For far too long, Native nations have been forced to navigate systems that were never designed for them. Federal programs promised to right historical wrongs, but as those lifelines disappear, one man is stepping in to ensure tribal communities still have a shot at shaping their future on their terms.
That man is Jeremy Zahn—an enrolled member of the Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe, descended from both the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the Choctaw Nation. From his base in Dallas, Texas, Zahn is leading a quiet revolution in Indigenous funding access through his firm, Tribal Grant Writing.
To some, grant writing sounds like paperwork. To the Native communities Zahn serves, it’s survival. “When we talk about grants, we’re not just talking about money,” Zahn says. “We’re talking about whether a child grows up in their culture, whether an Elder has heat in the winter, whether our languages live or die.”
Since launching Tribal Grant Writing, Zahn has partnered with more than 50 tribal governments, urban Indian centers, and Native-led nonprofits nationwide. His projects range from bringing electricity to a California reservation for the first time, to building a homeless shelter rooted in Native cultural care.
The stakes are high. With billions in tribal-serving programs at risk, every successful application could mean the difference between survival and decline. Zahn has helped Native communities secure more than $130 million in competitive grants from agencies like SAMHSA, FEMA, IHS, DARPA, and the DOJ. His sliding-scale and subscription-based services remove cost as a barrier, opening the door for underserved tribes to compete in a funding landscape that is as complex as it is competitive.
Zahn’s mission is clear: translate the language of bureaucracy into a tool for nation-building. “We’re at a crossroads,” he says. “It’s not about chasing dollars—it’s about building systems that endure, that reflect who we are and keep our communities whole.”
For many tribes, those systems are the final thread holding possibility together. And with Jeremy Zahn’s help, that thread just might be strong enough to weave a future worthy of the generations to come.
Learn more at www.tribalgrantwriting.com
Retired U.S. Army Combat Veteran | NAHJ Member | Writer | Cultural Advocate
I’m Daniel Crespo-Montero Sr., although many know me as El Indio Gordo. I’m the Managing Editor of OMG Magazine, a retired U.S. Army combat veteran, a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), and a writer with a passion for culture, community, and storytelling.
My journey hasn’t exactly followed a traditional path, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I spent more than three decades in the U.S. Army, working in military law enforcement, paralegal services, and human resources. I also hold a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Spanish and an Associate degree in Small Business Entrepreneurship. Those experiences have shaped how I understand people, leadership, and the world around me.
As a proud Boricua with Indigenous Taíno roots, cultural preservation is especially important to me. Within the Higuayagua Taíno community, I’ve served in several leadership roles and currently serve as Pennsylvania’s Regional Kasike and Bahari for Atunwa.
My community involvement has also included serving as a New York City Ambassador for the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce. I’m also a former Boy Scout and proud Scout dad.
As Managing Editor, I enjoy exploring entertainment, lifestyle, food and beverages, travel, business, and culture. I believe journalism should inform, entertain, challenge perspectives, and give a voice to stories that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Beyond the magazine, I’m a father, grandfather, cultural advocate, and independent writer who enjoys sharing observations, experiences, and occasionally a little humor.
I certainly don’t know everything, but I’m always willing to learn something new. And if something catches my attention, chances are I’ll have a few words to share about it.
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