Fairy Godmother's Fund
To provide immediate, short-term, critical financial support to women in South Dakota.
Fund Details
Small grants that make a big difference
It isn’t always easy to make ends meet. Sudden illnesses, loss of employment, abuse, and other issues can spring up and devastate strong women in our communities. We help them get back on their feet.
The Fairy Godmother’s Fund was created to improve the health and well-being of South Dakota women with limited resources. The fund helps them address immediate, short-term, critical needs that can't be met by traditional funding options. There are no grant applications, no long forms or dense financial paperwork to fill out. Our advisory council of women throughout the state works to ensure the funds are directly paid to benefit women’s needs throughout the year.
A fairy godmother is always ready to lend a helping hand.
Through your contribution to The Fairy Godmother’s Fund, you can help the women of South Dakota. With your involvement, this can be a never-ending story of people helping people.
Every first-time contributor of $100 or more will receive a fairy godmother lapel pin. For a donation of $250 or more, you’ll also receive a fairy godmother tote. We invite you to wear these to spark interest among other women.
For more information on The Fairy Godmother’s Fund, read our brochure or contact us.
Advisory Council
The Fairy Godmother’s Fund’s Advisory Council consists of women from across the state. The women volunteer their time to ensure funds are paid to the most pressing needs.
- Beth Benning of Spearfish
- Linda Buri of Milbank
- Sally Christenson of Pierre
- Linda Daugaard of Garretson
- Linda Erickson of Sioux Falls
- Erin Fouberg of Aberdeen
- Marilyn Grossenburg of Winner
- Barbara Harms of Brookings
- Jean Koehler of Mitchell
- Amy Mickelson of Sioux Falls
- Penny Porter of Sioux Falls
“The Fairy Godmother’s Fund continues to gain momentum. Donations go to meet pressing needs in the lives of women who are struggling with medical challenges, striving for a brighter future or are being mistreated. South Dakotans don’t think twice about helping their neighbors in need, so consequently, I find it fairly easy to ask friends and neighbors to support those who need it most.”
the late Glenna Fouberg, Fairy Godmother’s Fund Advisory Council Charter Member
Grants from the Fairy Godmother's Fund benefit women in a variety of ways including:
- Chronic health issues resulted in a woman living in a domestic violence shelter needing to travel at least forty miles for several medical appointments. After getting caught in a storm, it became apparent that her car needed some new tires. Your dollars made a difference in her life!
- Assistance was provided for a mother whose husband had been recently deployed. Funds helped with multiple trips to Minneapolis, necessitated by surgeries needed for their 3-year-old daughter.
- A totally blind woman wanted to purchase the Orcam My Eyes digital assistant so that she could re-claim her independence at home, work, and in social situations. Orcam includes a tiny camera which attaches to any pair of eyeglasses allowing access to visual information through audio. Even though she was on a very limited income, she was able to save nearly half the cost of this purchase. Your gift opened up a whole new world for this woman!
- A single mom, recently diagnosed with scoliosis, was able to purchase a washing machine for her and her 5-year-old son. She was unable to drive to a laundromat due to her disability.
- A woman thought a 2-year-old boy placed in her care would just be a temporary situation. Instead, the boy ended up being adopted into her family. They needed furniture and were able to obtain everything needed except a dresser for the child’s clothes. Your generous donations made this purchase possible.
How to Make a Referral to the Fairy Godmother's Fund
All requests for assistance must come from nonprofit organizations or community members. The Fairy Godmother’s Fund does not accept self-referrals. Contact the SDCF at (800) 888-1842 to obtain a referral form.
Lending a Helping Hand
Your generous contributions make a huge difference in the lives of women all across South Dakota. Your assistance to these women in their time of need is greatly appreciated. So far, donors have contributed over $450,000 to the fund. Join your friends and neighbors in supporting the Fairy Godmother’s Fund and help make an impact in your community!
Aberdeen Charity Lunch
Amy & Brian Miller
Amy Mickelson
Andrea Fouberg
Anita & Douglas Eilers
Anita & Terry Small
Ann Paradise
Ann Sigelman
Anonymous x 2
Ardelle & Orin Johnson
Barbara & Gregg Magera
Barbara & Michael Evans
Barbara Reed Harms
Becky & Jim Kuch
Bernie & Sally Christenson Family Fund
Beth & Brady Terveen
Beth & Jim Benning
Beth & Mark Massa
Beth Davis
Bonnie & Rees Mielke
Bonnie & Tim Bjork
Carla & Jon Hoffman
Carmen Meyer
Carol Coburn
Carolyn & Bill Hinks
Carolyn & Donley Lang
Cherie Hellwig
Cherry & Charles Hall
Cindy & Gregory Danielson
Cindy & Joe Senger
Connie & Gary Palmer
Cynthia & G. Mark Mickelson
Cynthia & Harvey, IV Jewett
Cynthia & Richard Korman
David & Mary Ann Kapaska Charitable Fund of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation
Deanna Lien
Deb Fischer-Clemens
Deborah Vander Woude & James Abbott
Deborah Walrath
Deena Ronayne
Diana & David Olson
Diana & Randall Ferguson
Diane & Thomas Agnitsch
Dody & Boyd Hopkins
Dolores Lauinger
Donna & Jim Boekelheide
Dr. Stephanie Russo
Edith Lien
Ellen & Thomas Lee
Elsie Weigel
Emily Guhin
Erin & Robert Fouberg
Fran & Gail Sommerfeld
Georgia Ramos
Ginger & Dan Niemann
Ginger & Richard Westra
Glenn Jakober
Gwen Arechigo
Holly & Mark Engelhart
IMT Insurance Company
In Memory of George & Lola Ricketts
Jaci Casanova-Keller
Jacki Koehler
Jackie Reede
Jackie Swanstrom
Jacqueline & Burton Sly
Jami & Kent Metzger
Jan DeBerg
Jane & Joel Albrecht
Janet Grasse
Janet Schmi
Janice & Dennis Driscoll
Janine & H. Adrian Mohr
Jean A. Koehler
Jeff & Linda Erickson Family Fund
Jim & Vicki Lust Family Foundation
Joan & Gary Olson
Jody & Roger Werth
Joell Rachel
John Sutton
John T. & Penny L. Porter Family Fund
Julie & Daryl Ebach
Karen & T. Kellen
Kathleen & Patrick McGreevy
Kathleen Stuck
Kathryn Johnson
Katie (Wagner) & James Washnok
Kay Crawford
Kay James
Kellee Nelson
Kelly & Jim Weaver
Kelsey & Chase Smith
Kendra "Birdie" Childress
Kendra & William, Jr. Calhoun
Kendra Rechtenbaugh
Kimberly Johnson Maier
Kris & Steve Egger Charitable Fund of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation
Lea Anne Thompson & Tom Johnson
LeeAnn & Bruce Brandner
Linda & Dennis Daugaard
Linda & Doug Buri
Linda & James Breckenridge
Linda & Jeff Erickson
Linda & Steve Post
Linda & Todd Broin
Linda Burg
Linda Mickelson Graham
Linda Saloum
Lori & Bill Sutton
Lori & Bob Sutton
Lori & Tom Oster
Lori Finnesand
Lori Moen
Lori Wilbur
Lynn & Mark Murphy
Lynn & Terry Understock
Margaret Lehr
Marilyn & Barry Grossenburg
Marilyn Hoyt
Marshall & Angeline Lavin Family Charitable Fund of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation
Mary Lamont
Mary Louise Gorman
Marylisa & Blaine Crissman
Matt & Stephanie Judson Family Fund
MeChelle & Chad Lang
Miriam Melick
Nancy & John Sternquist
Nancy & Randall Schaap
Nancy & Richard Gowen
Nichole & Jerry Bury
Nicole & Jason Picconi
Pam & Clay Roberts
Pamela & Robert McLaughlin
Peg Seljeskog
Peggy Urquhart
Penny & John Porter
Presentation Sisters
Presentation Sisters Special Purpose Funds
Rebecca & Daniel Schenk
Rhonda Rylance
Rita & Dean Sorenson
Robert J. Gunderson
Roberta & Patrick Gallagher
Roberta Ambur
Rodney Fouberg
Rosemary Rounds
Roth Family Gift Fund
Sally Christenson
Sandra Zinter
Sandy & Cy Farner
Sara & Tonnis Venhuizen
Shari Budahl Avery
Sharon Stroschein
Sheena Buckhouse
Sheila & Carlyle Richards
Sophie & Loren Leitzke
South Dakota Community Foundation
Stacy & Heath Johnson
Stephanie & Greg Aas
Stephanie & Matt Judson
Stephanie & Max Herseth-Sandlin
Steve & Julie Statz Charitable Account of Fidelity Charitable
Steve & Marty Kalkman Charitable Fund
Susan & Kent Edson
Susan & Richard Aguilar
Susan Burgard
Susan Ewinger
Susan R. & Curt A. Wischmeier
The Ken & Rita Karels Family Charitable Fund of Vanguard Charitable
Theresa Henehan
Tiffany & Nathan Sanderson
Todd Fulmer
Tona & John Rozum
Tona Rozum
Toni & Thomas Hodgson
Valerie & David Mickelson
Victoria Mettler
Virginia & Leon Tobin
William Haugen
A Strong Start
The Fairy Godmother’s Fund began in 2009 with $11,000 in donations from hundreds at a women’s conference in Pierre, including $5,000 from the South Dakota Community Foundation.
With that strong foundation, the fund has continued to grow. During our fourteen years of grantmaking, the endowment fund at the South Dakota Community Foundation holds over $516,000 and has awarded 197 grants totaling nearly $97,000.
“The needs that come before the advisory council are tangible and urgent. The Fairy Godmother’s Fund has the power and agility to meet needs that many traditional nonprofits and social service organizations are unable to fulfill. When darkness and challenges loom large, the Fairy Godmother’s Fund shines a ray of hope into the lives of South Dakota women through financial assistance.”
Ginger Niemann, SDCF Senior Program Officer