2025 was a success because of you
In one of the most challenging years to date, your support powered real, measurable impact. In 2025, Tanka Fund provided $1.1 million in technical services and programs to 22 active ranchers and helped return 220 Buffalo to Native caretakers across more than 55,000 acres in eight states. Infrastructure was built, herds were established, and families strengthened their role as caretakers. The work is far from finished, and together we can ensure the next 220 Buffalo find their way home.
Five Key Points
$1.1 million invested in technical services and programs for 22 active ranchers.
220 Buffalo returned to Native caretakers across 55,000+ acres in eight states.
Infrastructure and herds established to support long-term growth and stability.
Generational impact strengthened, supporting families feeding their communities in healthier ways.
Momentum continues, with more ranchers and land ready for expansion in the year ahead.
Read longer story below.
If you have ever questioned your impact, let us be clear. The success Tanka Fund experienced in 2025, one of the most challenging years to date, happened because of you.
Despite obstacles beyond our control, we alongside your support provided 22 active ranchers with $1.1 million in technical services and programs. We returned 220 Buffalo to their rightful place with Native caretakers across more than 55,000 acres in eight states.
That is no small feat. It only happens when people decide that returning Buffalo to the land, lives, and economies of Native people is a mission worth standing behind.
Because of you, rancher partners purchased and built essential infrastructure, obtained Buffalo, and secured the tools needed to sustain and grow their herds. They continue to share what being a caretaker means: work they intend to pass down for generations, the ability to feed their communities in healthier ways, and the opportunity to experience this keystone species as relatives, not as spectacle or confinement.
We are still early in this year, and already your continued support has opened doors for new ranchers. Your shares, your conversations, and your advocacy matter. They show others what is possible.
2025 proved that collective effort can move what feels immovable. It proved that when we act together, Buffalo return home.
But the work is far from finished.
There are more ranchers ready to step forward. More land prepared to welcome herds. More families committed to becoming caretakers. The demand for support continues to grow, and together we can meet it.
As part of our community, you understand that this work requires long-term commitment. If you are able, we invite you to make your gift for 2026 today.
Your support directly fuels professional services, herd expansion, infrastructure development, and the long-term stability of Native-led Buffalo economies. It keeps this work moving forward and ensures that the next 220 Buffalo find their way home.
Wopila Tanka for walking with us in this work.
