United Way of the Black Hills’ mission is to unite people and resources to improve lives in the Black Hills by delivering measurable long-term solutions to community issues in education, financial stability and health.
United Way of the Black Hills’ recent grantmaking is anchored by repeated general-support awards to core local service providers in Rapid City, including $148,299 to Yfs Inc in 2023 and $110,000 to Feeding South Dakota in 2025. Those awards fit a broader pattern of funding organizations that work on education, mental health, substance use, abuse and neglect, housing, food security, and economic opportunities and transportation across the Black Hills. The foundation’s mission centers on improving lives in the Black Hills through measurable long-term solutions to community issues in education, financial stability, and health. The grant list shows sustained support for organizations serving children, families, and basic-needs access. Yfs Inc appears again at $103,000 in 2025, while Feeding South Dakota also received $90,000 in 2024 and $83,000 in 2023. Other recurring recipients include YMCA, Wellfully, Meals on Wheels Western Sd, Court-appointed Special Advocates, and Rapid City Club for Boys, suggesting a funding style built around ongoing operating support rather than one-time project-only awards. Several programs also point to early literacy and early learning as specific priorities within the broader community-impact portfolio.
Early childhood and literacy are a distinct part of the foundation’s portfolio. Through Black Hills Reads Innovation Grants, it funds projects that promote equitable access to books and early literacy resources for children from birth through age 9. The active Early Learner Communities Grant also supports communities starting the Early Learner Community Process through Early Learner South Dakota, with two phases: Building and Sustaining. Basic-needs services are another clear theme. In 2024, the foundation gave $80,000 to Meals on Wheels Western Sd for general support, and in 2025 it followed with $70,000 for the same purpose. It also funded Shift Garage with $40,000 in 2025, alongside grants to organizations working on housing, food security, and transportation. Child and family support appears in awards such as $68,900 to Court-appointed Special Advocates in 2023 and $50,575 to Working Against Violence Inc in 2023, both as general support.
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure range, with a p25 of $14,250, a median of $22,250, and a p75 of $41,973. The active grant programs show a mix of rolling and annual funding, including unsolicited applications for the Early Learner Communities Grant and Community Impact Grants, while Black Hills Reads Innovation Grants accepts unsolicited applications and the broader Black Hills Reads stream does not. Recent grantees appear across multiple years, including Feeding South Dakota, Yfs Inc, YMCA, Wellfully, Court-appointed Special Advocates, and Meals on Wheels Western Sd. The foundation gives general operating support frequently and makes local grants only; it does not fund individuals or program-related investments.
$919K
$9.1M
$1.7M
$2.5M
Most grants fall between $14K and $42K, with a median of $22K.
25th Percentile
$14K
Median
$22K
75th Percentile
$42K
JOHN CASS
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Grant dollars are concentrated entirely in South Dakota, and every listed recipient is in the United States. Most grants go to Rapid City organizations, including Yfs Inc, Feeding South Dakota, YMCA, Wellfully, and Court-appointed Special Advocates. Spearfish appears as well through Priarie Hills Transit. The grant programs are described as serving the Black Hills, so the geographic footprint is local rather than statewide or national.
The foundation funds nonprofit organizations, libraries, and schools serving the Black Hills. Its active programs also point to early learning, literacy, mental health, substance abuse, abuse and neglect, housing, food security, and economic opportunities and transportation.
Yes, for some programs. The Early Learner Communities Grant accepts unsolicited applications, Community Impact Grants accepts unsolicited applications, and Black Hills Reads Innovation Grants accepts unsolicited applications. The broader Black Hills Reads grant stream does not.
Typical awards cluster around a median of $22,250, with a p25 of $14,250 and a p75 of $41,973. The active Community Impact Grants program is listed at $5,000 to $75,000, while the Early Learner Communities Grant is listed at $0 to $5,000.
The foundation gives locally in the Black Hills. In the recent grants list, 100% of grants went to recipients in South Dakota, with named recipients in Rapid City and Spearfish.
Its stated focus areas include education and early childhood, mental health, substance abuse prevention and treatment, abuse and neglect, housing, food security, and economic opportunities and transportation. Black Hills Reads adds early literacy, school readiness, parent engagement, and book access.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from United Way of the Black Hills that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Any Black Hills community looking to make early learning a priority and that has committed to starting the Early Learner Community Process through Early Learner South Dakota. Applicants should contact ELSD and sign an MOU before applying.
Deadline: Rolling; a community can apply at any time.
Track these deadlines, get reminders, and see how well your nonprofit fits — free with a Kindora account.
Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FEEDING SOUTH DAKOTA | RAPID CITY, SD | $90,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YFS INC | RAPID CITY, SD | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WORKING AGAINST VIOLENCE INC | RAPID CITY, SD | $70,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BLACK HILLS SPECIAL SERVICES COOPER | STURGIS, SD | $39,300 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YMCA | RAPID CITY, SD | $36,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CASA 7TH CIRCUIT | RAPID CITY, SD | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RAPID CITY CLUB FOR BOYS | RAPID CITY, SD | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MEALS ON WHEELS WESTERN SD | RAPID CITY, SD | $34,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BLACK HILLS CENTER FOR AGING | RAPID CITY, SD | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES | RAPID CITY, SD | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE INTERVENTION | SPEARFISH, SD | $26,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JOURNEY ON INC | RAPID CITY, SD | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BLACK HILLS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | RAPID CITY, SD | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CASA OF THE NORTHERN HILLS | SPEARFISH, SD | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EARLY CHILDHOOD CONNECTIONS | RAPID CITY, SD | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LIFEWAYS | RAPID CITY, SD | $23,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PRAIRIE HILLS TRANSIT | SPEARFISH, SD | $22,700 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF THE CHILDREN - HE SAPA | RAPID CITY, SD | $22,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHIFT GARAGE | RAPID CITY, SD | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LOST AND FOUND ASSOCIATION | SIOUX FALLS, SD | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WELLFULLY | RAPID CITY, SD | $19,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF THE BH | HILL CITY, SD | $19,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CONSUMER CREDIT COUNSELING SERVICE | RAPID CITY, SD | $19,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA | RAPID CITY, SD | $16,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES | RAPID CITY, SD | $15,587 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FORK REAL COMMUNITY CAFE INC | RAPID CITY, SD | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BLACK HILLS WORKS | RAPID CITY, SD | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CUSTER SCHOOL DISTRICT | CUSTER, SD | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEIGHBORWORKS DAKOTA HOME RESOURCES | DEADWOOD, SD | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | RAPID CITY, SD | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CRISIS INTERVENTION SHELTER | STURGIS, SD | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CORE | BOX ELDER, SD | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| 211 HELPLINE CENTER | SIOUX FALLS, SD | $9,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ONEHEART | RAPID CITY, SD | $8,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WESTERN SD COMMUNITY ACTION | RAPID CITY, SD | $8,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BELLE FOURCHE SENIOR CITIZENS CENTE | BELLE FOURCHE, SD | $7,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EMPOWERED | RAPID CITY, SD | $6,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FEEDING SOUTH DAKOTA | RAPID CITY, SD | $110,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YFS INC | RAPID CITY, SD | $103,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MEALS ON WHEELS WESTERN SD | RAPID CITY, SD | $70,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RAPID CITY CLUB FOR BOYS | RAPID CITY, SD | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WORKING AGAINST VIOLENCE INC | RAPID CITY, SD | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YMCA | RAPID CITY, SD | $49,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COURT-APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES | RAPID CITY, SD | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHIFT GARAGE | RAPID CITY, SD | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PRAIRIE HILLS TRANSIT | SPEARFISH, SD | $29,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF THE BH | HILL CITY, SD | $29,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COURT-APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES | SPEARFISH, SD | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RURAL AMERICA INITIATIVES | RAPID CITY, SD | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LIFEWAYS | RAPID CITY, SD | $23,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
BLACK HILLS SPECIAL SERVICES COOPER
$39,300GENERAL SUPPORT
CASA 7TH CIRCUIT
GENERAL SUPPORT
MEALS ON WHEELS WESTERN SD
$34,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BLACK HILLS CENTER FOR AGING
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE INTERVENTION
$26,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JOURNEY ON INC
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BLACK HILLS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CASA OF THE NORTHERN HILLS
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
EARLY CHILDHOOD CONNECTIONS
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LIFEWAYS
$23,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PRAIRIE HILLS TRANSIT
$22,700GENERAL SUPPORT
FRIENDS OF THE CHILDREN - HE SAPA
$22,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SHIFT GARAGE
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WELLFULLY
$19,500GENERAL SUPPORT
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF THE BH
$19,500GENERAL SUPPORT
CONSUMER CREDIT COUNSELING SERVICE
$19,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FORK REAL COMMUNITY CAFE INC
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CUSTER SCHOOL DISTRICT
$12,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NEIGHBORWORKS DAKOTA HOME RESOURCES
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CRISIS INTERVENTION SHELTER
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CORE
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ONEHEART
$8,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WESTERN SD COMMUNITY ACTION
$8,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BELLE FOURCHE SENIOR CITIZENS CENTE
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
EMPOWERED
$6,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MEALS ON WHEELS WESTERN SD
$70,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COURT-APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES
$45,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SHIFT GARAGE
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PRAIRIE HILLS TRANSIT
$29,500GENERAL SUPPORT
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF THE BH
$29,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COURT-APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LIFEWAYS
$23,000GENERAL SUPPORT