About South Dakota State University Foundation
Foster a spirit of loyalty and community among alumni, students, and friends of South Dakota State University by uniting philanthropy and alumni engagement to create opportunities, support students (scholarships), advance campus initiatives, and move SDSU forward.
Focus Areas
Higher educationScholarshipsAlumni programsMentoring and career developmentCollege athleticsResearch supportCampus facilities
Who They Fund
San Diego State University (SDSU) departments/unitsSDSU students (scholarship recipients)SDSU faculty and staff (departmental program beneficiaries)
Funding Style
capital/infrastructure funding
About South Dakota State University Foundation
South Dakota State University Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by very large institutional grants to South Dakota State University in Brookings for gifts, scholarships, department expenses, and building and equipment purchases. That pattern points to a funder centered on campus support rather than broad external grantmaking. Across the recent grants listed, the foundation also backs Dakota Bioworx capital projects and program support for the SDSU Alumni Association, showing attention to both infrastructure and the university community around it. The foundation’s stated purpose is to foster loyalty and community among alumni, students, and friends of South Dakota State University by uniting philanthropy and alumni engagement. Its focus areas include higher education, scholarships, alumni programs, mentoring and career development, college athletics, research support, and campus facilities. The recent awards align with that profile: direct support for SDSU, capital funding for an affiliated Brookings recipient, and operating support for alumni programming. It funds institutions and university-related entities, not individuals, and its grantmaking is local to South Dakota.
What South Dakota State University Foundation Funds
Scholarship support is a core theme. The foundation administers SDSU Foundation Scholarships and the broader SDSU Alumni & Foundation Scholarships and Research Awards program, both aimed at financial support for SDSU students. Those programs cover undergraduate and graduate students, and the donor criteria shape who is eligible for each award. Research support appears in the Native Plant Initiative Research Award, an undergraduate research award for students involved in SDSU’s native plant initiative. Recipients work with a faculty mentor and receive funds to complete native plant research tied to pollinator habitat and environmental research. The foundation also supports alumni engagement through program funding for the SDSU Alumni Association. Alongside that, its topic taxonomy includes academic department program expenses, campus equipment and facility purchases, and higher-education capital projects, which matches the grants made to university units and campus-related entities.
How South Dakota State University Foundation Gives
Typical grants are large: the 25th percentile is $868,712, the median is $1,998,939, and the 75th percentile is $16,109,710. The recent record also shows a strong multi-year pattern, with grants to South Dakota State University, Dakota Bioworx, and the SDSU Alumni Association appearing in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That points to recurring institutional support rather than one-off awards. The foundation is a university foundation, and it does not fund individuals. One scholarship program accepts unsolicited applications, while the other listed programs are donor-administered rather than open application grants.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$52M
Total Assets
$411.9M
Total Revenue
$73.3M
Total Expenses
$62M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $869K and $16.1M, with a median of $2M.
25th Percentile
$869K
Median
$2M
75th Percentile
$16.1M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in SD.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
STEVE ERPENBACH
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