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

Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation

The Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation has announced its latest round of Community Fund grants, totaling more than $105,000 in support for local nonprofits and causes throughout the area. Grants were awarded to The Alzheimer’s Association, The Compass Center, Emily’s Hope, Friends of SDPB, Rural Philanthropy Institute, Shift Garage, South Dakota Voices for Peace and Untitled.10.

Sioux Valley Energy

Seven organizations in Minnehaha County will share almost $10,000 in funding from Sioux Valley Energy’s Operation Round Up program for the most recent quarter. The recipients are Allison’s Dance Academy in Brandon and the Catholic Community Foundation for Eastern South Dakota, The Community Outreach, Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons, Health Connect of South Dakota, Junior Achievement of South Dakota and Veterans Community Project, all in Sioux Falls. An additional $10,o00 in grants was awarded to 11 organizations in other towns across the energy cooperative’s service area. Funds come from participating co-op members who round up their electric bill and co-op employees who donate from their paycheck each month. The next deadline to apply for grants is Nov. 20. The co-op also set aside $5,000 for scholarships.

Xcel Energy

During Xcel Energy’s 15th annual Day of Service, employees, retirees, family members and friends in Sioux Falls worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire to paint and perform other tasks at the nonprofit’s Empower Campus Learning Center on Sept. 12. Across Xcel Energy’s service area, more than 2,900 volunteers spent a total of 8,900 hours supporting 112 projects.

Cresten Properties

Cresten Properties has matched donations from the Brandon Valley All School Reunion memorial campaign to the Brandon Valley School District Angel Fund, contributing $6,600 in memory of those who have lost loved ones. The Angel Fund supports student needs such as bus passes, school lunches, winter coats and field trip fees.

First Interstate Bank

As part of First Interstate Bank’s eighth annual Volunteer Day on Sept. 10, employees in Sioux Falls spent the day helping 12 nonprofits. A few of the projects included packing lunches for community members in need and organizing Lunch Is Served’s facility, helping with a fundraising picnic for St. Francis House, assisting with the construction of tiny homes for the Veterans Community Project and preparing blankets and bones for Almost Home Canine Rescue. Across the bank’s 14-state footprint, 3,500 employees assisted with 440 service projects.

Pathward

Pathward NA challenged its employees to volunteer at least one hour a week from Aug. 1 through Sept. 15 as part of its One Hour in Action campaign. During that time, more than 100 employees in Sioux Falls logged over 400 hours to help 28 causes. Among the efforts were packing bags of food at Feeding South Dakota for students, helping job seekers sharpen their resumes through St. Francis House’s new employability program and making blankets and cards for veterans.  Other staff across the company donated an additional 600-plus hours, supporting more than 50 organizations.

Rudy M. Navarrete’s Taco Bus & Tex-Mexican Catering

Rudy Navarrete, owner of Rudy M. Navarrete’s Taco Bus & Tex-Mexican Catering, raised funds to buy shoes for some of the kids enrolled at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire. With support from Trade Home Shoes, Navarrete buys new name-brand shoes each year to help boost the kids’ confidence. This year, the nonprofit chose its K-5 after-school programs at Cleveland and Laura B. Anderson elementary schools as giveaway sites.