BIE Foundation fills senior leadership team with three hires

The National Fund for Excellence in American Indian Education added three leaders to complete its senior team as it expands grantmaking to 183 Bureau of Indian Education schools across 23 states. The hires land as the foundation grows its support for Native students and broadens funding for language, literacy and school leadership programs.

Why it matters: - The National Fund is scaling up as a philanthropic partner to the Bureau of Indian Education’s 183 K-12 schools. - The foundation now reaches more than 40,000 Native American students across 23 states. - Stronger leadership capacity could help the organization expand grantmaking without losing focus on Native-centered priorities.

What happened: - The National Fund for Excellence in American Indian Education announced three hires that complete its senior leadership team. - Nicholas Courtney, a member of the Makah Tribe, joins as program director. - Nick Cunningham joins as chief financial officer. - Ashley Eden joins as chief of staff. - The announcement came Sept. 22, 2026, from Washington, D.C.

The details: - Courtney leads grantmaking and school partnership work. - Courtney brings more than a decade of experience in Tribal policy, education, federal programs and community development. - Courtney previously helped lead implementation of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. - Courtney also served as director of policy for the National Congress of American Indians. - Courtney has taught Tribal governance and Native politics at Cornell University and George Washington University. - Cunningham oversees financial operations, grant compliance and reporting, human resources, and administrative systems. - Cunningham was most recently chief financial officer at the National Policing Institute. - Cunningham has held senior finance and advisory roles for organizations funded by HHS, DOJ, USAID, AmeriCorps and private funders including Arnold Ventures and the Gates Foundation. - Cunningham is a licensed CPA in South Carolina and North Carolina. - Cunningham holds the CITP, ChFC, PMP and ACNP designations. - Eden leads policy and government relations, communications, and development and fundraising. - Eden was previously vice president of policy and advocacy at Orijin. - Eden also held senior leadership roles at New Meridian Corporation and the New Mexico Public Education Department. - At the New Mexico Public Education Department, Eden helped lead development of the state’s Every Student Succeeds Act plan. - Earlier in her career, Eden worked in the U.S. Senate, including on the Senate HELP Committee. - The National Fund said since its first grants in 2025, it has expanded both the scale of its investments and the range of priorities it supports. - Supported priorities now include Native language immersion, literacy leadership and principal coaching.

Between the lines: - The leadership buildout suggests the foundation is shifting from startup mode toward a more durable operating structure. - The mix of Tribal policy, federal systems, school finance and government relations experience fits a group trying to move money while navigating education and public-sector bureaucracy. - Board and executive comments point to a focus on responsible growth rather than rapid expansion for its own sake.

What's next: - The National Fund is expected to use the new leadership team to broaden grantmaking and deepen support for BIE schools. - The foundation said it wants to be a long-term partner to BIE schools and keep students at the center of future decisions. - More information is available in the foundation’s announcement.

The bottom line: - The National Fund has finished building out its top team just as its grantmaking footprint is widening across Indian Country.