About Lakota Fund
Lakota Funds promotes economic sustainability by providing access to credit for Native People.
Focus Areas
Small business finance & lendingMicroloans and contractor loansAgriculture & farm lendingArtist microloans and arts economyFinancial literacy and coachingMatched savings accountsHomeownership support and mortgage assistanceWorkforce training and internships
Who They Fund
studentscollege/university studentsinterns/early-career individuals
Funding Style
direct service
About Lakota Fund
A $800,791 grant to Great Plains Housing Initiative stands out in The Lakota Fund Incorporated’s recent record and signals how the foundation uses larger awards alongside a broad set of education and workforce grants. The funder’s work is centered on economic sustainability for Native People, with support that reaches housing, tuition assistance, internships, and other pathways tied to financial stability. In 2025, the foundation also backed Crow Creek Housing Authority with $143,916 for internships and gave $100,000 each to Four Band Community Fund Inc and Sisseton-wahpeton Housing Authority for internships, showing repeated investment in career entry and community-based capacity. Tuition support is also a visible part of the portfolio, with awards to colleges and tribal institutions such as Sitting Bull College, Southeast Technical College, and Mitchell Technical College. The overall pattern suggests a local funder that mixes large institutional grants with targeted support for students, interns, and Native-serving organizations.
What Lakota Fund Funds
Housing appears as a major area of support in the 2025 grant list, led by a $800,791 grant to Great Plains Housing Initiative for housing. Internships and workforce entry are another clear theme: the foundation gave $143,916 to Crow Creek Housing Authority for internships and $100,000 each to Four Band Community Fund Inc and Sisseton-wahpeton Housing Authority for internships. Tuition assistance is also prominent. The funder awarded $83,876 to Sitting Bull College for tuition assistance, $65,426 to Southeast Technical College for tuition assistance, and $56,533 to Mitchell Technical College for tuition assistance. Those grants show a mix of tribal and technical education support. The foundation’s active Art Equity Grants program adds another strand, providing small grants for existing art-based businesses and Native artists to cover materials and business needs.
How Lakota Fund Gives
Typical grant size sits at $40,390 at the 25th percentile, $54,326 at the median, and $95,969 at the 75th percentile. The 2025 record includes both a very large housing award and a cluster of smaller education and internship grants, so the distribution is wide. The pattern also looks recurring rather than one-off: the foundation’s public focus areas include lending, financial literacy, matched savings, homeownership support, workforce training, and arts support, indicating a multi-program structure. It does not fund individuals directly, and the active Art Equity Grants program is structured as small grants rather than an open application pool.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.6M
Total Assets
$26.8M
Total Revenue
$11.5M
Total Expenses
$6.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $40K and $96K, with a median of $54K.
25th Percentile
$40K
Median
$54K
75th Percentile
$96K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
About 93% of grants go to recipients in SD.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
TAWNEY BRUNSCH
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