Rural Development Hubs in Montana and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation

Aspen CSG partners with Rural Development Hubs across the country to strengthen local leadership, align funding, and build regional capacity. Through research and peer learning, we support Hub leaders to refine strategies and apply what works across regions.

In Montana and the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, we work with Hub partners that coordinate across sectors, align resources, and connect communities to advance long-term regional strategies.

Kaniksu Land Trust

Service area: Idaho, Montana, and Washington.

Kaniksu Land Trust (KLT) was originally founded in 2002 as the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille Conservancy with the purpose of supporting the land conservation needs of Avista Corporation’s protection, mitigation, and enhancement measures as required under the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement. KLT has since transitioned to a stand-alone non-profit organization operating in Idaho and Montana and has also diversified its land protection and community engagement programs.

Visit organization: kaniksu.org


NACDC Financial Services

Service area: National; serves Native communities across Indian Country. Headquartered in Montana.

NACDC Financial Services’ mission is to remove the barriers that exist in Indian Country that prohibit the flow of capital and credit. They address the critical needs in Native communities related to the growth of family assets and sustainable economic development.

Visit organization: nacdcfinancialservices.com

Featured in Aspen CSG resources: Four Principles for Fostering Community Well-Being with Asset-Based Development.


NeighborWorks Montana

Service area: Montana.

Established in 1998, NeighborWorks Montana is a leader in housing education and counseling, an innovator in single-family lending, a trusted source of gap financing for developers, and a champion of self-sufficiency for residents in manufactured home parks.

Visit organization: nwmt.org


Opportunity Link

Service area: Montana.

Opportunity Link (OL), a nonprofit organization committed to assisting 11 counties and 3 reservations, continues to assist the communities of Northcentral Montana achieve and sustain independence, prosperity and a better way of life. Opportunity Link breaks down historically isolated silos of service and acts as a resource broker between diverse communities, races, incomes and governments.

Visit organization: opportunitylinkmt.org


People’s Partner for Community Development

Service area: Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.

People’s Partner for Community Development is a Native-led non-profit organization serving the communities of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana. They help create a stronger reservation economy while maintaining strong connections to land, traditional values and cultural history.

Visit organization: peoplespartners.org


Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC)

Service area: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

The Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1978, dedicated to supporting underserved rural and Indigenous communities across the Western U.S. through technical assistance, training, financial resources, and advocacy. RCAC’s work spans environmental infrastructure, affordable housing, community resilience and disaster planning, economic and leadership development, and community finance. RCAC acts as the Western hub for the national Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) network.

Visit organization: rcac.org

Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group