Investing Partner - Lakota Funds
Personal Capital. Community Opportunity.
My support for Lakota Funds includes $58,000 across two commitments: a $50,000, one-year personal impact investment and a separate $8,000 charitable contribution to its Veterans Match Savings Program.
Together, these commitments support Native-led economic development and an opportunity for a Native veteran to build lasting financial stability.
A Personal Investment in Pine Ridge
In September 2026, I made a $50,000, one-year impact investment in Lakota Funds. This repayable investment places capital with a Native-led Community Development Financial Institution working to expand access to credit and economic opportunity.
My decision followed a personal visit to Pine Ridge and conversations with Executive Director Tawney Brunsch. Those experiences reinforced the importance of backing people and institutions already doing the work—helping Native entrepreneurs, families, and communities build financial strength on their own terms.
Lakota Funds’ vision, “Sovereignty Through Self-Reliance,” reflects the purpose behind this investment: supporting locally determined opportunity through access to capital.
Four Decades of Community-Led Work
Established in 1986, Lakota Funds combines lending with financial education, business support, and relationships rooted in the communities it serves.
My role is to place resources behind that experience and Native leadership. Through my personal commitments and my work with Hart Legacy Press, I hope to encourage others to learn about and support institutions helping communities build their own futures.
Supporting Native Veterans
I have completed a separate $8,000 charitable contribution to Lakota Funds’ Veterans Match Savings Program, funding the match for one participating Native veteran.
As a combat veteran, this commitment carries particular meaning. It supports another veteran’s efforts to create stability, build assets, and provide for their family.
The program serves Native veterans on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations, combining financial education with a 4-to-1 savings match:
The veteran saves $2,000.
Lakota Funds provides an $8,000 match.
Together, that creates $10,000 for a home, essential home improvements, or a business.
Participants have used these resources to purchase and repair homes, make down payments, replace critical home systems, install water and septic services, and start or expand businesses.
From Service to Sovereignty: How Matched Savings Help Native Veterans Build Community Wealth →
The Veterans Day Campaign
Lakota Funds’ goal is to secure the resources by November 11, 2026, to give every veteran on its waiting list the opportunity to participate.
Its September 2026 campaign summary reported:
24 veterans served
10 veterans who had completed the program
14 veterans participating
34 veterans waiting for the opportunity to participate
Lakota Funds launched the program using its own earned revenue. NeighborWorks has committed $50,000, enough to fund matches for six additional Native veterans. My contribution adds support for one more veteran’s match.
$8,000 funds one veteran’s match.
$40,000 funds five matches.
$80,000 funds ten matches.
Building on This Commitment
I am also exploring additional matching and crowdfunding opportunities with Tawney Brunsch and the Lakota Funds team. Through my personal involvement and Hart Legacy Press, I welcome opportunities to organize, support, and promote campaigns that help more Native veterans participate.
As those plans develop, I will share ways to get involved, along with information about who administers each campaign and how contributions reach the program.
Learn More or Get Involved
To learn about the Veterans Match Savings Program or discuss supporting the campaign, contact Lakota Funds directly:
Tawney Brunsch — Executive Director
tbrunsch@lakotafunds.org
605-455-2500
Learn about the Veterans Match Savings Program →
Contact Tawney about supporting Native veterans →
Major (Ret.) Michael P. Hart
Author and Founder
Hart Legacy Press, LLC
mph-author.com
