$10,000 Awarded to SPEAK Network | South Dakota Community Foundation

$10,000 Awarded to SPEAK Network

December 11, 2023 // Grants, South Dakota Fund Grants

South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) recently awarded a $10,000 South Dakota Fund grant to SPEAK Network. Funding will support their continued mission to provide education and training in suicide education and prevention in the Rapid City area.

“SPEAK Network is grateful to receive this grant, which will impact our work by helping develop our digital resources in suicide prevention education that can be shared with a larger audience,” says Tammie Keefner, SPEAK Network.

Photo left to right: Stephanie Judson, President & CEO, SDCF; Tamara Keefner, Executive Director, SPEAK Network; and Beth Massa, Director of Foundation Relations, SDCF.

SPEAK Network provides evidence-based education and training in Rapid City. The organization’s programs are designed to empower people and community networks to make a positive difference in their own lives and the lives of others while promoting safety for those in crisis. SPEAK Network is a group of volunteers who believe suicide is preventable by implementing evidence-based strategies to destigmatize suicide and to improve best practices that help support persons at risk.

“With the rising rates of suicide in the State of South Dakota, the demand for an initiative-taking approach is needed now more than ever,” says Ginger Niemann, SDCF Senior Program Officer. “We are proud to partner with SPEAK Network on this important initiative."

To learn more about funding opportunities offered by the SDCF, please visit our website: https://www.sdcommunityfoundation.org/grants

SDCF is a public non-profit organization established in 1987. SDCF, with offices in Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Aberdeen administers 1,200 funds benefiting hundreds of charitable organizations annually. The Foundation distributed nearly $30 million in grants in 2022 which made a tremendous difference in communities statewide. This would not have been possible without the generosity of our donors. If you have a specific cause you would like to support or would prefer to give for the general good of our state, please visit https://sdcommunityfoundation.org/giving to learn more or call 1-800-888-1842.