERS CONCLUDED THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PROGRAM WITH A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF NATIVE NATION REBUILDING, STRENGTHENED RELATIONSHIPS, AND ENHANCED LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO SERVE THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.
  3. $337,040 spent. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER EDUCATES, ENGAGES, AND SHARES INFORMATION WITH THE BROADER COMMUNITY AROUND TOPICS RELATED TO SOVEREIGNTY, NATIVE NATION REBUILDING, AND CURRENT EVENTS IN INDIAN COUNTRY. IN 2024, WE HOSTED 5 VIRTUAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, REACHING A COMBINED LIVE AND RECORDED VIEWING AUDIENCE OF 5,257 PEOPLE. THROUGHOUT OUR WORK, WE MADE CONNECTIONS WITH 15 NATIVE SPEAKERS AND ARTISTS. WE PRESENTED AT 4 CONFERENCES AND HAD A BOOTH AT 3 EVENTS REACHING OVER 800 PEOPLE. WE ALSO DELIVERED CONTENT BY CARRYING OUT 23 EXTERNAL PRESENTATIONS TOTALING OVER 30 INSTRUCTION HOURS AND REACHING OVER 900 PARTICIPANTS. ONLINE WE RELEASED 5 ORIGINAL RESOURCES ON TOPICS RELATED TO OUR MISSION, COLLABORATED WITH 4 REBUILDER ALUMNI TO RELEASE 2 GUEST-WRITTEN ARTICLES, AND SHARED THE FINAL THREE EPISODES OF A SOVEREIGNTY-FOCUSED VIDEO SERIES CALLED WINGS WITH WAYNE THAT RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY 4,462 VIEWS, ALL TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT GOVERNANCE AND SOVEREIGNTY ON A BROAD SCALE. OUR RESOURCES SECTION RECEIVED OVER 65,000 VIEWS FROM OVER 36,000 UNIQUE SITE VISITORS. OUR TOP 5 MOST-VIEWED RESOURCES ARE ABOUT TOPICS LIKE: BLOOD QUANTUM & SOVEREIGNTY, INDIGENOUS LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, CULTURAL APPRECIATION VS. APPROPRIATION, TERMINOLOGY AND STYLE, AND GOING BEYOND LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT. SITE-WIDE VISITORS DOWNLOADED OUR RESOURCES OVER 3,900 TIMES.
  4. $398,003 spent. TRIBAL GOVERNANCE SUPPORT: WORKING SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH TRIBES THAT HAVE IDENTIFIED SPECIFIC NEEDS OR ISSUES, NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER HELPS CREATE AND IMPLEMENT GOVERNANCE SOLUTIONS THROUGH TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND CONSULTING SERVICES. WE LISTEN TO NATIVE NATIONS' NEEDS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH A VARIETY OF INDIGENIZED TOOLS AND EXPERTISE FOR DEVELOPING STRONG GOVERNANCE SYSTEMS IN SUPPORT OF THEIR SOVEREIGNTY. IN 2024, WE PRESENTED TO SEVERAL TRIBAL COUNCILS ABOUT NATION REBUILDING AND PROVIDED OUR INDIGENOUS LEADERS IN GOVERNANCE PROGRAM TO 21 TRIBAL LEADERS AND STAFF FROM 1 NATIVE NATION. WE ALSO HOSTED OUR FIRST TWO-DAY INDIGENOUS LEADERS IN GOVERNANCE FOR ELECTED LEADERS WORKSHOP FOR 7 ELECTED LEADERS FROM 5 NATIVE NATIONS. WE PROVIDED OUR TRIBAL CIVICS PROGRAM TO 5 GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY LEADERS FROM 1 NATIVE NATION AND CONVENED 10 TRIBAL CIVICS PROJECT ALUMNI AT OUR ANNUAL CROSS-COHORT GATHERING. WE MODERATED 6 CANDIDATE FORUMS FOR 2 NATIVE NATIONS. WE ALSO CONDUCTED 2 LISTENING SESSIONS AT COMMUNITY EVENTS.

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

  1. 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 October 13, 2026.

  2. 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 October 13, 2026.

  3. 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 October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since April 2016.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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 21, 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.