At a glance
From its website, read 2 Nov 2026Dakota Business Lending is a loan fund based in Fargo, North Dakota. Its website describes SBA-backed loans and small-business loans. Stated loan amounts run from $1,000 to $5.5M. Where it lends: North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Minnesota.
Each point is backed by a quote further down this page. Terms change: confirm with the lender.
How to reach them and apply
| Main | (701) 293-8892 source |
|---|---|
| Website | www.dakotabusinesslending.com |
| Office (official list) | 5630 36th Ave. S, Fargo, ND 58104 |
What their website says about applying
Contact a loan officer to determine eligibility
sourceFill out an application (online or paper!)
sourceApplying for a Direct Business Loan involves submitting an application that includes business information, financial statements
source
Phone numbers and addresses are the ones on the lender's own site and the CDFI Fund list. CDFI Atlas does not take applications.
Rates and terms they state
Read 2 Nov 2026| Loan | Stated | Text on the lender's site (verbatim) | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage) | Term: 10 yr–25 yr | 10, 20, and 25-year terms | source |
As published on the lender's website on that date, not an offer or a quote. Your rate depends on the lender's review. A missing rate means the pages we read did not state one. For consumer loans we repeat a rate only when the lender states it as an APR (annual percentage rate, which includes fees); otherwise read the lender's own wording and ask for the APR.
Official record
CDFI Fund list, 21 Oct 2026| Institution type | Loan fund |
|---|---|
| Native CDFI | No |
| Date certified (as listed) | 13 Jul 2025 |
| RSSD ID | — (none listed) |
| Address | 5630 36th Ave. S, Fargo, ND 58104 Directions (Google Maps) |
| Website | www.dakotabusinesslending.com |
Head officeBranch or officeApproximate (ZIP code area)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, © OpenMapTiles, tiles OpenFreeMap. Head-office points: U.S. Census Bureau geocoder.
Loans and eligibility
Verified from lender site on 2 Nov 2026Read from 7 pages of the lender's website on 2 Nov 2026. Quotes are verbatim. Extracted with AI help from the pages listed below and checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a person. Confidence: high. Terms change — confirm with the lender before applying.
| Product | Amount stated | Text on the lender's site (verbatim, incl. menu labels) | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage) | $25,000 – $5.5M | – $25,000 - $5.5 million | source |
| Small-business loans | $1,000 – $75,000 | Loan options ranging from $1,000 - $75,000. | source |
Loan sizes
Range used for the size filter: $1,000 to $5.5M
Service area
North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Minnesota
While our footprint spans across North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota, we have loan officers native to each state
source
Statewide: Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota
Borrower focus
- Startups
Both startups and established businesses may qualify, depending on project feasibility and financial stability.
source
Languages
- No non-English service found on the pages we read.
Online application
No online application link found on the pages we read.
Pages read (7)
- https://dakotabusinesslending.com/
- https://dakotabusinesslending.com/business-owners/
- https://dakotabusinesslending.com/loans/direct-business-loan/
- https://dakotabusinesslending.com/lenders/
- https://dakotabusinesslending.com/loans/new-markets-tax-credit/
- https://dakotabusinesslending.com/commercial-loans/
- https://dakotabusinesslending.com/sba-504-loan-north-fork-precision/
Questions to ask when you contact them
Based on what their website said when we read it on 2 Nov 2026, and what it left out. Something missing here does not mean they don't offer it: ask.
- What interest rate and fees should I expect on your SBA-backed loans and small-business loans?
Their website does not state a rate for this. - Do you need collateral, a business plan or a minimum time in business?
Their website does not say what they require. - Can I apply online, or do I need to call or visit?
We found no online application on their website. - Do you offer free coaching or help preparing my application?
CDFI certification requires development services, such as training or advice, alongside lending. - What documents will you need from me, and how long does a decision usually take?
Their website describes some application steps (above); ask for the full document list.
Write down the answers, who you spoke to and the date, and ask for the terms in writing before you sign.
CDFI Fund awards
CDFI Fund database, 3 Nov 2026$125,000 in 1 award from the U.S. Treasury's CDFI Fund, 2022 (CDFI Program, Technical Assistance).
| Round year | Program | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | CDFI Program, Technical Assistance | $125,000 |
These are awards and investments made to the institution itself to build its capital and capacity. They are not loans to borrowers, and an award does not mean the lender has money available for a particular loan today.
Source: CDFI Fund Searchable Awards Database, all 12,628 award records (1996–2025), read 3 Nov 2026. Years are the award round as the database lists it. Matched to the official CDFI list by exact name and state; see the method on the About page.
Size of the fund (IRS Form 990)
Fiscal year ending Dec 2023| Total assets | $8.8M |
|---|---|
| Total liabilities | $3.9M |
| Net assets | $4.9M |
| Total revenue | $3.5M |
| Notes and loans receivable, net (Part X line 7) | $2.1M |
End-of-year figures from the Form 990 this organisation filed with the IRS for the fiscal year ending December 2023 (tax year 2023; EIN 45-0443523, filed as “DAKOTA BUSINESS LENDING”), taken from the IRS Annual Extract of Tax-Exempt Organization Financial Data (returns processed in 2024). Figures are self-reported to the IRS, not audited by us, and lag one to two years behind today. The lender’s own annual report may show newer numbers. This organisation’s filings on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
Filings over time
| Fiscal year ending | Total assets | Net assets | Revenue | Notes and loans receivable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2021 (990) | $6.9M | $3.5M | $2.3M | $1.4M |
| Dec 2022 (990) | $6.8M | $4.1M | $2.7M | $1.8M |
| Dec 2023 (990) | $8.8M | $4.9M | $3.5M | $2.1M |
Total assets grew 28% from Dec 2021 to Dec 2023; notes and loans receivable rose 49%. One row per fiscal year in the IRS extracts of returns processed in 2022, 2023, 2024; “—” = the line was empty or zero on that return (a fund can book its loans on other lines).
How it compares
Computed from public data| Measure | This lender | Compared with |
|---|---|---|
| Largest loan its website states | $5.5M | Other loan funds whose website states a maximum: median $250,000. Higher than the stated maximum of 89% of these 184. |
| Total assets, latest IRS Form 990 | $8.8M | Larger than 35% of the 449 other certified loan funds and venture funds nationwide with a matched Form 990 (median $15.6M). |
How these comparisons were worked out
| Measure | Peer group (this lender left out) | Peers | Where this lender sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largest stated loan | other loan funds stating a maximum, nationwide | 184 | higher than 89% |
| Form 990 total assets | certified loan and venture funds with a Form 990, nationwide | 449 | larger than 35% |
“Larger than X%” = the share of the peer group with a smaller value. Ranks count from the largest. Peer groups use the lender's home state when it has at least 5 peers, otherwise the whole country. Full definitions: methodology.
For comparison, not an offer and not a rating. Past records show what this lender did, not what you would be offered. Peer groups and sources: methodology. Form 990 figures: IRS annual extracts (see the Form 990 section).
SBA loans approved
SBA data as of 30 Sep 2026The SBA's public loan data lists 334 SBA-backed approvals for Dakota Business Lending in fiscal years 2020–2026 (October 2019 to September 2026):
- 3 7(a) loans as the lender: $751,000 in total (gross amount approved), median $250,000
- 331 504 loans as the Certified Development Company (CDC): $241.1M in total (CDC (SBA-backed) portion approved), median $423,000
By fiscal year: FY2020 46 · FY2021 61 · FY2022 55 · FY2023 40 · FY2024 45 · FY2025 48 · FY2026 39.
What actually happened
- Size of its 504 loans (the CDC's SBA-backed portion): half were between $227,000 and $840,000, median $423,000 (331 loans)
- Term of its 504 loans (the CDC's SBA-backed portion): median 300 months (25 years) (331 loans)
Descriptive only: what the SBA file records for loans this lender approved in fiscal years 2020–2026. Each figure covers at least 10 loans; with fewer we show nothing. It is not an offer, not the rate or term you would get, and says nothing about your chance of approval.
By program
- 504 loans (as the Certified Development Company) (331, 99%)
- 7(a) Community Advantage (3, 1%)
Borrower industries
NAICS sector, 3 or more loans.
- Other services (except public administration) (49)
- Accommodation and food services (48)
- Retail trade (46)
- Construction (37)
- Health care and social assistance (35)
Where borrowers are
County of the borrower's ZIP code, 3 or more loans.
- Cass County, ND (75)
- Burleigh County, ND (31)
- Ward County, ND (30)
- Gallatin County, MT (27)
- Stark County, ND (19)
- Williams County, ND (15)
- Clay County, MN (11)
- Yellowstone County, MT (11)
- Otter Tail County, MN (7)
- Morton County, ND (6)
- Fergus County, MT (6)
- Missoula County, MT (6)
- Mercer County, ND (4)
- Stutsman County, ND (4)
- Silver Bow County, MT (4)
- Grand Forks County, ND (4)
- Lewis and Clark County, MT (4)
- McKenzie County, ND (3)
- Mountrail County, ND (3)
- Richland County, MT (3)
- Traill County, ND (3)
- McLeod County, MN (3)
How this lender was matched in the SBA files: SBA CDC ID 0188253: same name, state and city (SBA lists “Dakota Business Lending”); SBA lender ID 0188253: same name, state and city (SBA lists “Dakota Business Lending”).
Approved is not the same as paid out: an approved loan can be reduced or never drawn. SBA lists the lender each loan is currently assigned to, which can differ after a merger or loan sale. Dakota Business Lending may also make loans outside SBA programs, which are not counted here, and SBA Microloans are not in these files. For 504 projects, the CDC amount is the SBA-backed portion and the third-party lender amount is that lender's own first-lien loan.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) & 504 FOIA loan data, files as of 30 Sep 2026, downloaded 3 Nov 2026. Our counts, cancelled approvals left out. How we match lenders.
Other certified CDFIs in Fargo and North Dakota
- CommunityWorks North DakotaLoan fund · Mandan, NDOfficial list only
Work at Dakota Business Lending? Link to this page
Paste this into your website to show you are listed. If anything here is wrong, tell us first (how).
Something wrong or out of date on this page? Use the contact page or email contact@cdfiatlas.com and name the page.
CDFI Atlas is not a lender and does not give financial advice. Inclusion is not an endorsement, and lenders have not reviewed or approved these pages. Disclaimer.