Promote conservation, youth development, outdoor education, and community enrichment through mentoring programs and outdoor experiences — "More Than A Hunt, It’s A Connection."
A 2025 grant of $231,000 to South Dakota Game Fish and Parks sets the tone for South Dakota Youth Hunting Adventures: this is a local funder centered on youth hunting, conservation, and outdoor education in South Dakota. The foundation’s stated purpose is to promote conservation, youth development, outdoor education, and community enrichment through mentoring programs and outdoor experiences, with the line “More Than A Hunt, It’s A Connection.” Its named programs reinforce that direction. The Traven Bies Memorial Scholarship gives young hunters a chance to experience South Dakota’s outdoors and asks applicants to share personal, school, and outdoor experience information. The SDYHA Wildlife Banquet Grant Program supports work tied to conservation, youth development, outdoor education, and community enrichment, funded by the organization’s Wildlife Banquet. Recent grants also show a pattern of support for organizations in South Dakota communities. In 2025, South Dakota Youth Hunting Adventures awarded $31,732 to Naja Shriners in Rapid City and the same amount to Cosmopolitan Club, also in Rapid City.
Youth mentoring is one of the clearest threads in the foundation’s grantmaking. Through the Traven Bies Memorial Scholarship, South Dakota Youth Hunting Adventures supports young hunters by pairing a scholarship with an outdoor experience in South Dakota. Conservation and habitat volunteerism appear in the SDYHA Wildlife Banquet Grant Program, which funds programs that promote conservation, youth development, outdoor education, and community enrichment. That program links giving directly to the foundation’s Wildlife Banquet. Outdoor skills and education also show up in the foundation’s support for South Dakota Game Fish and Parks, reflecting an interest in organized outdoor learning and public-facing conservation work. Community-based grantmaking is part of the picture as well: the foundation’s 2025 gifts to Naja Shriners and Cosmopolitan Club were both made in Rapid City.
South Dakota Youth Hunting Adventures gives at a small number of grant amounts. The typical award is $31,732, with a median of $31,732 and a 75th percentile of $131,366; the upper end is shaped by a $231,000 grant in 2025. The foundation appears to make repeated, locally focused grants within South Dakota rather than broad national giving. It does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Two active programs accept unsolicited requests: the Traven Bies Memorial Scholarship and the SDYHA Wildlife Banquet Grant Program.
$294K
$412K
$217K
$425K
Most grants fall between $32K and $131K, with a median of $32K.
25th Percentile
$32K
Median
$32K
75th Percentile
$131K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in SD.
JIM SCULL
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 FreeRegístrate gratis para ver qué tan bien se adapta tu organización sin fines de lucro a este financiador, obtener un pitch generado por IA y descubrir fundaciones similares.
Grantmaking is entirely within South Dakota, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Recent recipients include Pierre and Rapid City, and the top giving state by count is also South Dakota. The available recipient-country data shows all grants in the United States. The pattern is local rather than multi-state or international.
Its stated focus areas are youth mentoring, hunting and shooting sports education, conservation and habitat volunteerism, outdoor skills and education, and scholarships for young hunters. The summary also describes support for conservation, youth development, outdoor education, and community enrichment through mentoring programs and outdoor experiences.
Yes. Both active grant programs listed for the foundation accept unsolicited requests: the Traven Bies Memorial Scholarship and the SDYHA Wildlife Banquet Grant Program.
The foundation’s median grant size is $31,732, with the 25th percentile also at $31,732 and the 75th percentile at $131,366. That shows many grants cluster at the same level, while one much larger award pushes the upper range higher.
Its giving is entirely local to South Dakota. The data shows 100% of grants to recipients in the HQ state, with recent gifts to organizations in Pierre and Rapid City.
Recent grantees include South Dakota Game Fish and Parks in Pierre, plus Naja Shriners and Cosmopolitan Club in Rapid City. These grants reflect the foundation’s South Dakota-only giving pattern.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTH DAKOTA GAME FISH AND PARKS | PIERRE, SD | $231,000 | 2025 | SEE SCH I, PART IV |
| NAJA SHRINERS | RAPID CITY, SD | $31,732 | 2025 | SEE SCH I, PART 1V |
| COSMOPOLITAN CLUB | RAPID CITY, SD | $31,732 | 2025 | SEE SCH I, PART IV |
SOUTH DAKOTA GAME FISH AND PARKS
$231,000SEE SCH I, PART IV
NAJA SHRINERS
$31,732SEE SCH I, PART 1V
COSMOPOLITAN CLUB
$31,732SEE SCH I, PART IV