National Congress of American Indians

“1. Tribal membership any tribe, band or identifiable group of american indians, eskimos, and aleuts shall be eligible for tribal membership provided it shall fulfill all of the following requirements: a. A substantial number of its members reside upon the same reservation, or (in the absence of a reservation) in the same general locality; b. It maintains a tribal organization, with regular officers and the means of transacting business and arriving at a reasonably accurate count of its membership; c. It is not a mere offshoot or fraction of an organized tribe itself eligible for membership; and, d. It is recognized as a tribe, or other identifiable group of american indians by the department of the interior, court of claims, the indian claims commission, or a state. An indian or alaska native organization incorporated/chartered under state law is not eligible for tribal membership. 2. Indian individual membership any person of indian and/or alaska native ancestry in the united states or a native of alaska is eligible for individual membership. For the purpose recognized as a member by an indian tribe, or band, or combination of tribes and bands recognized by the u.s. Department of the interior, the indian claims commission, court of claims, or a state. 3. Individual associate membership non-indian applicants may be admitted to non-voting associate membership upon the payment of annual dues as fixed by the by-laws. 4. Organization associated membership organizations may be admitted to non-voting associate membership upon the payment of annual dues as fixed by the by-laws. No individual or organization with known subversive activities or affiliation shall be admitted to membership, nor shall their contributions be accepted.”

“The members meeting in general assembly may elect officers and determine their duties.”

“The members in general assembly shall without limitation carry out the purpose and mission of national congress of american indians (ncai), determine membership, adopt and amend any and all policies of ncai, authorize the obligation of ncai assets and resources, support or oppose public policy as it pertains to or impacts american indians and alaska natives, determine the time and location of the annual convention and constitute committees for such purposes as it deems necessary.”

“The form 990 is reviewed by the executive director/ceo, general counsel and the administrative board before being filed with the irs. A complete copy of the return is distributed to the entire board prior to filing.”

“All board members and staff are required to fill out an annual disclosure form. The organization is currently developing procedures for enforcing the policy.”

“Executive director/ceo pay is determined by the board of directors. The four executive officers of the board of directors consider factors in determining the executive director's/ceo's salary. They compare the salary to other national native organizations; look at the time period since the last raise; and include annual cost of living adjustments. Based on results, they set the executive director's/ceo's salary and put it before the full board for a vote of approval. The process for reviewing compensation of the executive director was last undertaken in 2015. Officer salaries are based on negotiations between the employee and the executive director/ceo. The salary is based on prior professional experience, organization needs, and market rates. The process for reviewing compensation of the officers was last undertaken in 2015.”

“Items such as financial statements, governing documents, and conflict of interest policies are not all made readily available to the public. Financial statements can be requested and will be provided from a member of the finance team. A conflict of interest policy can be obtained by contact our human resources department. Lastly, our governing document, the ncai by-laws, are made public through our website. They can be searched by section on our website or can be downloaded as a complete copy.”

“These documents are typically not made available to the public, but are available upon request.”

“The audited 2024 financial statements have yet to be issued as of the filing of the 2024 form 990. This form 990 has been prepared using the best estimates available at the time, and if the final audited financial statements contain material differences appropriate action will be taken.”