ABOUT  RAI-
Rural America Initiatives is a nonprofit, tax exempt, social services agency which targets low income Native American families in Rapid City, SD. Rural America Initiatives is governed by a seven member, all Native Board of Directors.  RAI currently operates four projects that serve 500 Native American families with total annual budgets of $3.2m.  RAI has 100 full time staff; ninety percent are Native American.

PURPOSES AND GOALS
1. To function as an organization that improves health, economic, human, and educational resources to urban and reservation Native people.
2. To promote, develop and manage affordable housing to enhance the quality of life for the Native family.
3. To provide technical assistance and use collaborative methods with reservation and rural communities to increase health education, and human resources for the residents.
4.  To establish and maintain networks and coalitions of reservation and rural organizations to increase health, educational, and human resources for their population.
5. To promote addiction free and co-dependency free lifestyles.       

HO HECETUYELO! MITAKUYE OYASIN!

BOARD MEMBERS

Carol Marshall-Coon, Chairperson,Crow Creek Sioux Tribe 
Monica Schmidt, Vice Chair, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Sharon No Heart, Treasurer, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe                              
Jackie Arpan, Secretary, Oglala Sioux Tribe
Denise Murphy, Member, Three Affiliated Tribes of ND
Brett Lee Shelton, Member, Oglala Sioux Tribe                         
Paulette Cuny, Member, Oglala Sioux Tribe