Bush Prize: South Dakota
In partnership with the South Dakota Community Foundation and the Bush Foundation
SDCF is excited to announce the launch of our new online grant portal, GOapply.
Please note: all new applicants need to create a new account in GOapply, and approval of new registrants is needed before you are able to sign in as described in the GOapply User Guide.
As we transition to this new system, we kindly ask for your patience and understanding as we adapt and work through any bugs in the new system. Thank you.
The Bush Prize: South Dakota celebrates organizations that are highly valued within their communities and have track record of transformational impact through creative solutions.
The Bush Prize: South Dakota program identifies and honors extraordinary organizations that consistently engage and lead their community toward creative solutions, equips/provides them with flexible support to keep doing that work, and supports them to amplify their story to inspire others.
Bush Prize: South Dakota grants are flexible and can be used to build up reserves or test an organization’s next big idea or whatever else would best support an organization’s ongoing good work. Beginning in 2025, two organizations will each receive a grant of $250,000.
Starting in 2023, the Bush Prize is offered in partnership with the Bush Foundation and its four community grant partners: South Dakota Community Foundation, Strengthen ND, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, and Good Relatives Collaborative. Each partner operates the Bush Prize using similar criteria, select and announce the Bush Prize honorees, as well as provide support along the way.
The Bush Prize is awarded each year in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Native Nations in these states. Eligible applicants may apply for the Bush Prize in their state and to the Native Nations partner, Good Relatives Collaborative. If you're interested in applying to both partners, we encourage you to reach out to explore the possibilities.
- Bush Prize awards must be used for a charitable purpose.
- Organizations that are 501(c)(3) public charities or government entities (including schools) are eligible for the Bush Prize.
- SDCF will accept Bush Prize applications from fiscal sponsors. The fiscal sponsor organization must submit the award application and, if the award is approved, becomes the awardee and receives the funds.
- Bush Prize honorees must be located in South Dakota or one of the 9 Native nations that share the same geography. The specific community solutions highlighted in the Bush Prize application must also have occurred within that geography.
- Organizations that have received a Bush Prize in the last 10 years are not eligible to apply.
- The year of the award is counted as the first year.
- Transformational Impact – Bush Prize: South Dakota honors organizations which have created meaningful, long-lasting change to address the challenges and issues affecting their community. Transformational Impact can happen through ideas of all sizes, within communities of all sizes, and through organizations of all sizes.
- Are these creative solutions that address community needs more effective, equitable, or sustainable than existing approaches?
- Did these creative solutions make a significant difference?
- Could the organization inspire and inform others?
Could the organization serve as a model for others for future success?
- History of Creative Solutions – Bush Prize: South Dakota honors organizations which have a history at least three to five years of using innovative approaches that offer real solutions for the challenges and issues affecting their communities.
- Does the organization have a history of creating innovative solutions to the needs within their community?
Can the organization identify specific examples of processes, programs or projects that use created approaches, technologies, collaborations, and methods to drive sustainable change and solve problems more effectively?
- Creative Community Problem Solving - Bush Prize: South Dakota honors organizations which have proven to have strong leadership and a culture of innovation. Bush Prize: South Dakota Finalists will be proven to be deeply rooted in their communities and value driven.
- What values exist that enhance organizational culture and strengthen partnerships?
- How does leadership encourage and exemplify creative thinking and problem solving?
- How does the organization demonstrate their focus on solutions for lasting community change?
In what way does the organization demonstrate a strong track record of financial stability?
- Additional Considerations – Over time we seek a portfolio of honorees representing the full diversity of South Dakota, and includes a variety of:
- Organization sizes
- Communities served (size and demographics)
- Types of ideas identified
Ready to apply for the Bush Prize: South Dakota?
Follow these steps to complete your application.
1. If you have not already done so, please click here to view our 2025 information packet to learn more about the Bush Prize: South Dakota application questions and to view frequently asked questions. It will show you what information you will need to apply.
2. Use our online grant portal GOapply to submit your application.
3. Within GOapply, select the Opportunities tab and select the "Bush Prize: South Dakota". Note: The option to select Bush Prize: South Dakota application will not appear until applications opens on April 1, 2025.
4. Submit your application before the deadline. SDCF will only consider applications submitted before the deadline.
Initial Review. SDCF will conduct an initial review of applications and select finalists. We will let you know in July whether your application is moving forward.
Finalist Review. SDCF will conduct site visits and review references in July and August.
A panel of community leaders will review and recommend Bush Prize winners from the South Dakota applicant pool.
It is important to us that our processes are fair. If any of our selection committee members have a conflict of interest with an organization being considered for the Bush Prize, they will not be a part of any selection discussion or decisions for that year. The Foundation defines “conflict of interest” as being a staff or board member of or having a contractual relationship with an organization.
We will let finalists know in September whether they have been selected as one of the two 2025 Bush Prize: South Dakota honorees.
SDCF will make a public announcement of the selection panel's decision in late October or early November.
All selections are based on program eligibility requirements and criteria.
2024 Bush Prize: South Dakota Winner
2024 Bush Prize: South Dakota Finalists
2023 Bush Prize: South Dakota Winners
2023 Bush Prize: South Dakota Finalists
Prior to 2022, the Bush Foundation awarded the Bush Prize For Community Innovation. Below are previous winners for the South Dakota region. A full list of past Bush Prize winners is available on the Bush Foundation website.
- South Dakota State University, Wokini Initiative - $500,000
- Capital Area Counseling Service - $500,000
- Native American Community Board - $182,000
- Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation - $500,000
- De Smet Community Foundation - $287,971
- South Dakota Symphony Orchestra - $443,682
- Cheyenne River Youth Project - $233,000
- Northeast South Dakota Community Action Program (GROW SD) - $471,000
- Rapid City Area School District #51-4, Partnership Rapid City - Teen Up - $153,000
- Face It TOGETHER Sioux Falls - $117,532
- First Peoples Fund - $313,068
- Main Street Square - $500,000
Have questions?
Contact our Grants Team Below
Ginger Niemann
Senior Program OfficerSince 1998, Ginger has been a member of the South Dakota Community Foundation team. Nearly a decade of her time at the Foundation has been spent overseeing the administration of grant programs.
Currently, Ginger works closely with the Grantmaking Committee to make distributions from the South Dakota Fund, Nonprofit Savings Account, Fairy Godmother's Fund, Beyond Idea Grant (BIG) and Bush Prize: South Dakota grant programs. BIG and Bush Prize: South Dakota are offered in partnership with the Bush Foundation.
Ginger is committed to connecting nonprofits with the funds they need to help South Dakotans. Traveling across the state, she meets with grant applicants, conducts grant recipient site visits and awards grant checks.
Stephanie Harmon
Program AssistantStephanie joined the Foundation in September 2024 as Program Assistant for SDCF’s grants team.
She provides technical support to grant applicants and program staff members. Stephanie also works on communication projects related to the Foundation’s program and development efforts.
Prior to joining the Foundation, she worked in state government and higher education. Born and raised in Pierre, Stephanie graduated from Black Hills State University. After some time working in the Black Hills area, Stephanie returned to Pierre in 2022. She has three children, two of them married, and two grandchildren.