About Sanford Group Return
Sanford Health is a nonprofit health care leader committed to improving the human condition by providing patient care, advancing research and discovery, investing in clinician development, and supporting community health through initiatives, education and philanthropy.
Focus Areas
healthcare deliverymedical researchpediatrics/children's healthbreast cancergenetics/genomicsvirtual care/telehealthmedical educationsports medicinecommunity healthveteran servicestribal health
Who They Fund
aspiring and current health professionals / health professions studentslocal community residents (including underserved neighborhoods)
About Sanford Group Return
A defining feature of Sanford Group Return’s recent giving is the scale of its support for health care and community health infrastructure: a $11,758,005 grant to Veterans Affairs for community health improvement services stands at the top of the recent-grants list. The foundation’s giving also reaches institutions that train health professionals and support research, including an $8,347,500 grant to Augustana University for coalition building, economic development, health professions education, and workforce development. Another large grant went to the City of Sioux Falls for community health improvement services, showing that the foundation funds both public-sector partners and educational institutions. Sanford Group Return is tied to Sanford Health’s mission-driven grantmaking, and its recent awards reflect that connection through patient care, staff education, programs, and community health investments. Across the top grants, the foundation appears to use sizable, purpose-specific gifts to support health systems, colleges, government entities, and community organizations in the upper Midwest and beyond.
What Sanford Group Return Funds
Health professions education is a recurring theme. Sanford Group Return gave $3,604,552 to the University of South Dakota for economic development, health professions education, research, and workforce development, and $2,012,500 to Southeast Technical Institute for health professions education. Workforce development also appears alongside scholarship support: the foundation awarded $5,058,150 to Augustana University for program support, education/workforce development, and scholarship endowment, and $1,266,000 to the South Dakota Community Foundation for scholarship endowment. In community health, grants include $3,553,103 to Fargo Park District for community health improvement and $2,540,000 to Samaritans Feet for community health improvement. Its health-related portfolio also extends to children’s health, with a $3,000,000 grant to Nicklaus Childrens Hosp Fdtn for community health improvement.
How Sanford Group Return Gives
Typical grants cluster at a mid-sized level, with p25 at $10,000, a median of $20,000, and p75 at $78,630. That spread sits alongside several very large institutional awards, which suggests the foundation makes both smaller program grants and major strategic commitments. The foundation is a Pure DAF Provider and also makes program-related investments. The recent-grants list shows repeated support to several recipients across multiple years, including Augustana, Concordia College, the University of South Dakota, and the South Dakota Community Foundation, indicating ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. Unsolicited applications are not accepted for the general grantmaking and partner funding program.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$132.6M
Total Assets
$4.3B
Total Revenue
$6.1B
Total Expenses
$5.8B
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $79K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$79K
Geographic Reach
Regional21 states funded
About 47% of grants go to recipients in SD.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
BILL GASSEN
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