Lakota Funds — Native Business & Ag Loans
Lakota Funds
Up to $2,000,000
Researched for this program: 4 rejection traps · 5 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
The original Native CDFI
Lakota Funds, established in 1986, was the first Native American Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in the United States and continues to place capital with new and growing businesses on and around the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations in South Dakota. Over its history it has supported the creation or expansion of more than 1,300 Native-owned businesses and deployed over $39 million in business loans. Its products include Credit Builder Loans (up to $2,500), Art Builder Microloans for artists (up to $1,000), Business Loans up to $2,000,000, Business Lines of Credit (1-year, for operating expenses), and Agriculture loans with competitive rates starting around 6% APR; non-ag rates generally run 8-15%. Borrowers must be enrolled members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe (or a spouse/partner of one, or an enrolled member of another federally recognized tribe) and must reside and base their business on the Pine Ridge Reservation or within 25 miles of its exterior boundaries. A mandatory multi-week business training course is typically required before a loan is issued.
- Funding type
- Loan
- Level
- Private
- Amount range
- $500 – $2,000,000
- Realistic amount
- Most borrowers — especially first-time and developing entrepreneurs — take small business or microloans well under six figures; the $2M ceiling is reached only by larger, established operations.
- Deadline
- Rolling — applications accepted year-round; loan issuance follows completion of required business training.
- Status
- active
- States
- South Dakota
- Payment model
- loan
Who qualifies
- Enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, OR spouse/partner of an enrolled member, OR enrolled member of another federally recognized tribe
- Must reside and base the business on the Pine Ridge Reservation or within 25 miles of its exterior boundaries (as recognized by the Oglala Sioux Tribe)
- Typically must complete a mandatory multi-week business training course before a loan is issued
- Business or agricultural operation in any sector consistent with the product applied for
- Adequate repayment plan and any required collateral
Hard requirements
- Reserved for minority owned businesses
- Must be in a rural area
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Start-up and working capital
- Equipment and inventory
- Real estate and facilities
- Operating expenses (Business Line of Credit)
- Agricultural operating and asset costs
- Artist materials and supplies (Art Builder Microloan)
Ineligible expenses
- Personal expenses unrelated to the business
- Businesses based outside the Pine Ridge / 25-mile service area
- Speculative or non-business purposes
How to apply
-
1
Confirm eligibility and contact Lakota Funds
Verify tribal-membership and geographic eligibility (Pine Ridge / within 25 miles) and contact Lakota Funds ((605) 455-2500) to identify the right loan product.
~2 hrs
-
2
Complete required business training
Attend the mandatory multi-week business training course (reported ~10 weeks). Completion is required for loan consideration but does not guarantee approval.
~25 hrs
-
3
Submit loan application and business plan
Provide the application, business plan, financials, and any collateral documentation for the chosen product.
~6 hrs
-
4
Underwriting, approval, and disbursement
Lakota Funds underwrites the request and, on approval, closes and disburses per the loan agreement.
~3 hrs
Treat the mandatory training as your edge, not a hurdle — Lakota Funds built the first Native CDFI model around bringing developing entrepreneurs to a fundable position, and the business plan you build in the course is what underwriting reviews. If you have an agricultural angle, the ag loans start near 6% APR versus 8-15% for general business loans.
Deadline & timing
No application cycle. A mandatory multi-week business training course is typically required before a loan is issued (reported as a roughly 10-week course), which extends the timeline for first-time borrowers; completing training does not guarantee a loan.
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