Sweet Grass collaborated with NACDC Financial Services to compile, analyze, and present comprehensive data for their annual report. This report highlights NACDC's financial performance, loan deployment, and program outcomes, while emphasizing their broader community impact. Through data visualization, storytelling, and detailed metrics, Sweet Grass showcased how NACDC empowers Native communities by fostering economic growth, financial literacy, and sustainable development.

After establishing a small Iyanee’/buffalo herd—the first on Texas Band of Lipan Apache lands since the reservation era—the Texas Tribal Buffalo Project embarked on an initiative to assess the social, cultural, political, economic, and systemic strengths and needs across the state. Sweet Grass collaboratively led an 18-month study involving Indigenous communities in Texas. Employing an array of methodologies such as an advisory council, key opinion leader interviews, community surveys, case studies, federal agriculture data analysis, and partner assessments, the study gathered comprehensive insights spanning the state, region, and into Mexico. The resulting final report serves as a blueprint for taking sustainable strides in cultivating new partnerships, programs, and services, advancing progress towards enhanced Indigenous data sovereignty.

Sweet Grass collaborated with Intertribal Agriculture Council and California Department of Food and Agriculture's Farm Equity Office to conduct listening sessions with Native tribes to identify barriers and challenges in accessing CDFA's grant programs, resources, and services. The information from the series was compiled into a report to facilitate the organization’s tribal outreach strategy. Key recommendations include developing tribal-specific grant application tracks within CDFA grant programs, providing one-on-one technical support with applications and project implementation, and expanding grant program focus and terminology to include native foods, native plants, and native food sovereignty.

Since 2016, Sweet Grass has partnered with South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition (SDNHOC) for their ongoing data collection initiative showcasing the collective impact of SDNHOC's member organizations on homeownership rates. Through the development of a customized web-based data tracking tool, SDNHOC has been able to track their efforts and deliver hundreds of hours of assistance to build the capacity of member organizations.

Sweet Grass collaborated with NACDC Financial Services and Black Hills Community Loan Fund as part of the Mountain Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition. This partnership aimed to identify the professional development and capacity-building needs of current coalition members through a comprehensive survey. The insights gained will inform the creation of a tailored curriculum for community members across the four-state region, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary for a successful career in the Indigenous finance industry before they begin working at a Native CDFI.

To better understand Four Bands’ business environment and how to best serve their clients, Sweet Grass collected data and analyzed the experiences of Four Bands’ business clients. We produced an annual report based on the evaluation and integrated the longitudinal results from the previous ten years of assessments, highlighting innovative and practical ways to support business owners seeking banking services.

To better understand Four Bands’ business environment and how to best serve their clients, Sweet Grass collected data and analyzed the experiences of Four Bands’ business clients. We produced an infographic based on the evaluation and integrated the longitudinal results from the previous ten years of assessments, highlighting innovative and practical ways to support business owners seeking banking services.

As the primary catalyst for agricultural development on the Pine Ridge Reservation, Makoce Agriculture Development recently secured the prestigious Bush Community Innovation Grant. Tasked with various technical assistance responsibilities, Sweet Grass was commissioned to update essential data, including land, agriculture, production, economic, and other food-related information for the Oglala Oyate. This vital information guides the strategic development of networks, infrastructure, and supply chains across the expansive Oglala Lakota homelands. The project further extends its impact with the creation of a replicable model that benefits the broader Oceti Sakowin—the seven bands of Lakota, Dakota, and Nakoda in South Dakota.

Sweet Grass supported the American Indian College Fund's Environmental Stewardship program by developing infographic information cards for each college that participated in the Environmental Stewardship program's strategic planning process. These profile cards were made available on the College Fund's website and serve as a marketing and informational resource for colleges and students.

Sweet Grass collaborated with NACDC Financial Services to compile, analyze, and present comprehensive data for their annual report. This report highlights NACDC's financial performance, loan deployment, and program outcomes, while emphasizing their broader community impact. Through data visualization, storytelling, and detailed metrics, Sweet Grass showcased how NACDC empowers Native communities by fostering economic growth, financial literacy, and sustainable development.

Sweet Grass partnered with Akiptan to conduct a national market study. The purpose of this study was to determine the unmet financing and support needs of Native producers across the country, so that organizations like Akiptan can fundraise, build internal capacity, and grow partnerships to meet this need. Secondary research, in conjunction with on-the-ground community research, allowed for a gap analysis and understanding of current strengths and needs. Key opinion leaders in the Native agriculture industry were interviewed; regional focus groups were conducted; CDFIs, lenders, and Native producers were surveyed. Collecting data across the industry provided multiple perspectives and considerations to best address current challenges and provide solutions.

Sweet Grass collaborated with NACDC Financial Services to compile, analyze, and present comprehensive data for their annual report. This report highlights NACDC's financial performance, loan deployment, and program outcomes, while emphasizing their broader community impact. Through data visualization, storytelling, and detailed metrics, Sweet Grass showcased how NACDC empowers Native communities by fostering economic growth, financial literacy, and sustainable development.

Sweet Grass worked with 11 Native CDFIs across the country to evaluate metrics that predict loan repayment and risk in their portfolios. Sweet Grass engaged with each participating CDFI to define the relevant metrics, solicit data, analyze the data for each CDFI and in aggregate, and reported on the results.

Sweet Grass collaborated with Region 5 Development Commission (R5DC) to facilitate a five-year strategic plan that included the collection of impartial information from partners and community members, as well as 24 key opinion leaders from the region. We conducted interviews with all R5DC and North Central Economic Development Association (NCEDA) staff, and ran three focus groups with the R5DC commission, Economic Development Pros, and NCEDA Full Corporation. Sweet Grass also conducted a region-wide community survey to develop a comprehensive economic development strategy. This project culminated with a written strategic planning document to inform future services and programs, addressing the needs and strengths of the communities served by NCEDA.

Sweet Grass partnered with Tiwa Lending Services in 2019, 2020, and 2021 to produce their annual reports, highlighting data-driven insights for stakeholders. Each year, the process began with guidance on entering and updating client and loan information in their impact tracking system to ensure accurate and comprehensive reporting. Sweet Grass helped outline the reports, curate supporting materials such as photos and board information, and transform the data into a report format. The final reports were shared with investors, partners, clients, and community members to highlight Tiwa's impact and growth.

Sweet Grass collaborated with NACDC Financial Services to compile, analyze, and present comprehensive data for their annual report. This report highlights NACDC's financial performance, loan deployment, and program outcomes, while emphasizing their broader community impact. Through data visualization, storytelling, and detailed metrics, Sweet Grass showcased how NACDC empowers Native communities by fostering economic growth, financial literacy, and sustainable development.

Sweet Grass created a curriculum based on six case studies from American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association's agritourism ventures. The curriculum enriches their agritourism toolkit and includes information on business planning, value-add, scheduling events, engaging partners, and developing a farmers’ market. The toolkit was unveiled at their 22nd Annual Indian Tourism Conference.

Sweet Grass partnered with Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation to help plan a facility and learning environment to assist Native and other minority-owned businesses in developing and achieving growth, job creation, and having a positive impact on their communities and the region. The facility offers affordable retail space, co-working space, business advisers and mentors for entrepreneurs, and post-secondary education options. Sweet Grass developed the protocols, procedures, and tools, including key opinion leader interviews, focus groups, and an entrepreneur survey. Case studies, economic projections, and mapping business potential were also components of the comprehensive study. Sweet Grass facilitated data collection, analysis, reporting, and recommendations. All the components, including the final report, are used as a decision-making tool for facility types, structures, curricula and services, and partnerships. The information will also be used for business plans and grant proposals to develop the facility.

Native CDFIs demonstrated their response to the pandemic through innovative loan products, emergency grants, and rapid adaptation to provide crucial web-based opportunities. These efforts continue to influence and cultivate financial well-being rooted in cultural values. This article highlights three Native CDFIs and a national Native CDFI intermediary to exemplify their active resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they created opportunities that will exist far beyond pandemic times. 

Sweet Grass collaborated with NACDC Financial Services to compile, analyze, and present comprehensive data for their annual report. This report highlights NACDC's financial performance, loan deployment, and program outcomes, while emphasizing their broader community impact. Through data visualization, storytelling, and detailed metrics, Sweet Grass showcased how NACDC empowers Native communities by fostering economic growth, financial literacy, and sustainable development.