July 31, 2024

Giving Back recognizes businesses and organizations that are helping our communities. Here’s a look at who gave back for July.

MarketBeat

MarketBeat’s philanthropy committee donated $82,500 in grants to 12 nonprofit organizations in the second quarter. They include Abbott House, Alzheimer’s Association, Downtown Sioux Falls Inc., Health Connect of South Dakota, Let’s Skate, LifeScape, The Premiere Playhouse, Rock Ranch, Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation, Sioux Falls Thrive/Eat Well Mobile Market, Sioux Falls YMCA and Voices Against Cancer. For details on the donations, click here.

Black Hills Federal Credit Union

Black Hills Federal Credit Union staff members raised more than $13,300, collected almost 2,000 needed items and volunteered 81 hours for charitable organizations in the second quarter through its Community Action Team program. The support stretched across the credit union’s footprint and included organizations in Sioux Falls such as Special Olympics of South Dakota, EmBe’s Dress for Success Sioux Falls, Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana, Emily’s Hope, Feeding South Dakota, St. Francis House, Almost Home Canine Rescue, B-Squad Dog Rescue and Sioux Empire Pit Rescue.

Cleaver’s Chef Challenge

This year’s Cleaver’s Chef Challenge, founded by Chef Tyler Honke of Catering by Cleavers and Dennis Aanenson of A&B Business Solutions, raised $70,000 for Children’s Home Society. The event brings together chefs for a cooking competition.

Mary Chilton Daughters of the American Revolution Foundation

A project that will combine literacy and learning about animals has received a $50,000 grant from the Mary Chilton Daughters of the American Revolution Foundation. The annual Dorothy Day Davenport Grant was awarded to the Promising Futures Fund, which is teaming up with the Sioux Falls School District and Great Plains Zoo and Aquarium. The planned literacy program will include a field trip to the aquarium in the fall, a Zoomobile visit to the school during the winter and a field trip to the zoo in the spring. All three visits will include a curriculum and reading materials that incorporate the zoo and animals that the students will learn about. The program will start at Garfield Elementary this fall and be phased into all Sioux Falls public elementary schools in kindergarten through second grade by 2027-28.

Sioux Valley Energy

Six organizations serving Minnehaha County residents have received a combined $9,500 from Sioux Valley Energy’s Operation Round Up program in its most recent distribution. In all, $35,000 in grants were awarded, including nearly $5,000 reserved for scholarships. Area recipients were Blue Dragon Foundation of Garretson, Garretson Sportsmen’s Club, Sioux Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Face It Together, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sioux Falls and McCrossan Boys Ranch. A list of recent grant recipients, as well as information on how local organizations can apply for funding each quarter, can be found at siouxvalleyenergy.com.

Wells Fargo Foundation

The Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded $50,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sioux Falls to help build two homes and rehabilitate one in Sioux Falls. The goal of the national Wells Fargo Builds program is to increase access to affordable homes. The single-family homes will be built in partnership with Harrisburg High School CTE and Sioux Falls CTE Academy, giving students hands-on construction experience while learning the importance of giving back to the community. The grant also will fund the rehabilitation of a home Habitat built in 2017 and purchased back from the homeowner in 2023 to provide another local family with the opportunity of affordable homeownership. Throughout the year, Wells Fargo volunteers from local branches join Habitat on construction and neighborhood revitalization sites and in the Habitat ReStore. So far this year, 10 volunteers from Wells Fargo have contributed 38 hours volunteering with Habitat.

Has your organization given back to the community? Or do you know an individual who proves one person can make a difference? Email us at jodi@siouxfalls.business.