Mission & Purpose

Creating Economic Opportunity on Cheyenne River and Beyond

Established in 2000, Four Bands Community Fund is a nonprofit organization that has emerged as a leader in the Native American community and economic development movement. We are a leading organization on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation as well as in the state of South Dakota in the areas of small business development, business lending, financial literacy, and youth entrepreneurship. Our programs and services translate the traditional Lakota values of self-sufficiency, wise resource management, and a spirit of entrepreneurship into practical applications for today’s modern economy.

OUR PURPOSE  We create opportunity for Native American individuals, families, businesses, communities, and tribal nations who are taking the initiative to advance beyond systemic economic inequalities.

OUR MISSION  We shift paradigms and innovate equitable systems to create opportunities for people in the areas of small business, homeownership, and financial security.

OUR VISION  Four Bands envisions thriving Native American communities built on the cornerstones of cultural values, sustainable systems, equitable platforms, and economic opportunities.

Our Guiding Principles

INTEGRITY  We have the courage to always have an honest and upright character and hold ourselves and others accountable to these standards.

RESPECT  Without attempting to change or manipulate, we recognize that each individual exists in their own space in their own way. We have a genuine concern for the happiness and well-being of others. We meet our clients where they are and embrace different perspectives, experiences, knowledge, and aptitudes to leverage the power of diversity.

EMPOWERMENT  We inspire every person we work with to create their own best life. We attract, motivate, and encourage as many people as possible to increase the proportion of individuals who embrace their ability to catalyze change.

EQUITY  In order for people to create the change they desire in their lives, resources must be equally available to everyone. We practice a philosophy of mutual benefit and demonstrate to people of all backgrounds that this philosophy will improve lives.

INNOVATION  We forge our own paths and create our own solutions to shift paradigms that have been institutionalized by broken systems. We are lifelong learners, constantly striving to develop skills and create value to help people realize their potential and achieve fulfillment.

Our History

Our History

2000

Four Bands Established

Four Bands Community Fund incorporated. Established first office at Tribal Planning Office. Launched CREATE (Cheyenne River Entrepreneurial Assistance Training and Education) class.

2001

First Employee Hired

Hired first full-time employee. Received first operating support from USDA and FNDI. Also received funding from the CDFI Fund’s Small and Emerging CDFI Assistance (SECA) program prior to the Native American CDFI Assistance (NACA) program being formed.

2002

Began Deploying Loan Capital

Approved first micro-loan and received certification from the CDFI Fund.

2003

Loan Portfolio Doubled Year Over Year

Hired additional staff. Opened Made on the Rez Mercantile. Loan portfolio reaches $36,693.

2004

Began Serving Youth

Expanded scope of work to include youth programs in order to invest in the future of the Reservation.

2005

Launched Matched Savings Program

Established the Individual Development Account (IDA) Program to encourage saving and a pattern of asset building. This program ran for over a decade.

2006

Partnered to Promote Tourism

Launched NativeDiscovery.org to promote untapped culturally-based tourism economy on the Cheyenne River, Rosebud, and Pine Ridge Reservations, marking an unprecedented partnership with state tourism department. Established Four Bands as a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site.

2007

Launched Credit Builder Program

Created the credit builder loan product to help build credit histories. Hosted 1st Annual Entrepreneurship Fair. Started youth internship program.

2008

Reached $1M in Lending

Launched the Making Waves Program on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation along with the Make Money Matter and Shop Cheyenne River campaigns. Reached the $1 million mark in lending. Started Cheyenne River Chamber of Commerce.

2009

Established Partnership with Reservation Schools

Making Waves expanded to serve all five schools located on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

2010

10 Year Anniversary

Four Bands celebrated 10 years of serving the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Reached fundraising goal of $2,000,010 by 2010. Began fiscally sponsoring the South Dakota Indian Business Alliance (SDIBA), which would last for 7 years.

2011

Formalized Impact Tracking

Increased revenue by 60%. Adopted impact measurement procedure to operationalize our mission statement and increase our target market accountability. Organized the Native CDFI Network and fiscally sponsored the fledgling entity for 4 years.

2012

Expanded Offices

Continued impact measurement by participating in Scale Academy of the Aspen Institute and Microtest. Expanded offices and added the training center. Started Green Cheyenne River initiative, which led to equity bundle creation.

2013

Began Serving All South Dakota

Expanded target market to include entire state of South Dakota. Named as Bush Prize winner, receiving first investment into our general operating support. 1st Annual ART in the Park event. Participated in mobilization of South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition.

2014

Loan Portfolio Doubled

Portfolio doubled as we began serving the whole state. Delivered Working with Traditions (workforce development curriculum) trainings across the state.

2015

Established Culture of Repayment

Established culture of repayment. Completed CREATE evaluation. Began advocating for USDA 502 relending pilot to enter homeownership space.

2016

Expanded Youth Programming

Hired additional staff to focus on youth programming. Last year of Tribal Ventures funding for asset development. Honored by National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) with Small Business Empowerment Award.

2017

Launched Home Renovation Loan

Launched home renovation product. Began fundraising for incubator and hired architect to draft plans. Hosted One Hope youth conference. Received 3-year grant from ANA to integrate financial empowerment. Began delivering construction internship program in partnership with South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition.

2018

Deployed First Mortgage Loan

Began construction on incubator facility. Implemented new coaching model for credit builder program. Invested in youth businesses. Formalized and launched ag lending product on Cheyenne River. Chosen as one of two Native CDFIs to participate in nationwide USDA 502 mortgage relending pilot. Deployed first mortgage loan.

2019

Completed New Incubator Facility

Completed incubator construction with space for six new businesses and Four Bands’ new headquarters. Hired staff to elevate new mortgage product and completed first full year of mortgage lending with 12 home loans deployed totaling over $855K.

2020

Pivoted Operations for COVID-19 Response

COVID-19 pandemic hits. Developed response plan and pivoted operations to connect consumers, homeowners, and small businesses to nearly $500K in various resources. Dedicated $200K of earned revenue to loan modifications. Helped mobilize Mountain | Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition.

2021

First Incubator Graduate

Partnered with Pashko to launch Oyate Studio, a workforce development program for Native artisans. Kelsie Kay’s Coffee Depot became first incubator graduate. Hired three new staff as two long-time staff retired after 20-plus years.

2022

Awarded $45M with Mountain | Plains Coalition

Mountain | Plains Coalition received $45M Build Back Better Award from Economic Development Administration, largest single investment into Native CDFI industry at the time. Became partner in Good Relatives Collaborative with Bush Foundation. Purchased 4.6 acres adjacent to headquarters for future development.

2023

Record Lending Activity – $10M Deployed

Reached record annual lending activity with nearly $10M deployed. Hired staff to manage regional revolving loan fund, part of $45M Build Back Better award. Launched Peer2Peer loan product. Conducted reservation-wide thriving wage study.

2024

Closed 100th Home Mortgage

Closed 100th home mortgage. Received Yield Giving award. Portfolio size reached over $25M. Sunsetted VITA program after 18 years.

2025

Silver Anniversary!

Celebrated 25 years of creating economic opportunity!