The Grand Forks-based SCORE chapter, which offers free mentoring to people starting or running small businesses, is now part of a larger group. Per the Grand Forks Herald, three regional SCORE chapters combined into one, effective Oct. 1. InForum's syndicated coverage calls the new chapter SCORE Dakotas.
The Details
- The merged chapters are Grand Forks and West Central North Dakota, Greater Fargo, and South Dakota, per the Herald and InForum.
- The coverage reports a pool of more than 50 mentors. It also says the three former chapters combined mentored more than 600 clients in fiscal year 2026 and held more than 1,500 mentoring sessions.
- Steve Moser, a Grand Forks mentor, and Sheila Bruhn of East Grand Forks, co-chair of SCORE Dakotas, are the local names in the coverage. Bruhn said the merger allows greater efficiencies and better use of mentors' experience, knowledge and resources, per the reports.
- The Herald reports that national SCORE periodically combines chapters for greater administrative efficiency, and that combining chapters saves money on software licenses and other needs.
The Backstory
The Herald previously reported that the Grand Forks chapter received a SCORE district-level Chapter of the Year award for a second consecutive year.
What It Means for Grand Forks
Entrepreneurs in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks now draw on a mentor pool that reaches across the Dakotas, not only the local group. According to the coverage, to request mentoring, visit score.org, click "Work with a Mentor" and enter your zip code. The coverage we reviewed did not say whether mentoring will stay in person locally or how workshops will be scheduled. Check ahead on those points.
Before You Go
- We found no local office address, phone number or workshop calendar in the coverage. Check score.org for current contacts and events; older pages for the former chapters may still be online and out of date.
Sources: Grand Forks Herald; InForum syndication; Minot Daily News.
