By Dana Hess
For South Dakota Newspaper Association
PIERRE — The South Dakota High School Activities Association Foundation has a goal of raising a $5 million endowment to relieve some of the financial burden on member schools.
Stephanie Judson, executive director of the South Dakota Community Foundation, met with association board members Wednesday, talking about her organization’s role.
“We’re here as your philanthropic partner,” Judson said, explaining that the SDCF manages $230 million in endowed funds for a variety of organizations.
The activity association’s foundation currently has $141,000. When the fund grows to $5 million, Judson said a yearly payout of about $200,000 would be sent to member schools to help them pay for association expenses like catastrophic insurance and dues.
“The fund would be used, Judson said, “to remove the financial burden on members long-term.”
Association board president Jason Uttermark of Aberdeen said there’s an opportunity for a significant donation to the foundation. If the association were to raise ticket prices for state events by $1 to $7 for adults and $5 for students and earmark those extra dollars for the foundation, an anonymous donor is considering making a matching donation.
Uttermark said the new ticket prices would bring in an estimated $200,000 resulting in a $400,000 donation to the foundation.
While board members would expect to hear some opposition to higher ticket prices, Uttermark said of the possible donation, “That’s pretty tough to turn down.”
Board member Brian Maher of Sioux Falls said the first conversation he every had about the SDHSAA Foundation was “venomous.” Subsequent conversation have been more cordial, he said, as member schools have learned more about the foundation.
Maher said the board has to be sure to offer the message to member schools about the foundation and “what that means for kids and opportunities down the road.”
Uttermark agreed that the association needs to get better about explaining their vision for the foundation. “We have not done a very good job of communicating this,” Uttermark said.
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