Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership

Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership, doing business as Community Action, is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization headquartered in Madison, South Dakota, that operates as a federal grant recipient delivering rural housing assistance, homelessness intervention and prevention services, volunteer tax preparation, senior nutrition, and early childhood education programs across East Central South Dakota. The organization acts primarily as a grant recipient (55% of recent awards) with substantial sub-recipient activity (45% of awards) flowing through state agencies and local jurisdictions.

The organization's grant portfolio spans five principal federal programs. Rural Self-Help Housing Technical Assistance (CFDA 10.420) from the Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service represents the largest and most consistent revenue stream, with awards totaling approximately $1.7 million since 2021 for delivering construction expertise, homebuyer education, financial counseling, and community outreach enabling very low- and low-income families to build homes through self-help construction methods. The most recent USDA award, a $320,205 project grant issued on March 30, 2026, runs through May 30, 2027. Continuum of Care (CoC) Program funding (CFDA 14.267) from the Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development accounts for over $1.5 million in cumulative awards since 2021 and supports permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, supportive services, and Homeless Management Information Systems operations across South Dakota; recent awards include a $742,711 project grant effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026, and a $125,419 award effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) matching grants from the Internal Revenue Service fund volunteer-staffed tax preparation sites serving low-to-moderate-income individuals, persons with disabilities, non-English speakers, Native Americans, rural residents, military families, and seniors; awards (CFDA 14.267 referenced in source) run on annual cycles ending September 30. Head Start and Early Head Start (CFDA 93.600) from the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living supports early childhood education; a five-year project grant awarded February 1, 2024, runs through January 31, 2029. Inter-Lakes also receives sub-awards flowing through South Dakota Department of Education (National School Lunch Program), South Dakota Department of Human Services (congregate and home-delivered meals for seniors under Title III C, Community Services Block Grant, Weatherization Assistance Program, Low Income Energy Assistance), and local jurisdictions (tenant-based rental assistance, homelessness case management).

Customer concentration aligns with the organization's grant-focused model. The top five funding agencies account for 74% of awards. HUD Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development leads with 24 awards (primarily CoC Program), followed by the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (13 awards), Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living (11 awards), the Internal Revenue Service (7 awards), and USDA Rural Housing Service (6 awards). The organization served ten distinct customer agencies across the period covered by the source data.

Activity shows growth over the past five years—from four awards in 2022 to seventeen awards in 2025—with only three awards recorded year-to-date in 2026. Four awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, creating modest recompete exposure. The organization's sub-recipient footprint spans state departments and municipalities, with sub-awards delivering nutrition services, energy assistance, school lunch administration, and rental assistance case management to South Dakota populations. Combined federal dollars obligated across all awards total $156.6 million since the earliest award in the source data (February 1970).