Larson Foundation
Sioux Falls, SD · EIN 46-0412311. Reported 129 grants totalling $20.4M to 92 organizations across tax years 2020-2023. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Larson Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $30,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $10,000 and $75,000; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $12.8M. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota State University | Brookings, SD | $12.8M | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Childrens Home Society | Sioux Falls, SD | $1,000,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Red Cloud Indian School | Pine Ridge, SD | $775,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Brookings Area Habitat for Humanity | Brookings, SD | $720,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains | Brookings, SD | $260,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Abbott House | Mitchell, SD | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Brookings Area United Way | Brookings, SD | $232,014 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Oneheart | Rapid City, SD | $225,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Lakota Waldorf School | Kyle, SD | $220,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Teach for America - Sd | Mission, SD | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Teach for America - South Dakota | Mission, SD | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Working Against Violence Inc | Rapid City, SD | $200,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| South Dakota Network Against Family Violence & Sexual Assault | Sioux Falls, SD | $170,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Rosebud | Mission, SD | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Sd Network Against Family Violence & Sexual Assault | Sioux Falls, SD | $145,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Boys and Girls Club N Plains | Brookings, SD | $130,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Brookings Area Habitat Humanity | Brookings, SD | $130,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Youth & Family Services Inc | Rapid City, SD | $128,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Mitchell Area Safehouse | Mitchell, SD | $115,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Abbot House | Mitchell, SD | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Brookings Behavioral Health & Wellness | Brookings, SD | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Dakota Abilities | Sioux Falls, SD | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Rural America Initiatives | Rapid City, SD | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Native American Community Board | Lake Andes, SD | $97,525 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Cheyenne River Youth Project | Eagle Butte, SD | $80,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| East Central CASA Program | Brookings, SD | $80,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| South Dakota Humanities Council | Brookings, SD | $80,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Avera Mckennan | Sioux Falls, SD | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Boys and Girls Club Rosebud | Brookings, SD | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Bishop Dudley Hospitality House | Flandreau, SD | $65,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Rapid City Club for Boys | Rapid City, SD | $65,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Aberdeen Family YMCA | Aberdeen, SD | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Black Hills Playhouse | Custer, SD | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Center for Disaster Philanthropy Inc | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Feeding South Dakota | Sioux Falls, SD | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| First Peoples Fund | Rapid City, SD | $50,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Multi-Cultural Center | Sioux Falls, SD | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Onespirit | Rapid City, SD | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sioux Falls Multicultural Center | Sioux Falls, SD | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Friends of the Brookins Public Library | Brookings, SD | $49,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Banquet | Sioux Falls, SD | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Passages Women's Transitional Living | Rapid City, SD | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sd Humanities Council | Brookings, SD | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Sicangu Community Development | Mission, SD | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Southeast Pierre Community Center | Pierre, SD | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Wholeness Center | Flandreau, SD | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Multi-Cultural Center of Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls, SD | $37,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Red Cloud Renewable | Pine Ridge, SD | $33,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| East Central CASA | Brookings, SD | $30,959 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Avera Behavioral Health of Brookings | Brookings, SD | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Brookings Salvation Army | Brookings, SD | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Native Am Community Board | Lake Andes, SD | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Volunteer Service Bank | Brookings, SD | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Wavi | Rapid City, SD | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Yankton Contact Center | Yankton, SD | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Simply Smiles | Westport, CT | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sotera Youth & Family Services Collaborative | Pierre, SD | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Furniture Mission | Sioux Falls, SD | $20,590 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program | Brookings, SD | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Brookings Domestic Abuse Shelter | Brookings, SD | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Emily's Hope | Sioux Falls, SD | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Harmony South Dakota | Sioux Falls, SD | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| NAMI Sd | Sioux Falls, SD | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| South Dakota Nonprofit Network | Fort Pierre, SD | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Teddy Bear Den | Sioux Falls, SD | $18,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Community Outreach | Sioux Falls, SD | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Accelerate | Sioux Falls, SD | $14,400 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Furniture Mission of Sd | Sioux Falls, SD | $14,200 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| One Spirit | Rapid City, SD | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| American National Red Cross | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| American Red Cross | Sioux Falls, SD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| American Red Cross Serving Eastern South Dakota | Sioux Falls, SD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Brookings Backpack Project | Brookings, SD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Brookings County Youth Mentoring | Brookings, SD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Sioux Falls Public Schools | Sioux Falls, SD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Special Olympics South Dakata Inc | Sioux Falls, SD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Domestic Violence Network | Madison, SD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Vermillion Food Pantry | Vermillion, SD | $9,835 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Black Hills Works Inc | Rapid City, SD | $8,629 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Avera Medical Group | Brookings, SD | $7,800 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues | Sioux Falls, SD | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society | Sioux Falls, SD | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Dakota State University Foundation | Madison, SD | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Horsepower | Sioux Falls, SD | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Kelly Mcgeough Foundation | Brookings, SD | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lower Brule Research Institute | Lower Brule, SD | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Pine Ridge Girls' School | Porcupine, SD | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Pine Rodge Girls School | Pine Ridge, SD | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Campbell County Christian | Herreid, SD | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Employee Match | Brookings, SD | $2,275 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Lake Mills Community School | Lake Mills, SD | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lake Mills School | Lake Mills, SD | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
26 of 92 (28%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 32%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- South Dakota State University
LARSON FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP. - Youth & Family Services
HEALTHY CONNECTIONS PROGRAM
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 61 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 43 | $1,896,748 | $30,000 |
| 2021 | 22 | $14.1M | $25,000 |
| 2022 | 30 | $2,076,579 | $38,750 |
| 2023 | 34 | $2,328,400 | $35,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 100% of this one's giving went to organizations in South Dakota. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $30,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in South Dakota.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Larson Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2020-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 222 South Main Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD, 57104. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 46-0412311 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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