South Dakota Community Foundation awards $50,000 to Community Health Worker Collaborative of South Dakota
November 17, 2025 // Grants, South Dakota Fund Grants
The South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) recently awarded a $50,000 South Dakota Fund grant to Community Health Worker Collaborative of South Dakota due to the loss of federal funding. Funding will assist Community Health Worker Collaborative of South Dakota to continue to provide technical assistance and support to community health workers and programs.
"This grant will allow the Community Health Worker Collaborative of South Dakota (CHWSD) to sustain and expand its statewide support for CHW and CHR programs following the loss of federal funding in March 2025,” stated Ben May, CHWSD Executive Director. “This funding will assist in resuming support to provide technical assistance and program-level guidance which will help more Community Health Worker (CHW) and Community Health Representative (CHR) programs establish and maintain Medicaid reimbursement, ensuring long-term financial sustainability, and expand access to services for vulnerable South Dakotans. Additionally, the grant will strengthen association-level support for the workforce through professional development, education, and peer networking opportunities.”
Established in 2020 as an extension of the South Dakota Department of Health, CHWSD works to grow, support, and sustain the CHR workforce across the nine tribal nations in South Dakota. In 2024, CHWSD transitioned into an independent, non-profit supporting over 75 CHW/CHR programs, which collectively employes over 300 CHWs/CHRs. Due to the loss of federal funding, CHWSD has not been able to provide technical assistance and support for program development and Medicaid reimbursement. The grant funds will support CHWSD to continue to provide technical assistance and support to CHW and CHR programs to navigate towards the goal of securing Medicaid reimbursement and continuing to successfully bill SD Medicaid. Funds will also allow CHWSD to provide professional development, educational opportunities, and networking.
"Community Health Worker Collaborative of South Dakota supports communities by bridging the gap between the communities and healthcare systems and social services," says Ginger Niemann, SDCF Senior Program Officer. “We are proud to provide support for them to continue their work during these uncertain times.”
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 $31 million in grants in 2023 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.