How Nonprofits Spend Money in South Dakota

Nonprofit spending analysis for South Dakota: 86% goes to programs, 10% to administration, 4% to fundraising. Based on 178 organizations.

8,663Total Nonprofits
178Report Spending
86%Avg Programs
10%Avg Admin
4%Avg Fundraising
$21.3BTotal Revenue
86% Programs
10% Admin
4% Fund

Spending Analysis

Among 8,663 nonprofits in South Dakota, 178 report detailed spending breakdowns. On average, 86% of expenses go directly to charitable programs, 10% to administrative costs, and 4% to fundraising activities.

South Dakota nonprofits demonstrate strong program efficiency, with the average organization directing 86% of spending to programs — above the widely-cited 75% benchmark used by charity watchdog organizations.

The 178 organizations collectively manage $21.3B in revenue and $32.8B in assets, making spending efficiency a critical metric for the charitable sector in South Dakota.

Most Efficient Nonprofits in South Dakota

#OrganizationProgram %RevenueScore
1Mcintosh Volunteer Fire Department Ambulance Service Inc100%$060/100
2Trinity Lutheran Cemetery Association100%$085/100
3Lead Deadwood Pto100%$070/100
4West River History Conference100%$050/100
5Aberdeen Jazz Society100%$070/100
6Big Sioux Rifle And Pistol Club100%$050/100
7Western Bat Working Group100%$060/100
81 St Signal Brigade Association Inc100%$050/100
9Worthing Economic Development Corporation100%$065/100
10Warner Parent Teacher & Community Organization100%$070/100
11Parrot Heads Of The Prairie Inc100%$060/100
12Prarie Striders Running Club100%$070/100
13South Dakota Allergy Society100%$070/100
14Dallas Volunteer Fire Department100%$050/100
15Gettysburg Cemetery Association100%$060/100
16Denny Sanford Foundation100%$7.3M95/100
17Golden Valley Lutheran Church Preservation Foundation100%$12065/100
18Native Educational Endeavors100%$040/100
19Whetstone Valley Youth Footballassociation100%$070/100
20Northern Hills Christian Home Schoolers100%$050/100
21Frederick Area Historical Society100%$050/100
22Black Hills Rodeo Scholarship Fund Inc99%$5K95/100
23Esther And Harold Mertz Foundation95%$7.4M90/100
24Sturgis Kiwanis Food Pantry95%$79K92/100
25Al And Irene Kurtenbach Foundation95%$54K90/100
26Tennyson Family Foundation95%$53K90/100
27Robert And Rita Elmen Foundation95%$20.0M95/100
28Washington High School Senior Class Graduation Activities Committe95%$090/100
29Great Plains Chapter Moaa90%$060/100
30Dell Rapids Baseball Association90%$140K85/100
31Brenden Mann Foundation90%$2.8M95/100
32Abate Of South Dakota Foundation90%$040/100
33Cecelia B And Kenneth B Cutler Foundation90%$11K70/100
34Crooks Community Child Care Center Ltd90%$915K92/100
35Colome Volunteer Fire Department Inc90%$80K90/100
36James Walter Pickle Charitable Foundation90%$700K85/100
37Elkton Youth Sports Association90%$085/100
38Webster 20 20 Incorporated90%$618K90/100
39Summit Area Economic Growth Inc90%$085/100
40Hanson Larsen Memorial Park Foundation Inc90%$450K95/100
41Realtors For Kids Inc90%$128K85/100
42Vale Volunteer Fire Department90%$85K92/100
43Custer Food Pantry Inc90%$108K92/100
44Central States Fair Foundation90%$93K92/100
45Primary90%$118K85/100
46Tessier Family Foundation Inc90%$192K95/100
47Access To Justice Inc90%$192K92/100
48Sunshine Bible Academy Foundation90%$420K92/100
49Waitt Institute90%$12.9M92/100
50John T Vucurevich Foundation90%$18.5M92/100

Least Efficient Nonprofits in South Dakota

#OrganizationProgram %Revenue
1Clover Charitable Fund Inc30%$41K
2T R E A T Y Total Immersion Educational Endowment Fund Inc70%$0
3Ymcasanford Llc70%$0
4Monument Health Inc70%$2.5M
5Minnehaha County Deputies Association Inc70%$0
6Sioux Falls State Theatre Company70%$1.1M
7Fast Forward Restart Inc70%$0
8The Museum Of Visual Materials70%$574K
9Triple R Ranch Ministries70%$0
10Lantis Foundation Inc70%$392
11John Witherspoon College70%$263K
12William Alexander And Lisa Beach Memorial Tr70%$549K
13Sustainable Harvest Alliance70%$0
14Cnos Foundation70%$1.1M
15Road Runners Club Of America70%$76K
16Ecosun Prairie Farms Inc70%$0
17Research Park At Sdsu75%$1.7M
18Friends Of North Sioux Citycommunity Library Inc75%$0
19Can Wigmunke75%$0
20Dakota Dachshund Rescue Inc75%$227K

Related Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

How do South Dakota nonprofits spend their money?

On average, South Dakota nonprofits spend 86% on programs, 10% on administration, and 4% on fundraising. This is based on IRS 990 data from 178 organizations.

What is a good program expense ratio?

Most charity evaluators consider 75% or higher to be a strong program expense ratio. In South Dakota, the average is 86%.

How can I find the most efficient nonprofits?

The table above ranks South Dakota nonprofits by program spending percentage. You can also use our Rankings page to find the most efficient organizations nationally or by state.