The Orrion and Edith Barger Memorial Foundation: An Accessible Funder to Know in South Dakota

Chamberlain, South Dakota. Rachael Martin/shutterstock

As we highlight in our South Dakota funding guide, there are more philanthropic foundations focused exclusively on the state than you might expect. One of these funders is the Orrion and Edith Barger Memorial Foundation, which maintains a low public profile but also makes itself accessible to nonprofits in need of support. Nearly all grants stay within the state of South Dakota, especially the Chamberlain area, which is a small community of just over 2,000 people in the central part of the state.

Here are some things to know about the Orrion and Edith Barger Memorial Foundation and how it gives to local groups.

Top interest areas

The Orrion and Edith Barger Memorial Foundation has traditionally been a big funder of scholarships. The foundation regularly gives for education, but there are many other issues on its radar as well.

For example, the foundation supports recreation and athletics, senior citizens, fire departments and churches. It has also awarded grants to local chapters of the Salvation Army and Red Cross. School districts, high schools, city improvement projects and local parks have also caught the funder’s attention.

Supporting South Dakota

The Orrion and Edith Barger Memorial Foundation is based in Chamberlain, South Dakota and keeps its giving focused on the state. Gailen Meyerink is the director of the foundation, Chad Mutziger is the president, Todd Vanderbosch is the vice president, Denise Hyland is the secretary/treasurer and Carson Pringle is another director. All of the officers and directors have addresses listed in Chamberlain or Pukwana, South Dakota.

Recent grantees are based in the South Dakota towns of Chamberlain, Kimball, Wagner and Oacoma. Most grants are between $1,000 and $100,000, with grants in the $5,000 range most common.

Applying for funding

This is an accessible foundation that accepts unsolicited grant applications. To request an application, organizations should contact Lindsey Huether at the foundation via phone or mail. There are no submission deadlines. However, the funder is looking to award grants that help establish or revive projects, and to avoid long-term commitments. Therefore, organizations should have their own independent sources of funding for their annual operating expenses.

Learn more about this funder in IP’s full profile of the Orrion and Edith Barger Memorial Foundation.