Four Bands Community Fund is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) based in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, serving multiple Sioux tribes, including Crow Creek, Flandreau Santee, Lower Brule, Oglala, Rosebud, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Standing Rock, and Yankton Sioux tribes. Four Bands focuses on providing access to affordable capital and business support to Native American entrepreneurs, farmers, and ranchers who often face barriers to traditional financing. This organization aims to counter systemic economic inequalities by fostering local entrepreneurship and community development.
The organization offers a range of loan products and customized assistance designed to support Native farmers and ranchers, providing them with more accessible, patient capital compared to mainstream financial institutions. Since 2018, Four Bands has increased its deployment of agricultural loans, and in 2021 it became one of the few Native CDFIs certified as a lender in the USDA’s Farm Service Agency Guaranteed Farm Loan Program. Currently, agricultural loans represent about 25% of Four Bands’ overall lending portfolio, with a total of $5.5 million allocated.
Four Bands has a long history of forming coalitions and partnerships to enhance its impact, such as leading the Mountain | Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition to address persistent poverty and financial inequities in Native communities. The organization also provides workshops, technical assistance, and training for both Native agricultural producers and lending institutions, helping to build financial capability and expand economic opportunities.
The proposed Targeted CDFI project will deploy $999,999 in loan capital to Native farmers and ranchers, deliver 100 hours of business coaching, and provide ongoing monitoring to ensure loan performance. Through these efforts, Four Bands aims to empower Native producers, enhance their access to capital, and foster sustainable economic growth within their communities.
