GROW SD in the News

Winners Announced for BIG Idea Competition

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

For more information, contact: Kelly Weaver at (605) 626-2565 (December 11, 2019, Aberdeen, SD) The 2019 BIG Idea Competition was a BIG success with 276 entries involving over 389 students from 29 schools. The event wrapped up Wednesday, December 11th, on the campus of Northern State University (NSU) and the winners were determined from among the eight final entries with over $30,000 in cash and scholarships awarded. Korbin Leddy of Milbank High School took first place with Korbin’s Steak Express which aims to sell convenient meat grill packs to customers, such as active camping families for example. His prizes include a $1,000 cas...

Cross County Vet Does It All

Tuesday, November 05, 2019

Nicole Nelson has owned and operated the Cross Country Vet Clinic in Clark, SD since 2004. She is well established and has a great reputation in Clark and the surrounding area. Cross Country Vet Clinic does everything from grooming small animals to medical services and surgeries, all the way up to large animal services. Over the past 15 years Nicole and GROW SD have had a great lender and borrower relationship. Nicole has used GROW SD and many of its funding program to help start, maintain, and expand her veterinary clinic. In 2004 she used GROW SD’s Intermediary Relending Program (IRP...

Help and Healing

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Virginia Maas is no stranger to hard work. As a single parent, she worked an average of seventy hours a week while raising her son. She built her own home and worked hard to keep it in good condition over the years. Virginia took great pride in her work and raising her family. Then tragedy struck. Virginia was diagnosed with cancer. No longer being able to work, Virginia’s attitude toward life changed. Things she used to take for granted, like being able to fix just about anything when it broke, now became nearly impossible for her. She was forced to retir...

Weatherization Day to be celebrated on October 30

Monday, October 07, 2019

Each year, October 30 is recognized as Weatherization Day. This day highlights the fact that low-income households spend a disproportionate percentage of their annual incomes on home energy bills. Weatherization provides cost-effective, permanent solutions for reducing the heavy energy burden these families endure. The US Department of Energy has supported weatherization of more than 7 million homes across the nation since 1976. Weatherization programs focus on upgrades to mechanical and electrical systems, health and safety measures, and building shell issues. These services not only save energy through advanced technologies to improve energy affordability for low-income families, but they also save live...

Grant Received to Support Veteran Home Improvement

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

GROW South Dakota has received a grant from the Housing Assistance Council (HAC) to support home improvements for low-income veterans in northeastern South Dakota. The $30,000 grant was made possible through generous support from The Home Depot Foundation and will allow GROW SD to make improvements to six homes. GROW SD has renovated and weatherized more than 9,300 homes in eastern South Dakota over the past four decades. In recent years, it has added a special focus on veteran households, with a goal of helping veterans make their homes safer, healthier, and more energy efficient. Through this program, dozens of Sout...

BIG IDEA COMPETITION OFFERS NEW AWARDS FOR 2019

Monday, August 12, 2019

by Kelly Weaver, Small Business Development Center Regional Director Youth! Entrepreneurship! Cash! Scholarships! These are the key ingredients in the 2019 BIG Idea Competition launching on September 1. High school students across South Dakota are invited to compete in this business idea competition where over $25,000 in cash and scholarships are awarded. Students will be able to submit their business idea applications online from September 1 until October 31, 2019. The online application as well as various resources and examples can be accessed at the BIG Idea website: www.BIGIdeaSD.com. For the optional marketing design competition, students can create an ad to suppor...

GROW SD Creates Homeowners

Thursday, July 18, 2019

GROW SD has been creating homeowners for over 50 years through a variety of services, such as pre-purchase counseling, homebuyer education, down payment assistance and direct mortgage lending. Many of our services are across the state of South Dakota. Our housing team has over 80 years of experience. GROW SD’s pre-purchase counseling and homebuyer education go hand-in-hand. Pre-purchase counseling offers a personalized approach to discussing the entire homeownership process with the customer; including setting up a personalized budget, debt and credit review, as well as reviewing financial products from various lenders. Homebuyer education covers the process for becoming a homeowner; fro...

GROW SD Receives Wells Fargo Grant for Homebuyer Education

Thursday, July 18, 2019

The Northeast South Dakota Community Action Program dba GROW South Dakota recently received a $7,500 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation’s Homeownership Counseling Grant Program to support homebuyer education and counseling. The Wells Fargo Foundation has been a longtime supporter of the GROW SD homebuyer education program. The grant will serve more than 125 participants who will receive homeownership counseling and financial education, which will help them to improve their credit scores, reduce personal debt and build their savings to reach the dream of buying a home. Participants will also learn how to build assets, access mainstream financial services, and gai...

Loans Available to New & Existing Businesses

Thursday, July 18, 2019

GROW South Dakota, (GROW SD) finances business development across the state of South Dakota. Business loans can be financed directly or in partnership with other local lenders. Partnerships with other lenders have proven to be a useful tool for economic development in the region. Lori Finnesand, GROW SD CEO, states, “GROW SD has funds available to lend to start-up or existing businesses. We can make smaller loans to individual businesses or partner with local banks on larger projects.” Loan funds may be used to purchase real estate, equipment, inventory, and/or working capital. Loan amounts typically range from $500 - $250,000. The amoun...

GROW South Dakota to Celebrate NeighborWorks Week

Tuesday, June 04, 2019

On, June 13, 2019, GROW South Dakota will host a poverty simulation in Aberdeen, SD in conjunction with a celebration of National NeighborWorks Week. During the Poverty Simulation, participants will assume the role of a low-income family member living on a limited budget. The goal is to create awareness about the struggles of families living in poverty and possibly change the way people view and interact with families who are struggling. Limited space is available. People interested in participating can contact GROW South Dakota or register here. Nationally NeighborWorks Week will be celebrated June 1-8, GROW South Dakota is part of th...

GROW SD Receives $2M for Down Payment Assistance

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

GROW South Dakota was recently awarded $2 million from the Capital Magnet Fund (CMF) of the U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund). GROW SD, a certified CDFI, will use the award for down payment assistance loans to assist low-income home purchasers. The CMF program focuses on affordable housing. GROW SD will use the funds to provide down payment assistance in the form of a deferred second mortgage to eligible borrowers. All of the funds are earmarked for people at or below 80% of the area median income. “We’re excited to receive our second CMF grant,” said Marcia Erickson...

GROW South Dakota Receives NeighborWorks America Grants

Tuesday, April 02, 2019

GROW South Dakota, a member of the NeighborWorks network, is receiving $564,000 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, dba NeighborWorks America. This grant will support its affordable housing and community development activities. “We’re pleased to receive this funding from NeighborWorks America,” said GROW SD CEO Marcia Erickson. “NeighborWorks funds are critical to the success of the programs and services we provide. We’re able to use these funds to further our mission of building sustainable communities in South Dakota.” The grants will be used to support housing lending as well as organizational operations. In 2018, GROW SD helped nearly 500 people and familie...

The Farmer’s Wife Boutique Thrives Amidst Challenges

Monday, April 01, 2019

Samantha Miller, owner of the Farmer’s Wife Boutique in Aberdeen, recently received the Small Business Administration’s 2019 Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year Award for South Dakota. The SBA presented the Award during the recent Women’s Business Conference in Aberdeen. Samantha started her career in healthcare, but when she was expecting her daughter, she became passionate about being a stay-at-home mother, so she looked at other options. With encouragement from family and friends, she started a women's lifestyle boutique offering clothing, shoes, purses, jewelry, accessories, and unique gifts. She launched The Farmer's Wife Boutique on Facebook in 2014 from her hom...

Grant Awarded to Address Veterans and Homelessness

Tuesday, February 05, 2019

GROW South Dakota will be able to expand its pilot program to support low-income veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness in South Dakota with various housing-related services thanks to a recent grant. The Bring Them HOMES Veterans Initiative of the National Equity Fund supported the creation of the program with a 2017 grant and added additional funds in early 2019. The contribution was funded by Citi Community Development. Under the program, GROW SD focuses on two general areas: home improvements for low-income veterans and emergency services grants for low-income veterans and those at risk of homelessness. The funding allows GRO...

What are your needs?

Tuesday, February 05, 2019

Every three years, GROW South Dakota conducts a Needs Assessment Survey to determine what residents see as the most important issues in GROW SD’s service area. The agency uses the findings in its planning for the future. GROW SD invites area residents to complete the survey, which can be found at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TFFK6CJ. It only takes a few minutes to complete. The organization hopes to receive 500 survey responses this year. In 2016, GROW SD received more than 375 responses to its needs assessment survey. That survey provided interesting information to inform planning. One question asked respondents how certain topics ranked as need...

GROW SD Builds New Homes in Sisseton

Saturday, January 26, 2019

In many rural communities across the country, housing is a critical need. Since quality housing is a prerequisite for towns to be able to grow and thrive, organizations like GROW South Dakota are stepping in to help solve this problem. GROW SD has been working since the early 1990s to develop housing opportunities throughout the state. The organization recently built three spec houses in Sisseton that are available for sale. Area employers have expressed that they are having a hard time filling jobs, due to lack of housing options for workers. According to GROW SD Chief Operating Officer Lori Moen, “Quality renta...

BIG IDEA COMPETITION LAUNCHES STATEWIDE

Thursday, October 04, 2018

Youth! Entrepreneurship! Cash! Scholarships! These are the key ingredients in the 2018 BIG Idea Competition, which launched on September 1. High school students across South Dakota are invited to compete in this business idea competition where winners will receive over $5,500 in cash awards and scholarships. Students may work individually or as a team and will be able to submit their business idea applications online until October 31, 2018. The online application as well as various resources and examples can be accessed at the BIG Idea website: www.BIGIdeaSD.com. For the optional marketing design competition, which carries a $500 cash prize, students will creat...

GROW SD Receives Over $1.4 Million in CDFI Funding

Thursday, October 04, 2018

GROW South Dakota was recently awarded $1.45 million from the U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund). GROW South Dakota and the Northeast South Dakota Economic Corporation (NESDEC), both of which are certified CDFIs, received the awards, which will expand their small business and first mortgage housing lending programs. The announcement came in September. GROW South Dakota received a grant of $950,000 in CDFI Financial Assistance funds, which will support its direct lending program for housing mortgages. Of the total, $250,000 will be directed to focus on South Dakota counties identified by the CDFI Fund as areas of persistent poverty. NESDE...

GROW SD to Celebrate Weatherization Day

Thursday, October 04, 2018

BIG Idea Competition Opens September 1

Wednesday, August 08, 2018

by Kelly Weaver, Small Business Development Center Regional Director Entrepreneurship - taking initiative and risk in a business venture - is one key to supporting our rural economies The BIG Idea Competition, entering its eleventh year, seeks to promote entrepreneurship, spur creative thinking, and encourage students to start a business. The BIG Idea Competition is a free business idea competition for high school students. Students submit a written description of their business idea and compete for over $5,500 in cash awards and scholarships. There is also an optional Marketing Design award where students create an ad to support their business idea. Additiona...

GROW SD Grant Supports Faulkton Elevator Mural

Monday, July 09, 2018

GROW South Dakota has received a grant that will support a unique mural going up in Faulkton this summer. Australian artist Guido van Helten, who has created large murals on public buildings around the world, will be painting images representative of the people of the Faulkton area on the grain elevator there. GROW SD received a grant from a Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) program meant to support arts and culture projects that help drive economic development. Van Helten was recruited to Faulkton to paint the Agtegra elevator in order to create a one-of-a-kind South Dakota artwork in the tow...

Unique Board Structure Guides GROW South Dakota

Monday, July 09, 2018

GROW South Dakota is not a typical nonprofit organization. Governing an affiliation of three separate, independent nonprofits with complementary missions and shared staff can be a challenge, but the boards of directors of the three agencies are up to the task. Each organization has its own board of directors. NESDCAP, founded as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty, has a 15-member board, divided into groups serving from three sets of counties in the 17-county service area. By law, board members must represent low-income, private, or public official constituencies. NESDEC also has a 15-member board representing its 22-county service area...

Celebrating Homeownership Month

Tuesday, June 05, 2018

June is National Homeownership Month, a time to recognize how owning a home relates not just to achieving the American Dream, but also to providing stable lives for families and creating stronger neighborhoods and communities. Homeownership is always a focus for GROW South Dakota, as we provide a variety of products and services to help people purchase or improve their homes. GROW SD has made 324 loans this year. GROW SD is putting three newly constructed single family homes on the market in Sisseton. These two bedroom, two bath homes include a two-car garage and are 1,140-1,230 square feet. Construction o...

GROW SD Celebrates Community during NeighborWorks Week

Tuesday, June 05, 2018

During NeighborWorks Week, GROW South Dakota will host two open houses on June 6, 11 AM to 6 PM, with lunch being served 11 AM to 2 PM. The homes are located at 616 8th Ave E., and 105 Arnie Dr., Sisseton, SD. This year’s theme is “Advancing Opportunity,” and NeighborWorks organizations advance opportunity by empowering residents and communities with the tools, skills and services they need to help everyone thrive. GROW South Dakota and other NeighborWorks organizations across the country will mobilize tens of thousands of residents, business people and government officials in a week of neighborhood change and awareness...

Celebrating Community Action Month

Monday, April 30, 2018

In May, community action agencies nationwide observe Community Action Month, a period set aside to recognize the contributions that nonprofits, volunteers, and other committed citizens can make in improving their communities. The Northeast South Dakota Community Action Program (NESDCAP) dba GROW South Dakota has been at it for 50 years. It was created in 1966, soon after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which created Community Action Agencies as part of the War on Poverty. GROW South Dakota was established to wage the war on poverty by implementing innovative and cost-effective programs to improve the lives an...

Encouraging Homegrown Businesses

Monday, April 30, 2018

Small businesses can have a big impact. Did you know that two out of three new private-sector jobs in the United States since the Great Recession were created by small businesses? Since 1963, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week. In 2018, this week falls between April 29 and May 5. It’s a time to honor the remarkable contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. For the first time this year, the Small Business Alliance is hosting a virtual conference as part of National Small Business Week. This is a wonderful opportunity fo...

Down Payment Funds Deploying Ahead of Schedule

Wednesday, April 04, 2018

GROW South Dakota has received $4.1 million in funding to support down payment assistance for families with low to moderate income. In April 2017, GROW SD received funding from Project Reinvest for 200 deferred loans at $10,500 each and was expected to deploy them within two years. In November, 2017, the Wells Fargo Neighborhood LIFT funding for 225 forgivable loans at $7,500 each was launched and also had a two-year deployment time. In both programs, the down payment assistance was paired with a first mortgage typically financed by a Grow SD approved lender. As of late March 2018, GROW SD ha...

BIG Idea Competition Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Special Speaker and Entrepreneurship Survey

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

The BIG Idea Competition—the business idea contest for South Dakota high school students—is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2017 with a few new wrinkles. The basics of the competition remain the same as they have since its founding in 2007. High school students are invited to work individually or in small teams to produce a description of a business idea and enter it at www.bigideasd.com by October 31. After judging by hundreds of volunteers statewide, the top eight finalists will present their ideas at a final event on December 7 in Aberdeen. Winners receive cash prizes and scholarships from Norther...

2015 BUSH PRIZE Winner Video

Monday, April 11, 2016

On November 10, 2015, GROW South Dakota was one of eight organizations in the Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota region to be awarded the Bush Prize for Community Innovation from the Bush Foundation. This prestigious annual award honors and supports innovative organizations with a track record of making great ideas happen. This is a tremendous opportunity for GROW South Dakota to celebrate our breakthroughs in addressing rural community needs more effectively, equitably and sustainably. As a winner of the Bush Prize, GROW South Dakota receives a package of recognition, networking opportunities to create new partnerships, and a grant o...

GROW SD Receives State Farm® Grant to Prepare Homebuyers

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

GROW South Dakota recently received a Good Neighbor Citizenship Grant from State Farm for its Preparing Homebuyers project. The project provides tools and coaching for prospective homebuyers in evaluating their readiness to purchase a home, preparing to apply for a mortgage, and building their understanding of all aspects of owning a home. The grant will fund the creation of a Homebuyers Toolkit containing information on basic steps in preparing for homeownership. The project also includes coaching of prospective homebuyers by GROW South Dakota staff to make a successful application for a home mortgage. About State Farm®: The mission of State Farm is t...

GROW SD in the News

A Half-Century of Serving South Dakotans