South Dakota Community Foundation Earns National Accreditation

South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) was recently re-accredited through the Community Foundations National Standards program. This accomplishment signifies that SDCF is committed to using best practices identified for community foundations nationwide and to demonstrating accountability and excellence in its operations. 

“Accreditation is a rigorous process that involves a third-party review,” said SDCF President and CEO Stephanie Judson. “SDCF takes pride in the work that we do to build philanthropy across South Dakota, and it’s rewarding to be recognized for meeting the national benchmarks for community foundations."

SDCF works with 90 communities across South Dakota through its Community Savings Accounts program and hundreds of nonprofit and charitable organizations. 

SDCF engages in the accreditation process every three years. The process looks at whether an organization is compliant with 26 national standards. The standards cover five areas: mission, structure and governance; resource development; stewardship and accountability; grantmaking; and donor relations. 

“Earning accreditation tells our donors, financial advisors and non-profit partners that we’re a credible organization with sound policies and practices – making us a trustworthy partner for meeting their needs and goals,” said Dennis Daugaard, former Governor of South Dakota and current chair of SDCF’s Board of Directors. 

The National Standards program is administered by the Council on Foundations, with oversight from the Community Foundation National Standards Board. To learn more, visit https://www.cfstandards.org/.