About One Fire

One Fire Background

One Fire Development Corporation was incorporated in Oklahoma in 2002 with a start-up grant from First Nations Development Institute. Kyle Smith and Wilma Mankiller created the non-profit organization to provide technical assistance in advancing community and economic development within Indian Country.

The seeds of One Fire were planted in a developmental venture for the Cherokee Nation in 1999. Funded by the Ford Foundation and First Nations Development Institute, the two-year project, Refocusing the Cherokee Nation – A Single Fire, was created to transform the tribal service organization. The project focused on rebuilding and redirecting the system of governance, service delivery, and administration by integrating leading management practices with Cherokee culture and values.

Organizational Information

One Fire Development Corporation (“One Fire”) is an innovative organization that has provided technical assistance and support to a wide-range of Native American social and economic development projects since 2003. The One Fire team is composed of a highly skilled group of professionals and subject matter experts with extensive experience in leadership, community development, management, and economic development.