$20,000 awarded to Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce

South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) recently awarded a $20,000 South Dakota Fund grant to Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce. Funding will support the Connect Brookings initiative.

“We are incredibly grateful to the South Dakota Community Foundation for their generous support of our efforts through Connect Brookings,” said Kelsey Doom, President & CEO, Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce. “This $20,000 grant will be matched by Vision Brookings and allow us to continue our work in retaining South Dakota’s future workforce by engaging South Dakota State University (SDSU) students and connecting them with local opportunities. By fostering meaningful relationships between students and the Brookings business community, we are strengthening workforce retention and ensuring that South Dakota continues to benefit from the talents of its graduates.”

The Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce has a mission to Promote, Advocate, Connect and Enrich the Brookings area business community. The Connect Brookings initiative focuses on workforce retention by engaging new residents, young professionals, and, especially, students from SDSU through events and programs that help integrate them into the Brookings community. The overall goal of the Connect Brookings initiative is to see an increase in people, especially students from SDSU, that choose to stay in South Dakota.  

“Investing in initiatives like Connect Brookings that focuses on building a better future for South Dakota is one we are proud to partner with the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce," says Ginger Niemann, SDCF Senior Program Officer. 

 To learn more about funding opportunities offered by SDCF, please visit our website at SDCommunityFoundation.org.