Sioux Falls Announces New Funding Recipients Through Community partners Program

Dec. 24, 2025, 10:35 a.m. CT

After the City of Sioux Falls announced last summer a new decision-making process for which mission-aligned, local organizations would receive financial support in 2026-27, 10 new recipients were named Dec. 19.

Eight of the 10 organizations awarded did not receive support in 2025. Moreover,each organization was placed into one of three stream-lined “priority funding areas” the city chose earlier this year.

The Community Partners Program (CPP),established during Mayor Paul tenhaken’s annual budget process,is an effort to reduce spending.

According to the city Council’s subsidy Agreements proposal released last June, the city needs to reduce its ongoing operating expenses by $8 to $10 million over the next three years.

Thus, the city cut its funding for external organizations from $2.5 million in 2025 to $1.1 million in 2026.

but it’s a fairer process, says city finance director Shawn Pritchett. This new “structured approach” establishes “consistency and transparency” for evaluating funding requests, he says, and “strengthens accountability in how resources are distributed.”

“The city relies on outside organizations to help address priority areas in the community,” Pritchett says.”Through this new program, we can build even stronger partnerships and demonstrate measurable impact to these areas.”

How does the Community Partners Program work?

Any organization that wished to receive funding from the city in 2026 needed to apply to do so last fall, thereby differing from former, non-competitive subsidy agreements having been in place for decades.

According to a media release from the city, “competitive” RFP proposals needed to address three “priority areas” and how they would meet these expectations: 1) support at-risk populations; 2) expand culture, arts and community programming; and 3) strengthen economic vitality and growth.

After declaring why their organization was well positioned to serve these community needs, it was up to the city council to approve which top 10 organizations would make the cut through the new CPP.

Sioux Falls awards $1.7 million in community grants

The Sioux Falls City Council approved $1.7 million in grants to 17 local organizations during its Tuesday meeting, supporting a range of community initiatives. these grants, funded through the city’s Quality of Life program, aim to enhance cultural, recreational, and community development efforts.

How does this list of recipients compare to 2025?

Seventeen local organizations received financial support from the Quality of Life program in 2025, including:

• $145,000 to the Bishop Dudley House
• $63,569 to the Centre for Active Generations
• $57,000 to the Compass center
• $223,353 to Downtown Sioux Falls (Downtown Support)
• $15,000 to Downtown Sioux Falls (Downtown ambassador Program)
• $500,000 to Forward Sioux Falls (2022 – 2026)
• $109,000 to the helpline Network of Care (March 31, 2026)
• $41,600 to the HelpLine Mentorship Program
• $146,062 to the Multi-Cultural center Operations
• $60,000 to SculptureWalk Sioux Falls
• $34,300 to the Sioux Falls Arts Council
• $320,000 to the sioux Falls Development Foundation
• $205,000 to Southeast Technical Institute