Foundations & Grantmakers in South Dakota
528 grantmakers in South Dakota reported $1.2B in grants on their latest 990s. The largest by giving are The Signatry Charitable Trust, Sanford Health Foundation and Esther and Harold Mertz Foundation. The list below is sorted by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse South Dakota grants
Foundation giving in South Dakota at a glance
Active grantmakers
528
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$1.2B
sum of latest 990s
Typical grant
$23K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$67K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in South Dakota by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Signatry Charitable Trust | Sioux Falls | $566.8M | 1,763 |
| 2 | Sanford Health Foundation | Sioux Falls | $55.0M | 6 |
| 3 | Esther and Harold Mertz Foundation | Sioux Falls | $53.8M | 9 |
| 4 | South Dakota Community Foundation | Pierre | $39.7M | 390 |
| 5 | Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation | Sioux Falls | $38.0M | 308 |
| 6 | University of South Dakota Foundation | Vermillion | $26.6M | 6 |
| 7 | Sanford Group Return | Sioux Falls | $25.9M | 166 |
| 8 | Seeds of Change Foundation | Sioux Falls | $11.1M | 6 |
| 9 | NDN Collective Inc | Rapid City | $10.3M | 72 |
| 10 | Waitt Foundation | North Sioux City | $9.9M | 42 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 5 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 29 · 26%
- Health 15 · 14%
- Religion Related 10 · 9%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 10 · 9%
- Human Services 9 · 8%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 8 · 7%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (39% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in South Dakota
- South Dakota Community Foundation $39.7M · 390 grants
- Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation $38.0M · 308 grants
- Black Hills Area Community Foundation $5.7M · 120 grants
- Oahe Foundation $2.4M · 38 grants
- Schoenhard Community Foundation Inc $44K · 33 grants
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Most open to new grantees in South Dakota
Foundations based in South Dakota whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NDN Collective Inc | 63% (40) | 63 in 2024 | $147K |
| 2 | Black Hills Area Community Foundation | 62% (74) | 120 in 2025 | $50K |
| 3 | Waitt Foundation | 59% (24) | 41 in 2024 | $19K |
| 4 | Kenneth V Moncur Memorial | 57% (29) | 51 in 2025 | $1K |
| 5 | The Robert and Rita Elmen Foundation | 47% (26) | 55 in 2024 | $28K |
| 6 | Sanford Group Return | 46% (76) | 166 in 2024 | $213K |
| 7 | Orrion and Edith Barger Memorial | 43% (18) | 42 in 2025 | $6K |
| 8 | Pine Rock Foundation Inc | 37% (11) | 30 in 2025 | $23K |
| 9 | Valley Queen Charitable Foundation | 35% (28) | 79 in 2025 | $6K |
| 10 | Bloomer Family Foundation | 35% (15) | 43 in 2025 | $3K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 528 active grantmakers in South Dakota, most giving first
The Signatry Charitable Trust
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$816.2M
Grants
1,763
Total Given
$566.8M
Sanford Health Foundation
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
6
Total Given
$55.0M
Esther and Harold Mertz Foundation
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$665.6M
Grants
9
Total Given
$53.8M
South Dakota State University Foundation
Brookings, SD
Assets
$411.9M
Grants
3
Total Given
$51.6M
South Dakota Community Foundation
Pierre, SD
Assets
$939.2M
Grants
390
Total Given
$39.7M
Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$390.9M
Grants
308
Total Given
$38.0M
University of South Dakota Foundation
Vermillion, SD
Assets
$367.5M
Grants
6
Total Given
$26.6M
Sanford Group Return
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$4.3B
Grants
166
Total Given
$25.9M
Lifescape Foundation
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$155.2M
Grants
2
Total Given
$18.4M
Yellow Jacket Foundation
Spearfish, SD
Assets
$12.7M
Grants
1
Total Given
$12.7M
Children's Home Foundation
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$179.1M
Grants
2
Total Given
$12.3M
Seeds of Change Foundation
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
—
Grants
6
Total Given
$11.1M
NDN Collective Inc
Rapid City, SD
Assets
$49.7M
Grants
72
Total Given
$10.3M
Denny Sanford Foundation
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$28.1M
Grants
1
Total Given
$10.0M
Waitt Foundation
North Sioux City, SD
Assets
$136.3M
Grants
42
Total Given
$9.9M
The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$102.2M
Grants
8
Total Given
$9.5M
SFS Foundation
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$23K
Grants
22
Total Given
$8.4M
John T Vucurevich Foundation
Rapid City, SD
Assets
$153.6M
Grants
1
Total Given
$8.0M
Sioux Empire United Way Inc
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$12.3M
Grants
48
Total Given
$7.0M
Northern State University Foundation
Aberdeen, SD
Assets
$76.2M
Grants
4
Total Given
$7.0M
Dakota State University Foundation
Madison, SD
Assets
$81.8M
Grants
1
Total Given
$6.6M
Avera Health
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$2.6B
Grants
109
Total Given
$6.2M
The Roth & Letch Family Charitable
Dakota Dunes, SD
Assets
$30K
Grants
32
Total Given
$6.0M
Pine Rock Foundation Inc
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$94.3M
Grants
35
Total Given
$5.8M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in South Dakota
What are the largest foundations in South Dakota?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are The Signatry Charitable Trust ($566.8M across 1,763 grants), Sanford Health Foundation ($55.0M) and Esther and Harold Mertz Foundation ($53.8M). Together the top 10 account for 86% of the $967.8M given by the 183 grantmakers in South Dakota that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in South Dakota?
The typical grant is about $23K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $67K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in South Dakota?
Yes. We found 5 community foundations in South Dakota with grant activity. The largest by giving are South Dakota Community Foundation, Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation and Black Hills Area Community Foundation. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find South Dakota foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in South Dakota from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.