SISSETON, S.D. – GROW South Dakota has been awarded a $2,315,000 grant from the Bush Foundation to develop an innovative model for addressing capital needs in housing and economic development through a cross-sector partnership with the NeighborWorks Dakota Coalition.

The work is designed to increase flexible financing and long-term investment across South Dakota and North Dakota, benefiting rural areas, Native communities, and regional centers such as Rapid City.

“Through our Community Innovation program, we look for ideas to develop, test and spread, and the work of GROW South Dakota is a great example,” said Rebecca Cruse, grantmaking officer at the Bush Foundation. “They are working with partners to build a model that can provide more flexible financing options to grow housing and small business development in rural and Native communities across South Dakota and North Dakota.”

The NeighborWorks Dakota Coalition was established in 2022 to amplify needs and economic opportunities across the region. Coalition members bring decades of combined experience in affordable housing, small business lending, financial education, and community development.

Participating organizations include GROW South Dakota in Sisseton; Neighborhood Lending Services in Deadwood, which serves western South Dakota near Rapid City; CommunityWorks North Dakota in Mandan; and Lakota Funds in Kyle.

“This investment represents an exciting opportunity to rethink how we collaborate to better serve rural and Native communities,” said Marcia Erickson, CEO of GROW South Dakota. “By bringing together various internal and external partners, we’re creating new pathways for investment that can strengthen local economies, increase housing opportunities, and support entrepreneurs across our region. We are incredibly grateful to the Bush Foundation for this opportunity.”