by Ana Hoffman
The Bethel Native Corporation (BNC) Board of Directors and Bethel Elkartaa Settlement Trust (BEST) Trustees approved a distribution equal to $3.12 per unit share to be payable to shareholder beneficiaries on December 8, 2022.
The 2022 BEST distribution has an aggregate value of over $605,000 and marks the thirty-fifth annual payment. Since 1987, over $14 million has been distributed.
The annual distribution amount is determined by the Board of Trustees and is based on a five-year average performance formula. All 2,000 shareholders of BNC are also beneficiaries of BEST. The average shareholder owns 100 unit shares and will receive a payment of approximately $312.00. Distributions made from BEST are non-taxable. These annual distributions have a significant impact on the local economy since the majority of the shareholders still reside in and around the Bethel area.
For nearly fifty years, Bethel Native Corporation has remained proudly headquartered in Bethel.
Ana Hoffman serves as the President/CEO. Elkartaa is a Yup’ik word meaning: to settle in place.
