Oahe Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Oahe Foundation supports education, human services, youth, churches, health, and the environment in South Dakota.

IP TAKE: The Oahe Foundation is all about local causes in South Dakota and supports a wide variety of interest areas throughout the state. It prefers to fly under the radar, however, as it does not maintain a website, thus restricting transparency and information about grant guidelines.

PROFILE: Established in 1984, the Oahe Foundation is a private foundation based in Pierre, South Dakota. This is the foundation of Charles Burke II, who was the chairman of BankWest and a local philanthropist who “envisioned the long-term benefit of creating a flexible and inexpensive tool to help individuals and businesses fulfill philanthropic aspirations.” Currently, the Oahe Foundation is managed by BankWest Trust Department. There is still a family connection to the foundation, as Charles Burke III currently serves as secretary. The Oahe name is locally recognizable because of the Oahe Family YMCA, which has served the Pierre/Ft. Pierre area since 1971, and the Oahe Chapel that overlooks Lake Oahe. The foundation funds local efforts for education, human services, youth, churches, health, and the environment.

The Oahe Foundation does not have a website to guide grantseekers. But according to past tax records, the purpose of this foundation is to channel public contributions for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes in the name of and on behalf of third-party donors. The funder typically provides general operating support to local nonprofits and funds a wide variety of nonprofits, as well as student scholarships.

Grant Details:

Grants range between about $5,000 and $250,000. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records. Grantmaking focuses on South Dakota, including the communities of Pierre, Spearfish, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Fort Pierre, and Vermillion. Past local grantees include the Oahe YMCA, Friends of the SD Discovery Center, Cornerstone Rescue Mission, and Girl Scouts – Dakota Horizons.

This foundation does not typically accept unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits, and it does not provide grantseekers guidelines to the public. Direct general questions to the staff at 605-945-3743 or 605-224-7392.

PEOPLE:

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