From left, Deana Heisler, northern hills connector at the Black Hills Area Community Foundation (BHACF), Liz Hamburg, CEO at BHACF, and Barb Keene, director of operations at BHACF, stand in the Homestake Opera House in Lead on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
A giving circle organized by the Black Hills Area Community Foundation granted a total of $11,000 to five nonprofits based in the Northern Hills during an event at the Homestake Opera House in Lead on Tuesday, May 2 2023.
“We are so excited to see philanthropy continue to grow in the Northern Black Hills,” said Liz Hamburg, CEO of the Black Hills Area Community Foundation. “Our Northern Hills by Choice giving circle is a dynamic group of donors, learning together and pooling their gifts to have an even greater impact on the nonprofits in Meade, Lawrence and Butte counties.”
The group, Northern Hills by Choice, meets annually to direct grants to nonprofits. At these events, members vote on a list of nonprofits, and the nonprofits with the most votes receive a grant. The grant amount is determined by the number of votes for each nonprofit.
The group directed grants to:
- Northern Hills Recreation Association; $2,500
- Sturgis Youth League Baseball; $2,500
- Lawrence/Meade County Teen Court; $2,500
- Artemis House Shelter; $2,500
- Meade County Senior Citizens Center; $1,000
Each nonprofit will receive its grant by the end of May and can choose how to use the funds.
“We are thankful to have been considered for a grant from the Northern Hills Giving Circle,” said Alexandra Lux, director of the Lawrence/Meade County Teen Court, a voluntary program that helps teenage offenders assume responsibility for their behavior through involvement in the judicial process and service in the community.
“This funding is essential to helping our organization continue its work and help improve outcomes for northern hills area youth,” Lux said.
Northern Hills by Choice is one of three giving circles led by the Foundation in the Black Hills. Giving circles are groups that give members the opportunity to socialize, learn about nonprofits and direct grants to serve their communities. The other giving circles are Southern Hills by Choice, which meets annually, and Black Hills by Choice, which meets twice each year.
The next Black Hills by Choice event is on June 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the Dahl Arts Center. If you are interested in learning more about giving circles, email info@bhacf.org or call 605-718-0112.
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