A Letter from the CEO

What a year we’ve had in Sioux Falls, and at the Community Foundation.

Philanthropy continues to transform our community.

Consider downtown Sioux Falls, which saw historic investments, including the future relocation of Smithfield Foods and the redevelopment of the quarry adjacent to Falls Park. Individually, those projects were impressive, but together they will reshape and double the size of downtown.

Here’s what’s amazing to me: The first gift, from the late T. Denny Sanford, shows how one philanthropist can make a difference in Sioux Falls over decades of giving. The second, from the Bezos Earth Fund, shows that our culture of philanthropy and track record of success means we can attract additional investments into our community.

And in between? We saw hundreds of donors give millions of dollars to causes far and wide that benefit everyone who lives here.

All of these gifts are built on trust, reputation and a faith in the future of Sioux Falls. We see it every day.

In fiscal year 2026, we granted out more than $73 million, a record for the Community Foundation. Part of that came through the Seed for Success Foundation, which made the transition from a private foundation to a supporting organization of the Community Foundation. We’re grateful for the trust that transition represents and for the opportunity to help carry their philanthropy forward for years to come.

Another sign? More than $66 million in gifts to the Community Foundation this past year. We are so grateful to our donors, who trust us with their giving. This community of philanthropists is transforming Sioux Falls with their generosity, and we now hold more than $452 million in assets.

Our theme this year is Giving Together for Good.

We didn’t do this alone.

We walked alongside our donors to help their charitable contributions land meaningfully with local nonprofits. We sat with our nonprofit partners to hear their needs and look for solutions.
Each gift given and each grant awarded happened because someone cared: our donors who give so generously, the professional advisors who refer clients to us knowing they’re creating the next generation of philanthropists, and the nonprofits who show up every day for our community by providing services, arts and more that benefit all of us.

This was a year that took all of us, together, to do good things for Sioux Falls.

Sincerely,

Andy Patterson, 
CEO