Strengthening communities with data services and organizational support

We provide comprehensive research, strategy, implementation, and creative services that promote and support community initiatives. 

Everything we do is to ensure the communities we work with are capable, respected, and seen.

Our goal is always self-determination for the communities we serve, where decision-making power resides with our clients. We provide accurate and useful data, because true representation is impossible without it.

Three people conducting a presentation with slides on a screen. They are facing the audience and smiling.

We partner with tribal, nonprofit, and mission-driven organizations to deliver and measure impact.

We assist organizations who are dedicated to promoting equity, health, and well-being for their communities. We take a holistic, systems approach to our work, where individuals, families, households, beliefs, ways of knowing, economies, environments, and governments all play a role.

Four people sitting on a rocky cliff above a river below. One is pointing to something in the distance.

We use innovative strategies and methods that put communities and people first.

We’re committed to participatory methods and welcome anyone interested in contributing. We value each participant’s unique skill sets and ways of knowing. 

Women sitting at a table with a laptop, presenting a workshop. Participants are sitting at tables around the room.

Our philosophy is to be optimally unprepared.

We come in with a plan based on shared principles and proven methods, but remain flexible and open to new ideas throughout the process. 

Our clients

  • Blackfeet Tribe

    Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship

    Island Mountain Development Group 

    KLJ Engineering

    Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

    Lower Sioux Indian Community 

    Monacan Indian Nation

    Oglala Sioux Tribe

    Pine Ridge Area Chamber of Commerce 

    Rosebud Sioux Tribe

    Region 5 Development Commission

    Sourcewell

  • Akiptan CDFI

    Black Hills Community Loan Fund

    California FarmLink

    Community First Fund

    First American Capital Corporation 

    First Nations Community Financial 

    Four Bands Community Fund 

    Hawaiian Community Assets

    Inclusive Action for the City

    Lakota Funds 

    Montana Native Growth Fund

    Mountain | Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition

    NACDC Financial Services 

    Nimiipuu Community Development Fund 

    Nixyaawii Community Financial Services

    Oweesta Corporation 

    People’s Partner for Community Development

    Rural Community Assistance Corporation 

    Spruce Root Community Development

    Taala Fund

    Tiwa Lending Services

    Westwater Financial, Inc. 

    Wind River Development Fund

    Wisconsin Native Loan Fund 

    Woodland Financial Partners (formerly known as Niijii Capital Partners)

  • Enterprise Community Partners

    Laguna Housing Authority

    Mountain T.O.P.

    Pueblo of Jemez Housing Authority

    Santo Domingo Tribal Housing Authority

    South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition 

    Spokane Indian Housing Authority

  • Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative

    Intertribal Agriculture Council

    Makoce Agriculture Development

    Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College

    Poudre Food Partnership

    Sicangu Resource Development

    Tanka Fund

    Texas Tribal Buffalo Project 

    Village Earth

  • American Indian College Fund

    Cheyenne River Tribal Ventures 

    Cheyenne River Youth Project 

    Creative Community Leadership Institute

    First Peoples Fund 

    Good Relatives Collaborative

    Honor the Earth

    McKnight Foundation 

    Native Inc. 

    Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation 

  • "Working with Sweet Grass was a huge win for our team. For years, we struggled to measure the impact of our work across the five-county region we serve. Choosing Sweet Grass was easy due to their impressive previous work and their engaging, understanding, and confident approach."

    Charitie Herbst, Sourcewell

  • "Sweet Grass’s contextual and cultural understanding of the Native CDFI markets is unsurpassed in the field . . . We appreciate the work they do to stay informed about our markets and to continually amplify our voices on the ground!

    Lakota Vogel, Four Bands Community Fund

  • "Flawless performance and were key to operating the project in a team environment. Always available and on task. Sweet Grass became more co-workers than contractors."

    Randy Finn, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

  • "We've had so many projects with Sweetgrass, there's not many things you guys haven't touched! Market study, strategic plan, impact report, etc. This allowed for us to have a sense of direction with our products and programming and it helps us to tell the story of our impact."

    Skya Ducheneaux, Akiptan

Ready to learn more?