In October of 2025, BHACF partnered with the Rapid City Arts Council to spark community conversations about youth mental wellness, the 2025 Thriving Communities issue area. BHACF and donors also granted $145,000 to nonprofits actively working on the issue throughout the Black Hills. (Photo provided by the Rapid City Arts Council.)
The Black Hills Area Community Foundation (BHACF) has opened its third Thriving Communities Initiative, a recurring program where Black Hills residents shape the focus of a significant regional investment.
Through the end of May, Black Hills residents are encouraged to vote online for an issue area that needs more attention and investment. Throughout 2026 and 2027, BHACF will invest more than $200,000 informed by the community’s input. In 2027, BHACF will also bring community members together to connect, learn, and discuss solutions for the selected issue area.
In commemoration of the Community Foundation’s 20th Anniversary, BHACF has increased the investment and time period allocated to the community’s chosen issue, allowing more opportunities to start important conversations and engage the community in action steps.
This spring, community members can choose between four causes:
Community Information: Support local libraries, journalism, museums, and other information hubs.
Quality Care for Elders: Help our senior generation thrive in this phase of life.
Arts for All: Cultivate community and build bridges by expanding access to the arts.
Childcare for Healthy Families: Expand families’ access to quality childcare services.
“The Thriving Communities Initiative is about more than giving back, it’s about building community. We’re looking forward to engaging our community more deeply in their chosen issue area. This spring, each survey response is especially important because it will shape the initiative’s focus for two years.”
chris huber, president & ceo at bhacf
At the end of 2026, BHACF will award its first round of nonprofit grants informed by the community’s survey responses. In 2027, BHACF will bring community members together to connect, learn, and share additional input. At year’s end, a second round of grants will be awarded. The Thriving Communities Initiative supports nonprofits across the northern, central, and southern Black Hills.
There is not an application process for the Thriving Communities Initiative grants. The BHACF staff will reach out to nonprofit leaders if their organization’s mission aligns with the community input and grantmaking themes. The BHACF Board of Directors will approve all grant recipients.
Black Hills residents are encouraged to share their email in the survey to stay involved in the Thriving Communities Initiative throughout its two-year cycle. The anonymous, 3-question survey closes on May 31.
To vote, learn more, or donate to the Thriving Communities Fund, please visit www.bhacf.org/thriving-communities.