Largest private foundations in South Dakota
| # | Foundation | City | Focus area | Total assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esther And Harold Mertz Foundation | Sioux Falls | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $665.6 million |
| 2 | John T Vucurevich Foundation | Rapid City | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $153.6 million |
| 3 | Waitt Foundation | N Sioux City | Education | $136.3 million |
| 4 | Harvey W Peters Research Foundation | Sioux Falls | Medical Research | $134.5 million |
| 5 | Pine Rock Foundation Inc | Sioux Falls | Not listed | $94.3 million |
| 6 | Robert And Rita Elmen Foundation | Sioux Falls | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $86.4 million |
| 7 | Houston Family Foundation | Sioux Falls | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $58.0 million |
| 8 | Opus Prize Foundation | Sioux Falls | Not listed | $38.8 million |
| 9 | Milo Stip Charitable Remainder Unitrust | Sioux Falls | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $38.3 million |
| 10 | Via-Bradely College Of Engineering Foundation | Sioux Falls | Education | $32.1 million |
| 11 | Great Plains Education Foundation Inc | Aberdeen | Education | $32.0 million |
| 12 | Branches Foundation | Sioux Falls | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $28.2 million |
| 13 | Denny Sanford Foundation | Sioux Falls | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $28.1 million |
| 14 | Raft Charitable Foundation | Sioux Falls | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $24.7 million |
| 15 | Larson Foundation | Sioux Falls | Not listed | $23.1 million |
| 16 | Blythe Brenden-Mann Foundation | Sioux Falls | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $22.2 million |
| 17 | John D & Edna A Hofer Tr | Mitchell | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $20.6 million |
| 18 | Dakota Charitable Foundation Inc | Rapid City | Not listed | $20.3 million |
| 19 | Brenden Mann Foundation | Sioux Falls | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $18.3 million |
| 20 | C H Robinson Worldwide Foundation | Sioux Falls | Education | $18.2 million |
| 21 | Rlb Charitable Foundation | Sioux Falls | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $18.1 million |
| 22 | Black Spring Foundation Inc | Sioux Falls | Education | $17.5 million |
| 23 | David H Billion Foundation | Sioux Falls | Crime & Legal-Related | $14.4 million |
| 24 | Prairie Lakes Legacy Fund Inc | Watertown | Health Care | $13.9 million |
| 25 | Frank W Veden Charitable Tr Ua 35412910 | Sioux Falls | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $12.8 million |
The full list includes all 293 South Dakota foundations with street address, ZIP, EIN, focus area, income and tax period, plus every other state.
South Dakota cities with the most private foundations
- Sioux Falls: 119
- Rapid City: 29
- Aberdeen: 17
- Dakota Dunes: 9
- Spearfish: 8
- Mitchell: 7
- N Sioux City: 6
- Watertown: 5
- Brookings: 5
- Yankton: 5
Most common focus areas in South Dakota
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations: 133
- Education: 34
- Arts, Culture & Humanities: 14
- Human Services: 10
- Health Care: 7
- Recreation & Sports: 7
- Youth Development: 6
- Religion-Related: 6
Where does this data come from?
The IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File, downloaded in October 2026 and filtered to private foundations. Assets are as reported on each foundation's latest return on file. Foundations with no focus area code are shown as Not listed.