SISSETON, S.D. — GROW South Dakota has been awarded a $2,315,000 grant from the Bush
Foundation to develop an innovative model of addressing the capital needs for housing and economic
development through a cross-sector partnership with NeighborWorks Dakota Coalition. The work will
increase investment in rural and Native communities across South Dakota and North Dakota.

“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 is a partnership formed in 2022 to amplify the needs and
opportunities of rural and Native communities. Coalition members include: GROW South Dakota
(Sisseton, South Dakota); Neighborhood Lending Services (Deadwood, South Dakota);
CommunityWorks North Dakota (Mandan, North Dakota); and Lakota Funds (Kyle, South Dakota).
Together, these organizations bring decades of experience in affordable housing, community
development, small business lending, financial education, and economic opportunity. Their deep
community relationships and shared commitment to advancing the Coalition creates solutions that
address long-standing barriers to investment in rural and Native communities.

“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.”