Kim Trujillo started Bow-K’s with the help of Lakota Funds and now provides sweet treats and floral arrangements to help the residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation celebrate special occasions.
Lakota Funds 2011 Annual Report Now Available
February 14, 2012
Take a look at the 2011 Annual Report to see how we have impacted our community during the last year. Download the report.
Lakota Funds Featured in Technology Center Case Study
February 1, 2012
Lakota Funds partners with Technology Center to address the growing needs of the organization and make the most out of available technology. Read the case study.
Lakota Funds Featured in Golden West Horizons
January 31, 2012
The Oglala Lakota Oyate (People) find it easier now that 25 years ago, when Lakota Funds first took form, to realize their dreams, goals, and opportunities without leaving the breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage. When someone mentions the challenging circumstances of Shannon County, where Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is located, Tawney Brunsch, Executive Director of Lakota Funds is quick to point out all of the personal and economic successes that have passed through Lakota Funds' doors. Read the full story.
What Lies Beneath South Dakota's "A"?
January 31, 2012
South Dakota has earned an "A" in Financial Assets and Income in the 2012 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard released today by the Corporation for Enterprise Development, in partnership with Lakota Funds. Tawney Brunsch, Executive Director of the Kyle, South Dakota-based Lakota Funds says this high ranking is misleading. Read the full story.
Lakota Funds Releases Best Practices Guide
January 6, 2012
The best practices guide, prepared by Kathleen Pickering Sherman of Colorado State University, provides the reader with a depth of insight to the Lakota Funds history, products and services, and strategies for success as never seen before. Download a copy of Best Practices Guide: Microenterprise and Emerging Businesses, Native Small Business Support, and the Contributions of Financial Institutions to Community Development.
Lakota Funds Receives Mobilizing Rural Communities Innovation Award
January 4, 2012
Rural Dynamics presented Lakota Funds with the Mobilizing Rural Communities Innovation Award based on their leadership role in the economic resurgence on Pine Ridge Reservation and the establishment of their Child Development Account program. Read the full story.
Lakota Funds Co-Sponsors 4th Annual LNI Business Plan Competition
December 21, 2011
Lakota Funds, Oglala Sioux Tribe Credit & Finance Office, and the Office of Indian Energy & Economic Development collaborated to sponsor the Fourth Annual Business Plan Competition held in conjunction with the Annual Lakota Nation Invitational on December 14, 15, and 16, 2011 in Rapid City, South Dakota. This year's competition experienced a dramatic increase in entries with over thirty students from around the state presenting their business ideas. Lakota Funds success coaches provided assistance to aspiring Pine Ridge student entrepreneurs. Read the full story.
Proposed Reservation Credit Union Would Make Banking More Accessible
December 20, 2011
The proposed Lakota Federal Credit Union would bring several important banking functions to a permanent location in Kyle: secured and unsecured personal loans; savings accounts; ATM cards with access to no-fee ATMs in each of the nine reservation districts; direct deposit for paychecks; and low-fee check cashing and money order services. Read the full story in the Rapid City Journal.
More Than That...
December 12, 2011
Although our Reservation faces some of the most severe conditions of poverty in the nation, our youth are taking control of their futures. With hope, determination, passion for Lakota traditions, and dignity, they are creating a positive environment for themselves and younger generations to thrive in. This video was produced by a group of Todd County High School students that want the world to know they are making a change. Watch the video on YouTube.
Lakota Funds Prepares for 2011 Tax Season
November 1, 2011
Lakota Funds is gearing up for their fourth year participating in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site program. The VITA site program provides free income tax preparation to the families of the Pine Ridge Reservation, and enables them to receive every tax benefit available, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Last year Lakota Funds prepared 245 returns for local residents. Click here for more details on this year's VITA site.
Louis Young, Owner of Arrow Barber Shop
June 9, 2011
Louis Young has been offering his customers a great deal on haircuts for many years. His regular customers appreciate the stories of yesteryear and at $10 per haircut new customers are enjoying them now too. Louis, owner of Arrow Barber Shop, serves his customers in ways that other barber shops do not, offering flexible hours and a central location in a quiet residential block of Pine Ridge, just minutes of the business district. Read the full story.
Lakota Funds Will Gear Up for Summer Classes
May 25, 2011
Lakota Funds Success Coaches will be teaching summer courses on June 13, 2011 through July 8, 2011 in collaboration with the SD GEARUP Program. The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program better known as GEARUP, created in 1992 is an academic summer enrichment program for Native American students entering high school. This summer program partners with twenty-one South Dakota schools, according to SD GEARUP, they have exceeded the projected enrollment with 4,939 students participating in the program during the 2009-10 summer session. Read the full story.
CITI 11 Youth Pilot Project
April 15, 2011
Freshmen students attending Pine Ridge High School had the opportunity to participate in a pilot project sponsored through OWEESTA "helps build strong Native institutions and programs through professional services designed to build local capacity and provide tools for Native community development" this project is in collaboration with Lakota Funds in Kyle, South Dakota and Four Bands of Eagle Butte, South Dakota. Douglas Patton Jr, Red Cloud alumni will be working with three freshmen classes on Tuesday's and Thursday's for a period of eight weeks. Read the full story.
Lakota Funds Partners with First People's Fund to Provide Training
April 7, 2011
Lakota Funds in collaboration with First Peoples Fund, Red Cloud Heritage Center and the Pine Ridge Area Chamber of Commerce provided a Professional Development Training for Native Artists, in the Lakota Trade Center located in the Lakota Funds building on April 7, 2011. Success Coaches with First People's Fund, Kim Tilsen-Brave Heart and Don Montileaux provided information on how to price merchandise, research marketing techniques, wholesale, how to create and build artist portfolios, budgeting, and how to develop a website for their merchandise. Read the full story.
Lakota Funds Provides More Than IDA Services
March 11, 2011
Madonna Whirlwind Horse, Little Wound High School alumni, mother to 3 children: Wilma 3, and twins, Max and Kylee 6, and student at Oglala Lakota College, states she was aware of Lakota Funds Individual Development Account (IDA) but never applied prior to this year. This year, after utilizing Lakota Funds VITA (free tax preparation services), Madonna was able to not only get her tax return prepared for free, but was also able to make a large deposit into her new IDA account with her tax refund. Kateri Montileaux, Success Coach, prepared Ms. Whirlwind Horse's taxes and encouraged her to take advantage of Lakota Funds IDA Savings Program, which provides a 2 to 1 match of the IDA participant's deposit. With the participant's maximum deposit of $1800 the 2 to 1 match means the individual could have $5400 when they cash out in as little as six months to be used for one of three assets: home purchase, business start up or college savings. Read the full story.
Lakota Funds Offers Contractors Training
March 8, 2011
On March 5, 2011 Lakota Funds provided a Contractor's Training on Bidding and Estimating. This is one of four trainings Project Solutions and Lakota Funds will offer during a three month period at two locations, the Lakota Trade Center located on the second floor of the Lakota Funds building and the Pine Ridge College Center located in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Read the full story.
Lakota Funds Helps High School Students Triple Their Savings for College
March 8, 2011
High School students attending local high schools are encouraged to visit with Lakota Funds staff during Career Days, Lakota Funds will provide a booth with information available on services available for students. On April 13, 2011 Lakota Funds will be attending Little Wound School's Career Day; one of the many services that Lakota Funds offers is a Youth Individual Development Account (IDA). This savings program matches $2 to the individuals $1 in just six months, the money saved can be used towards one of the assets: home, college or business. Read the full story.
Lakota Funds Creates Opportunities for Advancement by Partnering with Western Dakota Technical Institute
March 2, 2011
One of the more popular community outreach opportunities offered by Lakota Funds in the past year is a program that has been helping individuals obtain a Commercial Driver's License (CDL). Lakota Funds coordinates and pays for the trainings that are provided by Western Dakota Technical Institute. The CDL trainings are intended to help more tribal members obtain the skills necessary to apply for many higher paying jobs that require a CDL. A "Class B" CDL, for example, is required to drive all school busses for all schools programs located on the Pine Ridge Reservation and for Oglala Lakota Head Start programs. The trainings are also intended to give many CDL driver's who already have the "Class A" license the opportunity to advance in their career field, by obtaining a "Class B" license. Kateri Montileaux, Lakota Funds Success Coach and coordinator of the CDL project says, "The goal is to provide all the classes necessary for an interested individual to actually have a CDL at the end of this very short program. And then to secure a better job or better pay by having their CDL." Read the full story.
Lakota Funds Helps Prepare Youth For Economic Success
February 18, 2011
Lakota Funds provided a presentation on services available for youth during the 2011 Oglala Lakota Nation Education Consortium. Douglas Patton Jr., Success Coach attended the OLNEC meeting on February 12, 2011 in Rapid City, South Dakota to encourage participants to utilize the many programs available to students on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Read the full story.
Lakota Funds Offers New Shorter Courses
January 20, 2011
Starting the last week in January, Lakota Funds will utilize two new curriculums: "Making Your Move" for Homebuyer's Education and "Building Your Own Business" for Business Planning, the teaching methods for the courses will be consistent with the curriculum, the Business Planning course will have follow up with client if needed. Read the full story.
Third Annual LNI Business Plan Competition Inspires High School Entrepreneurs to Present Their Best Ideas
December 17, 2011
Room 102 of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City was home for the 2010 High School Business Plan Competition, co-sponsored by The Oglala Sioux Tribe Credit and Finance Program, The Office of Indian Energy & Economic Development, and the Lakota Funds. Read the full story.
