About Four Bands

Four Bands Community Fund is a nonprofit organization that was started in 2000 as part of a community and economic development movement on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. As a community loan fund (technically known as a community development financial institution, or CDFI) our original objective was to capitalize Native American-owned businesses on the Reservation.

When we began our work, less than 1% of all businesses on the Reservation were owned by Native Americans. However, 75% of the Reservation’s population is comprised of Native Americans. Since then, we have helped hundreds of Native American entrepreneurs start or expand a business. We began by making $500 loans, and today we have dispersed over $10 million in loans.

Creating Community Impact

Through the implementation of our strategic model, Four Bands has seen a transformation in the economic landscape on Cheyenne River and beyond. The following achievements are evidence of this transformation. Since inception in 2000 through 2024 year-end, Four Bands has:

• Provided 13,372 customers with technical assistance.
• Supported hundreds of individuals in various stages of business development through the deployment of 2,184 loans totaling $53,138,027.
• Approved 978 credit builder loans so that recipients could achieve an average credit score increase of 63 points within one year.
• Created or retained 1,306 jobs.
• Graduated 613 individuals from our business training course.
• Increased financial capability of 1,059 individuals through training and coaching.