Reports & Studies | South Dakota Community Foundation

2020 South Dakota Nonprofit Sector Study

The State of Philanthropy in South Dakota

Two hands making a heart outside

Lunch and Learn Recording SD Nonprofit Sector Study Overview

On April 7th 2021, SDCF President & CEO, Stephanie Judson, and Matt Ehlman and Kelly Gibson of the Numad Group in Rapid City shared the 2020 South Dakota Nonprofit Sector Study during a virtual lunch and learn event.

Presentation Slides

Philanthropy fuels South Dakota's economy and enriches our communities The impact of philanthropy in South Dakota

The following data summarizes the South Dakota Nonprofit Sector Report, completed in June 2020.

The report aimed to provide information on the impact of philanthropy in South Dakota broadly. More specifically, it gathered data to back what we have long believed as an organization—that philanthropy fuels South Dakota's economy and enriches our communities. Perhaps most of all, it reminded us that South Dakotans are truly generous people who love this state.

If you are looking for the greatest return on your contributions, look to the South Dakota Community Foundation and the South Dakota nonprofit sector. Through its work with nonprofits, SDCF is able to guide generous South Dakotans to give to causes that they not only care about but that will help make a great impact on South Dakotans. To learn more about partnering with SDCF on your charitable goals, please visit this link.

Overview of South Dakota Nonprofits

Nonprofits play a larger than oftentimes expected part in the South Dakota economy. Nearly 15 percent of South Dakota’s workforce is employed in the nonprofit sector—more people than in many well-known and respected industries in the state like manufacturing and tourism.

Total Number of Nonprofits in South Dakota

3,633
public charities
178
private foundations
2,826
other nonprofits

3,633 public charities

$11.05 B
assets
$6.3 B
revenue
$4.8 B
expenditures

178 private foundations

$735 M
assets
$79 M
revenue
$33 M
grants made

*”other nonprofits” includes service clubs, economic development organizations, day care centers, and other tax exempt organizations not registered as public charities
*NCCS Business Master File, 2006-2018. Adjusted for inflation. 2014

Founding Decade of South Dakota Public Charities

*NCCS Business Master File, 2018.

Number of South Dakota Public Charities by Annual Revenue

91% of South Dakota public charities operate on a revenue of less than $1 million annually.

*NCCS Business Master File, 2018.

South Dakota Public Charities Revenue 2006 - 2015

81% of all revenue of public charities in South Dakota comes from program revenue-services provided to the public by nonprofits.

*NCCS Core Files, 2006-2015. Adjusted for inflation.

South Dakota Public Charities Expenditures 2006 - 2014

During a 15 year period, expenses of the South Dakota nonprofit sector accounted for between 10-15 percent of South Dakota’s gross domestic product. South Dakota’s over 6,500 nonprofits not only pay employees, but incur expenses like any business—rent, advertising, and other services.

SD nonprofits deliver services in our communities. In addition to improving community life through services like youth and arts programming, our local, state and federal government rely on nonprofits to deliver essential programs that benefit all residents. Nonprofits provide these services at lower costs. Lower costs mean lower taxes.

*NCCS Core Files, 2006-2015. Adjusted for inflation.

South Dakota Public Charities Assets 2005 - 2014

South Dakota nonprofits held $11.05 billion in assets in 2014, a number that has been steadily increasing.

*NCCS Business Master File, 2006 - 2016. Adjusted for inflation.

South Dakota Households Donating $25 or More to Nonprofits, with Comparable States

South Dakotans are generous. We are more than twice as likely to donate $25 or more annually to nonprofits than the national average.

South Dakota has the highest per capita contributions to our community foundations than any state in our region.

*Current Population Survey Volunteer Supplement, 2002-2015

Flow of Grant Dollars Into South Dakota

South Dakota nonprofits were awarded over a half a billion dollars in federal grants and contracts between 2010-2015, but supplemented these dollars with their own fundraising to ensure the services could be provided.

$564 million from federal grants and contracts sent to South Dakota nonprofits
$258 million from out-of-state foundations sent to South Dakota nonprofits
$120 million from South Dakota Foundations given to South Dakota nonprofits
$28 million sent from South Dakota foundations to other states

*Foundation Center, 2010-2015. Legacy.usaspending.gov, 2010-2015. Adjusted for inflation.