Souris Basin Planning Council

What Souris Basin Planning Council does

Souris Basin Planning Council (SBPC) is a nonprofit regional planning council incorporated in North Dakota in 1973 under ND Century Code 54-40.1, originally established by Executive Order No. 49 in 1969. The organization serves as the designated planning entity for North Dakota Region 2, encompassing seven counties in north central North Dakota, with a stated mission of supporting communities, leaders, and entrepreneurs to advance regional economic progress. Headquartered in Minot, ND, SBPC operates two principal service lines: Business Financing Programs (including revolving loan funds and PACE/Flex PACE financing administered in partnership with Bank of North Dakota) and the Community Builder Program, an AmeriCorps intermediary sponsorship that places VISTA and State service members at nonprofit and public-sector host sites for capacity building. Supporting offerings include technical assistance for business planning, strategic planning documents (CEDS 2024-2028, Resiliency Strategy, Impact Reports, OKR Reports), and specialized initiatives such as a 2.5-year Economic Recovery Corps Fellowship focused on food system development.

SBPC's underlying operations are non-technological, relying instead on direct community engagement, partnerships, and grant administration rather than a proprietary software platform. Its technology footprint is limited to a Wix-hosted public website, an online consultation booking system, and standard productivity tooling; there is no evidence of proprietary technology, AI/ML systems, APIs, or SDKs. The Community Builder Program handles end-to-end administration of AmeriCorps member placements for host organizations, while Business Financing provides technical assistance and loan origination for SMBs such as Jason's Super Foods, Velva Fresh Foods, Drake Fresh Foods, and Chaos Games. Named nonprofit host sites include Minot Area Council of the Arts, Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Great Plains Food Bank, FARRMS, and Best Friends Mentoring.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through grant funding and program administration rather than commercial sales. Primary streams include AmeriCorps/CNCS intermediary sponsorship grants administered through Serve ND, government and foundation grants (EDA, Bush Foundation), and business financing programs delivered in partnership with Bank of North Dakota. Specific fee structures are not publicly disclosed, and services are predominantly provided at no cost to communities, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit host sites. SBPC serves an explicitly mission-driven beneficiary base — small towns, rural entrepreneurs, and capacity-constrained nonprofits — and does not operate with conventional revenue-per-customer economics.

Name

Souris Basin Planning Council

Legal name

Souris Basin Planning Council

Website

https://sourisbasin.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Souris Basin Planning Council is a North Dakota nonprofit regional planning council serving Region 2 (seven counties) through business financing, technical assistance, and an AmeriCorps intermediary program placing capacity-building members at nonprofit host sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Economic Development Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAOAL

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) & Reporting for Donor Programs

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Donor Coordination, Grantmaking & Development Finance Programs

Keywords

• Regional economic development
• Business loan programs
• Community planning services
• AmeriCorps program administration
• Rural development support

Headquarters

HQ city

Minot

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. AmeriCorps Program Administration: SBPC serves as an intermediary sponsor for AmeriCorps North Dakota, receiving grant funding from Serve ND to recruit, train, and supervise AmeriCorps host sites and members. This includes federal funding through the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).
2. Government and Foundation Grants: The organization receives funding through various government and foundation grants, including partnerships with the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for the Economic Recovery Corps program and The Bush Foundation for regional food system initiatives.
3. Business Financing Programs: SBPC administers revolving loan funds and financing programs for businesses in the region, including partnerships with Bank of North Dakota for PACE and Flex PACE programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Souris Basin Planning Council is a nonprofit regional planning organization serving North Dakota Region 2. It administers business financing programs (revolving loan funds, PACE/Flex PACE), places AmeriCorps members through its Community Builder Program, hosts the Economic Recovery Corps Fellowship, and provides technical assistance and Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) planning support to communities, businesses, and entrepreneurs across seven counties in the Souris River basin region.

Product overview

Souris Basin Planning Council operates as an economic development organization serving North Dakota Region 2, offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services centered around two primary pillars: Business Financing Programs (providing financing and technical assistance to entrepreneurs) and the Community Builder Program (an AmeriCorps intermediary program connecting nonprofit and public organizations with dedicated service members). Supporting these core offerings are strategic planning tools including CEDS documents, Impact Reports, and OKR Reports that track organizational outcomes, along with specialized initiatives like the Economic Recovery Corps Fellowship focused on food system development. The organization does not operate as a technology platform but rather as a planning and development council that facilitates regional economic progress through community partnerships, financing programs, and capacity-building services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Community Builder Program: An AmeriCorps program that offers capacity building support to North Dakota non-profit and community-support organizations by placing AmeriCorps members at host sites.

Products and services

• Revolving Loan Fund A business financing program providing revolving capital to small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Souris Basin region of North Dakota for the purpose of job creation and retention, business startup and expansion, and local economic development.
• PACE / Flex PACE Programs Primary Care and Flex Primary Care Access programs (PACE) for community investment, and a Flex PACE program providing participating banks with a 0% deposit from the Council to enable lower-interest loans to small businesses and startups in the region.
• AmeriCorps Community Builder Program A federal AmeriCorps member placement program that hosts national service members at nonprofit, government, and tribal organizations across North Dakota Region 2 to build capacity for community service, economic development, and capacity-building initiatives.
• Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Planning Regional economic development strategy planning process that assesses the regional economy, sets goals, and develops an actionable implementation strategy for the seven-county region served by the Council.
• Economic Recovery Corps Fellowship A fellowship program hosted by the Council that places an Economic Recovery Corps Fellow at a host organization in the region for two years (renewable for a third year) to advance regional economic recovery and development initiatives.
• Technical Assistance for Communities and Entrepreneurs Advisory and capacity-building support offered to communities, businesses, and entrepreneurs across the seven-county region on planning, project development, and economic development matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60 jobs created through Jason's Super Foods New Town location financing
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Economic Recovery Corps / International Economic Development Council (IEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024SBPC was selected as a host site for the Economic Recovery Corps program, funded by EDA under the CARES Act and led by IEDC. SBPC hosts ERC Fellow Felicity Merritt for 2.5 years to work on cultivating a thriving food system. SBPC is one of 65 host sites selected from over 500 applications.
• Domestic Violence Crisis Center (DVCC)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2020DVCC partnered with SBPC in 2020 as a Community Builder host site. SBPC helped DVCC secure an AmeriCorps VISTA to support sustainable strategies and programming. The VISTA eventually converted to a full-time position at DVCC.
• City of MinotcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019In 2019, SBPC partnered with the City of Minot to serve as the community match to access Bank of North Dakota PACE and Flex PACE programs for small businesses. This partnership enables access to financing programs for entrepreneurs and businesses in the region.
• Bank of North DakotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBPC partners with Bank of North Dakota to administer PACE (Participation Assistance for Community Expansion) and Flex PACE programs, providing financing options for small businesses in North Dakota.
• North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNDAREC leads the Rural Development Finance Corporation, staffing the initiative to develop a regional grocery and local food hub model. SBPC is a partner in this multi-year effort to strengthen rural food systems.
• Foundation for Agricultural and Rural Resource Management and Sustainability (FARRMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFARRMS is a partner in the Economic Recovery Corps initiative and collaborates with SBPC on local foods initiatives. FARRMS Executive Director Stephanie Blumhagen participates in regional food events and programs.
• Serve NDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServe ND provides grant funding and technical assistance to SBPC to recruit, train, and supervise AmeriCorps North Dakota host sites and members meeting community needs across North Dakota.
• AmeriCorps / Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBPC is an AmeriCorps North Dakota partner, serving as an intermediary sponsor that receives AmeriCorps slots/grants from CNCS and provides resources to eligible organizations. SBPC handles administrative services, technical support, training, and oversight for partner organizations.
• Minot Area Council of the Arts (MACA)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMACA is a host site for AmeriCorps members through SBPC's Community Builder Program. MACA has hosted multiple AmeriCorps members since 2021, with the organization's events coordinator role supported through this partnership.
• Great Plains Food BankmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreat Plains Food Bank is a host site for AmeriCorps VISTA members through the Community Builder Program, supporting the Ending Hunger 2.0 initiative with research, data collection, and database implementation statewide.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC): Nonprofit providing financing, training, and capacity-building services to rural communities across the Western US. Closely comparable to SBPC in mission, target audience (rural communities and small water/utilities/infrastructure), and use of revolving loan funds for rural economic development.
• Lake Agassiz Regional Council: Regional planning council serving counties in northwestern Minnesota with a comparable structure (county commissioner representation, multi-county regional planning scope, economic development mission). Operates in adjacent Upper Midwest geography with the same statutory-council model as SBPC.
• Center for Rural Affairs: Nebraska-based nonprofit advocating for rural community economic development, supporting small businesses, and producing rural policy research. Comparable programmatic focus on rural economic resilience, small business support, and food systems — areas where SBPC's Economic Recovery Corps Fellow is active.

Others

• National Association of Development Organizations (NADO): National membership association representing regional development organizations like SBPC. Provides peer networking, federal advocacy, and capacity-building resources for multi-county planning and economic development organizations across the US.
• Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA): National association promoting development finance best practices and tools including PACE programs. Relevant peer given SBPC's role administering PACE and Flex PACE financing for small businesses in partnership with Bank of North Dakota.
• Opportunity Finance Network: National network of community development financial institutions (CDFIs). SBPC's revolving loan fund and PACE program administration align directly with the CDFI community development finance model OFN represents.

Emerging players

• Foundation for Agricultural and Rural Resource Management and Sustainability (FARRMS): ND-based nonprofit working on local foods, sustainable agriculture, and rural resource management — explicitly listed as an SBPC partner on the Economic Recovery Corps initiative and Farms Tour Project. Highly comparable in food-systems and rural-development focus.
• Heartland Center for Leadership Development: Nebraska-based nonprofit providing leadership training and community development services to rural Midwest communities. Comparable mission around rural community capacity-building in a geographically and demographically similar region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC28uVjbkKGXmmenD3v69HQQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/sbpcnd
• Instagraminstagram.com/sourisbasin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/souris-basin-planning-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Souris Basin Planning Council