The problem we’re addressing in rural communities.

In small, very rural communities in and around South Dakota, the local nonprofits leading economic development face many challenges. These economic development organizations (EDOs) are typically the only organizations tasked with improving economic and social conditions for their community, an enormous responsibility that is often undefined or under-resourced.

The communities we serve are among the most rural and geographically isolated in the nation, most with fewer than 5,000 residents and often hours from the nearest metro area. We also work with rural communities of 10,000 – 20,000 people that act as an anchor to those surrounding small towns. Rural places are resilient and resource, but face barriers to growth and opportunity that larger, better-resourced places rarely encounter.

Economic development organizations in rural communities often come to us facing four main challenges.

• Isolation. Because of the rural nature of their work, EDOs often experience geographic, economic, and political isolation that restricts access to capital, partners, and innovative ideas–leaving local leaders to carry the weight of their community’s future alone. 
• Limited leadership capacity. Many EDOs we work with operate with only one staff person or are run by a group of volunteer board members. Their leaders often lack experience and struggle to build their organizations’ strategic, operational, and relational capacities. They don’t have the necessary leadership experience   to strengthen their nonprofit, engage and empower their community in meaningful collaboration, complete  projects, or learn together. 
• Financial management challenges. EDOs can’t get the money they need to do projects. When they do get money, it’s often restricted to specific uses or projects and doesn’t allow them to tackle the most pressing issue in their community. In turn, it can be more difficult for them to leverage that money to get other money. They also struggle with financial literacy.
• Fragmented resources, tools, and programs. EDOs often don’t know where or how to access a maze of available programs, funding sources, and tools to enhance their work, creating confusion and missed opportunities. 

These barriers cause critical collaboration and projects to stall and hold back EDOs from improving conditions for local people.

As an intermediary Community Development Financial Institution with three decades of experience and a deep passion for rural people and places, Dakota Resources is uniquely positioned to help EDOs build their capacity.

Dakota Resources connects capital and capacity to empower rural communities.

We believe in a thriving rural. When rural economic development organizations thrive, they empower their communities to thrive as well. And when communities thrive, the people who call those places home thrive.

Include   |   Connect   |   Inspire   |   Empower   |   Celebrate

1. We believe that strengthening connection, financial capacity, and leadership capacity for economic development organizations (EDOs) by
2. Providing them with an integrated combination of flexible financing, leadership coaching, collaborative networks, and real-time resources creates
3. An ecosystem of high-capacity rural EDOs, which fosters
4. Empowered leaders and organizations taking action and completing projects in their local communities, which results in
5. Thriving local communities, and leads to
6. A thriving rural.

Ready to dive in? Dakota Resources is ready to help you being to shape your path.

For Economic Development Organizations:

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