Black Hills Area Community Foundation 2026 Nonprofit Staff Investment Grant
The Black Hills Area Community Foundation is accepting applications for its 2026 Nonprofit Staff Investment Grant, designed to reduce burnout and improve staff retention at eligible nonprofits and public-benefit organizations in western South Dakota. The funder’s 2026 grant schedule states applications open October 1, 2026 and close November 15, 2026. No official closing hour or time zone is specified.
Individual grant funding
BHACF expects to award five grants of $5,000 each, for an indicated combined $25,000 across this grant round. $5,000 is the individual award; the combined number is not an individual award. The current public program instructions do not state a mandatory cost-share percentage or reimbursement-only payment structure. Winners sign a grant agreement within one week of being notified.
Eligible applicants and geography
Eligible applicants include IRS 501(c)(3) public charities, schools, government entities, and religious organizations seeking support for work occurring in Butte, Custer, Fall River, Lawrence, Meade, Oglala Lakota, or Pennington Counties, South Dakota. Eligibility is determined by actual project activity in these seven counties.
Allowed uses and restrictions
The purpose is direct investment in nonprofit staff stability, retention and wellbeing. The funder explicitly identifies staff bonuses, dental insurance, childcare expenses, gym memberships, staff retreats, professional development, and staff-recognition gift cards as examples of supported uses. The application should explain how the expenditure reduces burnout or supports retention.
BHACF excludes religious activity, political activity, benefit events and fundraising, debt retirement, lobbying or primarily influencing legislation, multi-year support, and capital campaigns. No expenses incurred before the grant-notification date are eligible for reimbursement. Supported services must be nondiscriminatory under the funder’s stated standards. BHACF will not itself act as a sponsored-project applicant.
Application and deadline
Applicants must use the foundation’s existing official 2026 Nonprofit Staff Investment Grant program page and the linked online grant portal; new users must first create a portal account. The funder lists November 15, 2026 as the closing date, without publishing a closing time. Contact the foundation in advance to confirm portal cutoff time and any required budget attachments. The Grants Committee reviews proposals after the application window closes, and awardees sign the grant agreement shortly after notification.
Official foundation 2026 opportunities overview and the fund-specific instructions reviewed October 25, 2026. Financial assistance for eligible organizations; not government procurement. No unannounced time, matching ratio, award minimum, or payment terms are inferred.