Rural Development Hubs in South Dakota

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 South Dakota, we work with Hub partners that coordinate across sectors, align resources, and connect communities to advance long-term regional strategies.

Center for Rural Affairs

Service area: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

The Center for Rural Affairs is a nonprofit, mission-driven lender focusing on underserved communities, primarily rural, Latino, Native, and other communities that mainstream finance does not traditionally reach. It is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) established in 1973.

Visit organization: cfra.org


Four Bands Community Fund

Service area: Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation.

Four Bands Community Fund is a nonprofit organization founded in 2000 as part of a community and economic development movement on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. As a community development financial institution (CDFI), it has helped hundreds of Native American entrepreneurs start or expand businesses.

Visit organization: fourbands.org


Lake Area Technical College

Service area: South Dakota.

Lake Area Technical College (LATC) is a public technical college in Watertown, South Dakota, offering comprehensive technical education designed to change lives and launch careers. As the first technical school in the state, LATC partners with businesses, integrates emerging technologies into instruction, and prepares graduates for high-demand careers.

Visit organization: lakeareatech.edu

Featured in Aspen CSG resources: The Power of Connection: Rural Development Hubs in Action.


Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation

Service area: Lakota Nation.

Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation empowers Lakota youth and families to improve the health, culture, and environment of their communities through the healing and strengthening of cultural identity.

Visit organization: thundervalley.org

Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group