Oct. 21, 2024

This paid piece is sponsored by the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation.

Dick and Kathy Sweetman bring a personal touch to everything they do.

Their attention to detail and their true commitment to their community means Sioux Falls continues to benefit from their vision and their generosity. It’s in projects as diverse as Leif Ericson Day Camp to Levitt at the Falls to a pergola at the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum.

Most recently, they’ve given to develop the Sweetman Planetarium at the Washington Pavilion.

Photo by Emily Spartz

The Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation honored Dick and Kathy Sweetman earlier this month with the Friend of the Foundation Award, which recognizes philanthropic individuals, families and businesses whose innovative and collaborative leadership and consistent generosity have been influential in the Sioux Falls area.

“To say they are generous would be an understatement,” said Mary Kolsrud, chief philanthropy officer for the Community Foundation. “What makes their generosity so unique isn’t just how much or how often they give, it’s the depth of their care and their steadfast belief in Sioux Falls and its people.”

Dick Sweetman said Sioux Falls has a reputation for generosity and citizen support, and he and Kathy were humbled to be recognized by the Community Foundation.

Photo by Mike Shafer

“Over the years, so many have given their time, and the results are everywhere you look in this wonderful town of ours,” Dick Sweetman said in accepting the recognition.

“Kathy and I have lived in Sioux Falls our entire lives, and we have the desire to do something meaningful as a way to give back to this great community.”

Deep roots

The Sweetmans both grew up in Sioux Falls, built their business here and raised their family here.

“I’ve been lucky enough to see firsthand the power and impact that philanthropy can have,” Dick Sweetman said. “Since Sioux Falls has been so good to us, we feel a responsibility to give back.”

Andy Patterson, president of the Community Foundation, said the Sweetmans support the community in a variety of ways.

“Dick has been a public servant for many years,” Patterson said. “He’s served on several boards throughout the community and our own Board of Directors here at the Community Foundation, and he’s been instrumental in countless projects that have shaped our city into the gem that it is today.”

For Kathy Sweetman, the inspiration is to provide better opportunities for kids than she had growing up. “I love to support anything to help kids who maybe don’t have easy lives or access to the same opportunities as others because growing up I certainly didn’t,” she said.

Photo by Mike Shafer

She grew up as the youngest of nine children and said, like most kids, she didn’t consider how the city’s amenities came to be. Now, it’s important to her to model how generosity can shape a community.

“It’s important for our kids and grandkids to experience what philanthropy can do,” Kathy Sweetman said. “We can’t be experts on every philanthropic opportunity that exists in Sioux Falls, but with a partner like the Foundation, we can trust that they are. They help us discover and consolidate our passions and values, and then match those up with big ideas that help improve the community.”

For the Sweetmans, that has looked like providing the lead gift for a major expansion at Levitt at the Falls to grow community spaces for year-round programming and enhance the infrastructure. They also gave to improve science offerings at the Washington Pavilion and create the Sweetman Planetarium. And they contributed to the Barb Iverson Skate Plaza.

Their roots are so deep that the same year they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, they also funded a wedding pergola at the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum.

“Walking alongside Dick and Kathy on their philanthropy journey has been such an incredible honor,” Kolsrud said. “Their passion for our community is truly inspiring, and their generosity helps make Sioux Falls a wonderful place to call home.”

Dick Sweetman said they were grateful for the opportunities they’ve had.

“Let’s all of us continue to give and to support each other and to make sure that Sioux Falls remains the incredible city that we all known and love,” Dick Sweetman said.

Community Foundation celebrates record year

The Friend of the Foundation award was presented as part of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation’s annual Donor Reception.

The Community Foundation had a record-breaking fiscal year, accepting more than $92 million in gifts and granting more than $38 million to nonprofits and causes across the area.

Since its inception 40 years ago, the Foundation has granted more than $313 million to support the Sioux Falls community.

You can read the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation 2024 Annual Report here.