Minnesota · Nonprofit
North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems
North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (Minnesota) receives grants from 50 organizations whose IRS filings report $10,699,160 to it, the largest being FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND ($3,412,800). 24 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2024
- $6.3M
- Funders on record
- 50
- Grants received
- $11M
- Net assets
- $7.1M
What North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems does
Mission
To promote Indigenous foodways education and facilitate Indigenous food access.
As stated on its FY2024 Form 990.
Programs
On its FY2023 return the organization reported starting a significant new program.
The organization acquired a 100 percent ownership interest in Ghost Dancer, LLC, which owns and operates Owanmi and Tatanka Truck, an Indigenous restaurant and food truck. The acquisition represents a deeply intentional and mission-aligned decision that strengthens NATIFS's core work advancing Indigenous food sovereignty. When NATIFS was first founded, our tax-exemption application explicitly included the operation of a nonprofit restaurant as part of our long-term vision. Owamni has become a nationally recognized model of what an Indigenous restaurant can be: free from colonial ingredients such as wheat flour, cane sugar, and dairy, and built entirely around the principles of decolonized, health-supportive, regionally rooted food systems. Bringing Owamni and the Tatanka Truck under NATIFS's ownership will significantly expand our nonprofit impact through job creation and workforce development for the native community, procurement equity for Indigenous producers, cultural education and awareness, proof of concept for Indigenous food enterprises, and health and healing through food. The acquisition deepens our commitment to a more just, Indigenous-led food future, and allows NATIFS to expand its programming with integrity, reach and sustainability. The acquisition is a mission-forward integration to strengthen our nonprofit values and strategically position us to uplift Indigenous communities through employment, education and economic empowerment. It deepens our commitment to…
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 2).
Indigenous Food AccessThe Indigenous Food Access program at North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) has made significant progress in enhancing access to healthy Indigenous foods and building capacity for Tribal kitchens over the past year. 1. Capacity Building for Tribal Kitchens: The program successfully provided technical assistance and resources to 10 Tribal kitchens, analyzing their capacity to improve their operations and expand their offerings. This included training on food safety, menu planning, and sourcing local Indigenous ingredients, as well as comprehensive lists of equipment needed to prepare these foods and links to purchase this equipment. The objective of this initiative is to strengthen the capacity of Tribal kitchens to provide nutritious meals that reflect Indigenous culinary traditions, ultimately promoting food sovereignty within their communities. 2. Community Events and Food Distribution: Over the past year, the program organized 15 community events focused on food access, including harvest festivals and cooking demonstrations. These events attracted around 600 participants, fostering community engagement and awareness of Indigenous food…
$2,235,590 spentof which $51,003 as grants$418,069 earned by the program84% of program spendingEducation TeamThe Education team at North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) has made significant strides in promoting Indigenous foodways education and cultural preservation over the past year. 1. Curriculum Development: The team successfully developed and implemented 15 culturally relevant lesson plans focused on Indigenous food systems, traditional knowledge, and sustainable practices. These materials were created in collaboration with Indigenous knowledge bearers and are now available for public use on our website. The objective of this initiative is to enhance educational resources for Indigenous youth and educators, fostering a deeper understanding of Indigenous foodways. 2. Workshops and Training Sessions: Over the past year, the Education team organized over 20 workshops and training sessions, reaching more than 250 participants, including Indigenous youth, community members, and educators. These sessions provided hands-on learning experiences in traditional food preparation, foraging, and cooking techniques. Notably, the team hosted a successful series of workshops, which resulted in a 30% increase in participant engagement compared to the previous…
$338,898 spent$47,395 earned by the program13% of program spendingExpansion of the Indigenous Food LabThe expansion of the Indigenous Food Lab (IFL) in Minneapolis and the establishment of new locations in Montana have yielded significant accomplishments in promoting Indigenous culinary traditions and enhancing food access within Native communities. 1. Objective and Long-Term Goals: The primary objective of expanding the IFL is to enhance access to Indigenous culinary education and resources, empowering individuals to reclaim their food heritage. In the short term, the goal is to provide training and support to at least 500 individuals annually, equipping them with the skills needed to prepare traditional Indigenous foods. The long-term goal is to establish a sustainable network of Indigenous Food Labs across multiple locations, including Montana, that serve as hubs for culinary training, cultural education, and community engagement. This initiative aims to promote food sovereignty and improve overall health and well-being within Native communities. 2. Estimated Impact: While exact figures may vary, it is estimated that the expansion of the IFL will result in a 40% increase in the number of individuals trained in Indigenous culinary practices…
$75,000 spentof which $26,678 as grants$267,701 earned by the program3% of program spending
The 3 programs described on its FY2023 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $2,649,488.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2018, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2018, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2023 to 2024, from $3.7M to $8.5M (+130%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2021 35% · 2024 17%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
100% of North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems’s revenue is contributions — more reliant on donations than three-quarters of its peers (94% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 1 of the last 7 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Sean Sherman
President/Executive Director
Board chair
Heather Leach
Board Chair
As listed on its FY2024 Form 990.
The chief executive listed changed between the FY2022 and FY2023, and between the FY2023 and FY2024 filings.
Who funds it, year by year
2018 → 2023: the base broadened from 5 funders to 21 funders, grant income rose $124k → $664k.
13 of 50 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 46% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems’s funders (the co-funder graph). Top 30 of 50 funders by total. Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems leans on a few funders — its largest provides 32% of grant income and the top three 66%; half comes from just 2 funders.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 2 funders to its left
49% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2018 40% · 2019 67% · 2020 67% · 2021 19% · 2022 82% · 2023 27% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
35% of North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 48% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
55% of North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems's grant income comes from Minnesota funders.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $4.9M arriving through sponsors registered in 8 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems runs a healthier operating margin than three-quarters of the 1,131 food & nutrition nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 1,131 food & nutrition nonprofits $1M–$10M, FY2024
Organizations like North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Minnesota
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
68% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
76%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Part of a family of 1 related entity
- Ghost Dancer LLC · corp_trust
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems?
- North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (Minnesota) receives grants from 50 organizations whose IRS filings report $10,699,160 to it, the largest being FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND ($3,412,800). 24 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems have?
- IRS filings report 50 organizations giving $10,699,160 in grants to North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems, 24 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems?
- FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND is the largest funder on record, with $3,412,800 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Minnesota. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2024 (financials across 2018–2024), and the filings of 50 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 22, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing