The South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) recently awarded a $100,000 Beyond Idea Grant (BIG) to the Northeast South Dakota Community Action Program (NESDCAP) to assist the Sisseton Economic Development Corporation with plans to address housing needs in Sisseton. Offered in partnership with the Bush Foundation, the BIG program supports innovative, community-based, problem-solving efforts.
“One of NESDCAP's focus areas is to grow communities through housing. New housing promotes community growth and provides the necessary housing for the workforce. Currently, housing is expressed as a high concern for businesses in Sisseton which has led to difficulty in employee recruitment and retention,” says Marcia Erickson, GROW South Dakota CEO. “We look forward to working with partners in Sisseton to create additional housing options. This project will be a model for other communities on how to collaborate with key businesses to address housing needs.”
NESDCAP’s mission is serving people’s housing, business, and community needs through opportunities and development. Funds from the BIG program will help NESDCAP work in partnership with several other community groups, businesses, and individuals to determine what housing needs exist in the area and to develop a solid lot development plan. This pilot project could be a model for other communities and their housing needs.
“Housing is a common need across the state,” says Ginger Niemann, SDCF Senior Program Officer. “We’re grateful for groups that are taking this concern head on in ways that could be replicated across the state.”
A total of $1.2 million will be available to nonprofits in 2023 through the Beyond Idea Grant program. To learn more about funding opportunities offered by the SDCF, please visit our website at https://www.sdcommunityfoundation.org/
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.
The Bush Foundation invests in great ideas and the people who power them. Established in 1953 by 3M Executive Archibald Bush and his wife Edyth, the Foundation encourages individuals and organizations to think bigger and think differently about what is possible in communities across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geographic area.