News
From the field
May 18, 2026
Flexible capital helps Madison stay ready for what's next
In rural economic development, progress often depends on the right timing. A business is ready to expand. A property becomes available. A community need rises to the surface. A future opportunity starts to take shape before all the pieces are fully in place. For the Madison Area Development Corporation, formerly Lake Area Improvement Corporation, having access to flexible, long-term capital has helped make those moments possible.
Mar 10, 2026
The Leadership Myth That’s Holding Us Back
Volunteering is a big part of life for many people living in rural areas. A recent community survey by Dakota Resources and eight rural communities found that about 80% of people believe they need to get involved to help their community succeed. Volunteering can mean different things: donating money, helping neighbors, taking on leadership roles, or working on community projects. Across the country, the number of people who volunteer formally has been dropping for about 20 years.
Feb 10, 2026
A Day at the Capitol to Celebrate 30 Years of Rural Impact
On January 15, Dakota Resources marked a major milestone: 30 years of connecting capital and capacity to empower rural communities. The day brought together community leaders, team and board members, partners, and supporters in Pierre for conversations at the Capitol and an evening reception celebrating the people and partnerships that make rural progress possible.
Jan 13, 2026
Dakota Resources kicks off 30th anniversary year with public reception in Pierre on January 15
Dakota Resources will kick off its 30th anniversary celebration with a public reception on Thursday, January 15, 2026, inviting community members, partners, and supporters to join in recognizing three decades of investment in rural South Dakota communities. The 30th Anniversary Kickoff Reception will be held 4:30–6:00 p.m. CT at RedRossa Italian Grill – Hills Highland Ballroom in Pierre. A short program will begin at 5:00 p.m. and will include remarks and proclamation of January 15, 2026 as “Dakota Resources’ 30th Anniversary Day” from Governor Larry Rhoden and brief comments from Dakota Resources.
Dec 11, 2025
A Note from the President: Closing out 2025
Hey there, Rural Thrivers! This past year reaffirmed something we’ve believed at Dakota Resources from the beginning: rural communities don’t need “saving.” They need support that helps local leaders build skills, connect to resources, and turn good ideas into real projects. When that support shows up consistently, local people can do extraordinary things. And that’s exactly what you did in 2025. We’re connecting an ecosystem where rural leaders level up their skills, confidence, and impact—together—and then bring that momentum back to their hometowns. At the same time, the truth is 2025 also came with real challenges for CDFIs, like Dakota Resources, and for rural economic development in general. That’s why we stepped up our advocacy efforts significantly this year and helped local leaders to do the same.
Nov 12, 2025
Connections, Capacity, & Capital: A Trifecta in Tripp’s Growth
A stroll down Main Street in Lennox feels different today than it did just a few years ago. Freshly updated storefronts line the blocks, businesses are reinvesting in their spaces, and there’s a renewed energy downtown. What was once a corridor at risk of being overshadowed by growth along Highway 17 is now a hub of pride and possibility.
Oct 3, 2025
Dakota Resources Form 990, 2024
Sep 25, 2025
Submit your application for 2025 Thriverr Awards!
We want to celebrate you. Our annual Thriverr Awards will be presented at our Using Public Policy for Local Development Thriverr Gathering on November 12th in Murdo, SD. Award applications are opened, and we look forward to reading your submissions! See the award descriptions below. All applications are due on October 24th, 2025.
Sep 2, 2025
Lennox’s Façade Project Brings Strategic Vision to Life
A stroll down Main Street in Lennox feels different today than it did just a few years ago. Freshly updated storefronts line the blocks, businesses are reinvesting in their spaces, and there’s a renewed energy downtown. What was once a corridor at risk of being overshadowed by growth along Highway 17 is now a hub of pride and possibility.
Jul 31, 2025
Rooted and Resilient: Embracing Openness in Rural Leadership
Volunteering is a big part of life for many people living in rural areas. A recent community survey by Dakota Resources and eight rural communities found that about 80% of people believe they need to get involved to help their community succeed. Volunteering can mean different things: donating money, helping neighbors, taking on leadership roles, or working on community projects. Across the country, the number of people who volunteer formally has been dropping for about 20 years.
Jun 24, 2025
Dakota Resources Annual Report, 2024
Apr 15, 2025
Dakota Resources closes loan for new addition to McIntosh School
The northwestern South Dakota farming community of McIntosh is celebrating a new preK-8 school, opening this Fall.
Apr 1, 2025
From Volunteer to Leader: Building Stronger Rural Communities
Volunteering is a big part of life for many people living in rural areas. A recent community survey by Dakota Resources and eight rural communities found that about 80% of people believe they need to get involved to help their community succeed. Volunteering can mean different things: donating money, helping neighbors, taking on leadership roles, or working on community projects. Across the country, the number of people who volunteer formally has been dropping for about 20 years.
Feb 1, 2025
Leaving Our Rural Community Better Than We Found It: The Call to Action for Every Resident
When I was a child, my mom ingrained in me the mantra: “Whatever you do, leave it better than you found it.” That statement resonates daily in my work as a community coach with rural leaders. As I help these rural leaders uncover a vision for their community, I often hear the greatest generation reminisce about their community’s vibrant past. They express a dream of returning to those days.
Dec 10, 2024
Community leaders recognized at Dakota Resources Thriverr Gathering
At Dakota Resources, we end the year by honoring the leaders of our rural communities on their many accomplishments in 2024. Last month’s Learning Network Gathering Awards Banquet recognized four winners in the following categories: 1) a Local Partner award, for someone who shows immense support and leadership to a fellow Learning Network member; 2) Community Innovation, for a community trying something new; 3) the Thriverr award, given to a member who exemplifies the Thriverr principles and culture and is chosen by the Dakota Resources team; and 4) a new Leveling Up award, for economic development organizations realizing a breakthrough in their recent work.
Dec 3, 2024
A Note from the President: Closing out 2024
Hey there, Rural Heroes. Imagine if rural communities were not isolated and fading but an interconnected ecosystem. Hopeful. Leaderful. Thriving. That’s exactly what we’ve been helping to build across South Dakota and beyond. And it’s working. This year, more than ever, we’re seeing the old mindset of community competition being shattered. In its place, we’re hosting an ecosystem where rural leaders level up their skills, confidence, and impact–together. Where there was once turf, now there’s trust and collaboration.
Nov 5, 2024
Participants from Dakota Resources programming now in a position to give back
To succeed in any community is a partnership. Although working in rural areas can feel isolating at times, Dakota Resources is omnipresent, existing for you to boost morale and to champion growth and change. We will continue to be an ally who believes in you as long as you’ll have us. But the same is true for us. This work is mutually dependent. We want you to stay by our sides and nurture the relationships we share, because when you grow, we grow, too.
Nov 5, 2024
Dakota Resources Form 990, 2023
Oct 1, 2024
Dakotas America supports new wellness center that will empower Rocky Boy youth
There is a new youth wellness center going up in remote Box Elder, Montana the Mīyō Pimātisiwinkamik (“Mīyō”) which translates from Cree to the “Good Life Lodge.” It is a lofty $30 million project that will have the power to change the well-being and vitality of an entire community seeking positive change. There will be healthcare, dental and optometry services, and behavioral health support, alongside sports courts and fitness equipment. Programming will include tribal language and culture, sports and educational curriculum, nutritional meals and a wonderful dose of encouragement all year long.
Sep 24, 2024
Submit your application for 2024 Thriverr Awards!
We want to celebrate you. Our annual Thriverr Awards will be presented at our Thriverr Housing Gathering on November 13th in Deadwood, SD. Award applications are opened, and we look forward to reading your submissions! See the award descriptions below. All applications are due on October 25th.
Sep 3, 2024
Unlocking Community Potential: The Catalyst Approach for Change
The big framing question, “Who do we envision ourselves becoming?” was written in wide black marker on a large flip chart and placed at the front of the room for easy viewing. I introduced the question and gave some context. The ten local leaders stared blankly at it. The organization these leaders represented had been in existence since 2006. That’s not a long time in community and economic development years. Yet long enough to experience considerable success, then slump into a slow decline. This group of local leaders had come to a fork in the road around their purpose as an organization. Now they were faced with uncovering who they would need to become. They needed to regain success for the future of their organization and the community.
Aug 6, 2024
Dakota Resources Annual Report, 2023
Jul 31, 2024
Learning cohorts in Thriverr network boost confidence, build kinship among communities
As you know, rural living affords modest charm, quietness, boundless sky and a small population you know by heart. But rural is never less than. For over 25 years, Dakota Resources has empowered small towns to feel large, able and thriving as they themselves continue to innovate until the loneliness is less. “Dakota Resources is such a tremendous asset across our state,” says Jared Hybertson, economic development coordinator in Centerville. “Their learning network connects us all, and they have the answers I need.”
Jul 2, 2024
Dacotah Bank and Dakota Resources Connect Capital and Shared Values to Impact Rural Communities
When it comes to investing in rural communities, Dakota Resources is only as strong as our partner organizations, including our major investors. Our ability to support rural communities in their work to thrive is directly related to the financial investment of organizations who not only desire to make an impact in cultivating a thriving rural, but who also make it possible for us, as a certified CDFI, to then offer capital assistance to communities and organizations in need.
Jun 5, 2024
Climate of Community & Economic Development Survey Results, 2023
Jun 3, 2024
Rural Book Recommendations from the Dakota Resources Staff
There’s just something about receiving a book recommendation from someone who is as passionate as you are about rural life, so today, the Dakota Resources staff is sharing a small collection of must-reads, rural style. These stories don't portray rural in the stereotypical way we often see; like the communities we support, these books share about the people, the struggles, and the triumphs that make up the fabric of rural existence. Ready for a literary getaway to the heartland? Read on!
Apr 10, 2024
Growing B.O.L.D.ly Ahead: Initial B.O.L.D. Cohort Wraps Up
Thanks to a $200,000 Beyond Idea Grant (BIG) from the South Dakota Community Foundation – awarded to Dakota Resources in partnership with the Bush Foundation – we’ve been able to support innovative, community-based, problem-solving efforts for economic development organizations through the B.O.L.D. (Building Organizations for Local Development) Framework.
Apr 9, 2024
Dakota Resources’ Capital Investment Fund Supports Native CDFIs on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation
“Every rural community is unique.” This statement can be found on our website and throughout our marketing, not because it sounds good, but because these values help to shape the work that we do at Dakota Resources. Through our Community Development Loans program, and, more specifically, through our Capital Investment Fund (CIF), we’re able to support rural communities, economic development organizations, housing authorities, and other Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).
Dec 12, 2023
How might we put 'unity' back in community?
Communities are the foundation of our society, and their strength and success lie in the unity of its members. Yet, often at the heart of so many communities is disunity. As a community coach, I collaborate with rural leaders to build local capacity and engage community members in working on local priorities so their community can thrive. One of the most common topics that comes up as the groups are planning for future outcomes is their desire for unity with other community leaders.
Dec 12, 2023
A Note from the President: Looking Back on 2023
It’s that time of year when we all hear some version of “I can’t believe it’s been a whole year already!” Maybe you’ve heard it a few times today. Maybe you’ve said it. I don’t look at it that way. Instead of measuring how fast the year went by, I like to think about how much. How did we spend our precious time this year? How much of it was on things that matter for rural communities? Where do we want to spend more or less time next year? How can we build habits and systems to make that happen?
Dec 12, 2023
Murdo’s Ripple Effect: A Community Coaching Story
It’s been said that dropping a pebble in water creates a ripple effect that emanates outward from the source. At Dakota Resources, we believe the same can be said about cultivating a thriving rural, particularly when a pebble is dropped with intention inside rural towns like Murdo, South Dakota. Last year, the Murdo Development Corp. engaged with Dakota Resources’ Community Coaching program to spark growth and development in the city of Murdo. Dakota Resources’ Kristi Wagner, who serves as the Director of Organizational Relationships and Community Coach, facilitated the Community Coaching process in this rural town, which is home to the Jones County seat in South Dakota.
Nov 6, 2023
Dakota Resources' Learning Network Honors 2023 Award Winners
At Dakota Resources’ Learning Network Gathering Awards Banquet in Brookings, SD, held on November 3, 2023, three honorees received distinguished awards in appreciation for their service to their communities. This annual tradition, which takes place at the Entrepreneur Support Systems Learning Network gathering, allows Dakota Resources to celebrate the innovative work that is happening in rural places across the state.
Oct 17, 2023
Do you know what's behind your community's historic population shift?
I spent some valuable time this week doing a bit of data discovery about rural communities. In my search I explored an interactive map showing the percent change in total population from the 2010 to the 2020 Census at both the state and county levels. I first zoomed in to view the South Dakota county-level data – it was a mix of blue (growth) and beige (decline) county blocks spread across the east and west sides of our state. I discovered 33 of 66 counties in South Dakota had positive population growth in the past ten years!
Oct 16, 2023
Dakota Resources Launches Annual Giving Campaign
We believe the future of rural exists here, right now, and that it’s up to all of us to shape it, together. In this spirit, Dakota Resources launched our inaugural Annual Giving Campaign in September, with a goal of financially bolstering our programs and our work to empower rural communities. With an initial goal of 100 supporters by the end of 2023, we’re already halfway there, and today, we ask you – our readers, followers, and partners in a thriving rural – to show your support for us.
Oct 16, 2023
Learning Network's Housing Gatherings Spark Tangible Results
While conferences and workshops are frequently offered by all types of organizations and industries, opportunities to truly engage with others by sharing success stories and best practices are comparatively rare. Every year since 2018, Dakota Resources’ Learning Network program hosts quarterly events known as Thriverr Gatherings. Although our Thriverr Gatherings share some commonalities with a typical conference or workshop, we’ve spent years designing these events to cultivate regular and consistent collaboration and connection for our members.
Oct 16, 2023
Harvest Hoven: A Community Coaching Story
It’s harvest time here in rural communities across the Midwest and the nation, and it’s that word “harvest” that rings so true for communities like Hoven, South Dakota. While many think of crops like beans and corn as integral parts of a farmer’s fall harvest, the town of Hoven experiences a harvest each day, with the help of Dakota Resources, as community volunteers work together to reach their potential of creating a thriving rural community.
Jul 3, 2023
B.O.L.D. A Framework to Build Organizations for Local Development
May 3, 2023
Job Opening: NMTC Senior Portfolio Manager
Looking for something new in the NMTC industry? Does making a difference in communities matter to you? Ready to get out into those communities? Join the NMTC team at Dakota Resources and Dakotas America!
Apr 3, 2023
Entrepreneur Fund Supports Rural Business in Minnesota, Wisconsin
Success stories are among our favorite tales to tell, and that’s certainly the theme of our work with the Entrepreneur Fund. Like Dakota Resources, Entrepreneur Fund is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that lends capital and provides services in order to diversify the regional and rural economy in northern and central Minnesota and, since 2022, in rural Wisconsin as well. Born out of a need to diversify industry on the Iron Range in the late 1980’s and early 90’s, Entrepreneur Fund was founded with two main priorities: to support entrepreneurs to start and grow small businesses that would create steady incomes for themselves and others, and to renew the entrepreneurial culture in the region.
Apr 3, 2023
Can a Leader's Decision Making be Both Intuitive and Data-Driven?
My short answer is a resounding, "Yes!" Decision making can and, according to my experiences, is best when both intuitive and data driven. Let me share a small-town story about how intuition and data can improve decisions.
Apr 3, 2023
Survey Says Series: Rural Development Relies on Many Hands, Storytelling
Community and economic development work is often complex and can mean many different things. For this reason, Dakota Resources continues to survey our constituents in order to take stock of rural development work in and around South Dakota. In late 2022, Dakota Resources engaged stakeholders in a survey in order to assess the building blocks of a thriving rural community and gather statistics around what economic development organizations throughout the state are doing when it comes to economic development in their service area.
Apr 3, 2023
Dakota Resources Celebrates New Website Launch
Last week, Dakota Resources launched a new website to better serve rural shapers. The website, which can be found at DakotaResources.org, offers an improved user experience, both on desktop and on mobile, and features a more intuitive navigation menu and pages that are better suited to our work today.
Mar 24, 2023
Housing Toolkit
Mar 24, 2023
Climate of Community & Economic Development Survey Results, 2021
Mar 24, 2023
Climate of Community & Economic Development Survey Results, Part 2
Mar 24, 2023
High Capacity Organization Checklist
Jan 1, 2023
Dakota Resources Annual Report, 2022
Jan 1, 2023
Dakota Resources Form 990, 2022
Dec 21, 2022
Fill Your Cup
<p class="">A friend called me a few weeks ago in tears. She serves as a community leader in a progressive small town, yet the local negative narrative had her feeling down and out. Unfortunately, it had been building for a while. She was feeling alone and struggling to find any reason to celebrate her community’s successes this year.</p>
Dec 13, 2022
A Note from the President: Looking Back on 2022 & Looking Ahead to 2023
<p class="">As another year comes to a close, the staff at Dakota Resources and I want to wish you and yours a happy holiday season. This year has been one of progress and change, and we’re eager to share with you a peek back at what we’re grateful for this year and a preview at what’s to come in 2023.</p>
Dec 12, 2022
Moving Toward a Stronger Community Future in Columbia, SD
What would it look like if the community was thriving?” For rural communities who ask such a powerful question, the responses may vary in scope or complexity, but one thing is certain: asking the question in the first place can be what sets some communities apart from the rest. In January 2022, the City of Columbia asked such a question, and this desire for a thriving community led them to engage with Dakota Resources.
Nov 15, 2022
Dakota Resources’ Learning Network Honors 2022 Award Winners
Dakota Resources’ Learning Network Gathering Awards Banquet in Sturgis, SD, held on November 3, 2022, three honorees received distinguished awards in appreciation for their service to their communities. This annual tradition, which takes place at the Entrepreneur Support System Learning Network gathering, allows Dakota Resources to celebrate the innovative work that is happening in rural places across the state.
Sep 28, 2022
Rural Resilience
<p class="">Someone asked me recently, “Why do some rural communities “thrive,” and some don’t?” I have pondered that question many times and have produced many answers. But after much deliberation, I will reduce it to one word…resilience.</p>
Sep 28, 2022
Community-Wide Impacts of Miller Grocery Still Evident, Four Years Later
The intersection of Highway 14 and Highway 45 in South Dakota is neither just a stopping point on the journey from Huron to Pierre, nor the site of two historical steer statues that mark the gateway to Miller, a town of 1,366 people. Since 2018, this intersection has been the site of Kessler’s of Miller, a grocery store cherished by the community as the domino that has since kicked off a flurry of business activity in Miller, home to the Hand County seat.
Sep 28, 2022
Rural Education Investments Help Students Stay in School
<p class="">Children in communities far and wide are heading back to school, including Oglala Lakota students in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. But for this community, which sees approximately 75 percent of students leave the public school system between eighth grade and high school graduation, student retention is hopefully on the upswing due to the arrival of Lakota Tech High School, a career and technical education school.</p>
Sep 28, 2022
Theory of Change: How Our Work Supports a Thriving Rural
At Dakota Resources, our mission and vision guide our work. Our mission is to connect capital and capacity to empower rural communities, and our vision is for a thriving rural. This past year, we invested in a new infographic to help explain how Dakota Resources as an organization is focused on promoting change and moving from our mission to our vision.
Sep 28, 2022
CO.STARTERS Mitchell Graduates First Cohort of Entrepreneurs
This July, the first cohort of Mitchell, South Dakota-based CO.STARTERS accelerator program graduated from the incubator program. Eleven participants, spanning a variety of industries, participated in the ten-week core program, which was facilitated by Dr. Ryan Van Zee of Mitchell Technical College and Laura Klock, owner of Farm Life Creamery in Ethan, South Dakota.
Aug 1, 2022
RuralX 2022 Recap
This year at RuralX we explored “Loving Where You Live.” What are the places you love? What does it mean to practice loving where you live?
Jun 22, 2022
Has your community made negativity a habit?
<p class="">Living in a small town, we are often inclined to see change in our community as a threat to ourselves and our way of life. When we feel threatened by change, uncertainty rears its ugly head and our negativity often takes over. </p>
Jun 22, 2022
Capital Investment Fund Connects Capital to Communities Ready to Make an Impact
Economic development is central to cultivating a thriving rural. In order for rural America to grow effectively and meaningfully, financial programs need to be flexible enough to meet organizations and agencies where they are and robust enough to truly support these entities in moving their community forward.
Jun 22, 2022
Dakota Resources’ Thriverr Platform Facilitates Collaboration, Community
In his letter to rural shapers at the end of 2021, Dakota Resources President Joe Bartmann talked about one big initiative in 2022: launching Thriverr, a platform that will house the Learning Network for years to come. Today, we’re checking in with Dakota Resources Learning Network Orchestrator and Community Coach Mike Knutson to share how Thriverr is making relationship-building and collaboration possible. We hope that you enjoy this Q&A.
Mar 29, 2022
An embarrassing story about community dialogue
<p class="">Quite simply, community dialogue is an exchange of ideas and experiences through listening, sharing, and questioning. At its best, community dialogue is created in a safe environment where a diverse group of people gather to talk and understand each other. Community dialogue at its worst looks something like the embarrassing story I am going to share about my own community members and town board.</p>
Mar 29, 2022
Planning for the Future: Community Coaching in Lennox, SD
<p class="">Community Coaching with Dakota Resources looks different for each community, and so it should, as each community has distinct needs and priorities. For the City of Lennox, who engaged Dakota Resources in June of 2021 as a partnership with the Lennox Area Development Corporation (LADC), the priority for this growing community was to develop a comprehensive strategic plan to support Lennox’s future.</p>
Mar 29, 2022
Survey Says Series: Collaboration, Professional Development Crucial For Rural Communities to Thrive
Community and economic development work is often complex and can mean many different things. For this reason, Dakota Resources recently conducted a survey to help foster understanding of what community and economic development organizations look like and the type of work they are doing in their community. This is part 2 of a 2 part series.
Jan 1, 2022
Dakota Resources Annual Report, 2021
Jan 1, 2022
Dakota Resources Form 990, 2021
Dec 17, 2021
Survey Says Series: Opportunities to Refine Focuses for Rural Economic Development
Community and economic development work is often complex and can mean many different things. For this reason, Dakota Resources recently conducted a survey to help foster understanding of what community and economic development organizations look like and the type of work they are doing in their community. This is part 1 of a 2 part series.
Dec 2, 2021
Welcome Home: Nick Fosheim Returns to Rural Roots
For Nick Fosheim, Dakota Resources’ new Client Relationship Director and Community Coach, his sense of place began as a child growing up in Webster, SD, where his family has farmed for decades.
Nov 24, 2021
Dakota Resources’ Learning Network Honors Award Winners
<p class="">At Dakota Resources’ Learning Network Gathering Awards Banquet in Mitchell, SD, held on November 3, 2021, three honorees received distinguished awards in appreciation for their service to their communities.</p>
Sep 27, 2021
Celebrating the Fruits of Gregory County's Empower Process
It’s been said that we’re living in the age of empowerment, and at Dakota Resources, that’s never been more true. And while empowering South Dakota rural communities isn’t necessarily a new movement for us, it remains a chief focus of our Community Coaches and the constituents whom they serve.
Sep 27, 2021
Far From the Chicken and the Egg: Communities Investing in Rural Housing
<p class="">The classic “chicken and egg” debate has never quite found its solution, and across rural South Dakota, a similar deliberation exists: what must come first, investments in rural housing or investments in economic development?</p>
Aug 1, 2021
RuralX 2021 Recap
This year at RuralX we explored the question “Where do we go from here?” We dove into these topics with our online audience and watch parties throughout rural.
Jan 1, 2021
Dakota Resources Annual Report, 2020