Applications are now being accepted for the Native American Agriculture Fund.
Donor Name: Native American Agriculture Fund
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/01/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) is a private, charitable trust serving Native farmers and ranchers through strategic grantmaking in the areas of business assistance, agricultural education, technical support and advocacy services. NAAF was created from the historic Keepseagle v. Vilsack litigation settlement.
Funding Information
A total of $10,000,000 is being made available for 2025 funding.
- For 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organizations
- General Focus: Business Assistance, Agricultural Education, Technical Support and/or Advocacy Services
- Special Focus: Infrastructure and Climate Resilience
- Available Pool: $1,000,000
- Minimum Request Per Focus: $100,000
- Maximum Request Per Focus: $250,000
- For Educational Organizations
- General Focus: Business Assistance, Agricultural Education, Technical Support and/or Advocacy Services
- Special Focus: Infrastructure and Climate Resilience
- Available Pool: $500,000
- Minimum Request Per Focus: $75,000
- Maximum Request Per Focus: $150,000
- For CDFIs
- General Focus: Loan Capital, Re-granting Capital & Technical Assistance/Business Assistance
- Special Focus: Infrastructure and Climate Resilience
- Available Pool: $5,500,000
- Minimum Request Per Focus: N/A
- Maximum Request Per Focus: N/A; applicants may not request the full available pool
- For Tribal Governments and Instrumentalities
- General Focus: Business Assistance, Agricultural Education, Technical Support and/or Advocacy Services
- Special Focus: Infrastructure and Climate Resilience
- Available Pool: $1,000,000
- Minimum Request Per Focus: $100,000
- Maximum Request Per Focus: $250,000.
Grant Period
Funds may be used for projects that are either 12 or 24 months in duration.
Uses of funds
Funds may be used for project support, general organizational support, scholarships, re-grants, lending programs or capital expenditures.
Eligibility Criteria
As required by the Trust Agreement, eligible applicants include:
- Nonprofit organizations with IRS Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, or if such status has not yet been achieved, such organizations may apply for funding through a Fiscal Sponsor that has received such 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status;
- Educational organizations described in Section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii) of the Internal Revenue Code; Tribally controlled or Bureau operated schools, as well as schools operated by an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, align with the language in Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code, qualifying them as eligible educational institutions for the Native American Agriculture Funds (NAAF) grant. This eligibility stems from their adherence to the definition outlined in Section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii).
- As per this section, educational organizations are primarily engaged in formal instruction, maintain regular faculty and curriculum, and have a consistently enrolled body of students attending their educational activities. Tribally controlled or Bureau operated schools, granted under the Tribally Controlled Schools Act or deemed eligible by section 5205, fall within this category. Similarly, schools operated by Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations that enroll K-12 students, including pre-school, also meet these eligibility criteria. By fulfilling these requirements, both types of tribal schools align with the definition provided in the Internal Revenue Code, making them eligible for the NAAF grant as recognized educational institutions.
- Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), including Certified Native CDFIs and Emerging Native CDFIs, provided however that such CDFI is a taxexempt organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and
- An instrumentality of a state or federally recognized Tribe, including a non-profit organization chartered under the Tribal law of a state or federally recognized Tribe, that furnishes assistance designed to further Native American farming or ranching activities, provided, however, that 1) the use of any grant funds by such grant recipient shall be restricted exclusively to charitable and educational purposes; 2) the grant recipient shall annually provide NAAF with audited financial statements and reports as required by NAAF; 3) if the grant recipient is a governmental entity, it shall agree to a limited waiver of sovereign immunity with respect to NAAF’s right to enforce the terms of the grant (i.e., the amount of funding awarded); and 4) if the grant recipient agrees to comply with all expenditure responsibility requirements designed by NAAF.
For more information, visit NAAF.
