I am excited to announce the final stage of The Aleut Foundation’s (TAF) transition to Aleut. As of this October, Aleut will assume TAF’s functions, matching how the majority of our Alaska Native regional counterparts manage their foundations. This allows us to streamline operations, align our services under one roof, and maximize the resources we provide to shareholders and descendants.
One of our priorities is to expand the services we offer, enabling us to better sustain and grow these programs in the long term. The previous structure of the Foundation limited its ability to fully address the needs of our community, and earlier this year Aleut absorbed the functions of burial assistance and internships. By integrating TAF, we resolve these challenges and can offer a broader range of programs.
Our commitment to education remains unchanged. Since TAF’s inception, Aleut has donated over $20 million to support Aleut’s education initiatives, and our focus on scholarships and other programs will continue. This evolution increases our ability to offer greater resources to our shareholders and descendants in the future.
What’s Next?
For students, there will be no immediate changes. All key programs currently managed by TAF will continue as planned. We are fully committed to ensuring that this transition is smooth and that there are no disruptions to the services you rely on. Communication channels such as TAF’s phone number, website, and email will remain available.
From a shareholder perspective, there will be minimal disruption. By bringing TAF’s functions into Aleut, we’re able to provide better access to our legal, financial, and operational resources, ensuring a smoother and more efficient experience for all shareholders and descendants.
This change will go into effect early October. This ensures the transition will be complete ahead of the next scholarship season and will allow us to prepare for summer internship opportunities. This timing will allow us to build upon the existing programs while making the necessary enhancements that will carry us into the future.
Our commitment to providing opportunities, resources, and assistance to shareholders and descendants remains at the forefront of everything we do. Additional updates will be shared via the Aleut and TAF websites and social media. If you have additional questions, please call Aleut at 907-561-4300.
This transition strengthens our shareholder services and allows us to deliver more comprehensive support to our shareholders and descendants, embracing the next generation of Unangax̂.
Qaĝaasakung,
Skoey Aachax̂ Vergen
President & CEO – Aleut
