Fairy Godmother's Fund | South Dakota Community Foundation

To provide immediate, short-term, critical financial support to women in South Dakota.

Fund Details

The Fairy Godmother's Fund Logo

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

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