Share your voice. Strengthen your community.
Learn about our annual Thriving Communities Initiative.
ABOUT THRIVING COMMUNITIES
Every year, Black Hills residents vote online for a meaningful cause to benefit from at least $100,000 in grants.
In 2025, “Youth Mental Wellness” received our community’s popular vote. The initiative culminated with $145,000 granted to nine incredible Black Hills nonprofits providing prevention and treatment services for youth across the Black Hills!
Learn about our 2025 Youth Mental Wellness grantees below, and stay tuned for our 2026 community survey!
2025 Grantees: Youth Mental Wellness
In 2025, over 500 Black Hills residents voted in our community survey. The cause “Youth Mental Wellness” received over 45% of all votes, with over 70 residents submitting additional thoughts.
Community members wrote that youth mental health services need more support to meet the demand in the Black Hills. They said that prevention services are critical, and learning coping skills can make a big difference.
Survey responses also emphasized that open conversations about mental health can reduce the stigma and help young people feel more comfortable seeking support.
BHACF and giving circle members directed $145,000 in grants to nine nonprofits!
West River Mental Health: Supports a pilot summer wellness camp and regional mental health awareness campaign.
Lost & Found: Supports resilience training, education, and mentoring services for college students across western South Dakota.
Oyate Teca Project: Supports the Youth Teen Center in Kyle, a safe space for Native youth to receive culturally responsive wellness services.
The Helpline Center: Supports the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s operations in western South Dakota, which provides 24/7 crisis and prevention services.
WellFully: Supports trauma-informed programming such as therapeutic art. The grant will also help customize an adolescent recovery unit to meet the specialized needs of those in their care.
Lawrence County Coalition: Supports school-based prevention programs focused on youth engagement, resilience, and early intervention for mental health conditions.
Boys & Girls Club of the Black Hills: Supports quality programs and lifelong learning skills that enable all young people to reach their full potential.
Family Services Connection: Supports programs that empower at-risk and homeless youth and young adults, families, and survivors by providing housing, supportive services, and access to mental health services.
Wambli Ska Teen Center: Supports a safe, supportive space where Native youth reconnect with their purpose and build self-determination allowing them to strive for a life of healing, health, and wellness.
How Can Art Strengthen Youth Mental Wellness?
We’ve partnered with the Rapid City Arts Council to amplify this year’s Thriving Communities theme through an upcoming pop-up art exhibit at The Dahl Arts Center in October!
The exhibit responds directly to community members’ survey responses. Many residents shared that more awareness about mental wellness would help our young people.
“How can art encourage open conversations, reduce stigma, and promote positive mental health strategies for young people?”
The interactive exhibit will include messages of support for young people and connect youth to resources. Community members can visit The Dahl Arts Center to add their own contributions to the artwork.
The exhibit lasts Oct. 10 – Dec. 31, 2025.
What’s Next?
SPRING: Vote
Vote for a cause by the end of May 2025.
SUMMER: Stay Tuned
Follow our Facebook to stay updated and learn about the community's chosen cause.
FALL-WINTER: Celebrate
In September, nonprofits working on the community's selected cause will collectively receive at least $100,000 in grants.
In October, a pop-up art exhibit at The Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City will encourage community conversations about the issue.
From Our Community
The responses below were anonymously submitted through the Thriving Communities 2025 survey for the winning cause, “Youth Mental Wellness.”
Black Hills Resident
“Youth mental health is drastically underserved in our community. If we help youth, we help our future adults, our future families, our future workforce, our future humans who will impact the next generations."
Mother of teenagers
“Our youth are struggling and many of those youth are afraid to share their struggles with loved ones. There is this perception that they could be flawed or something is wrong with them, when in reality they are experiencing normal things.”
Local law enforcement officer
“I'm a law enforcement officer who sees the dire need for powerful mentorship in our community. One, to help the child be a contributing member of society but also to break the generational cycle.”
Rapid City Resident
“This cause is important to me because I went through school being bullied. I developed depression and anxiety in my high school years and into college. Mental health access for young people is so important in helping build stronger communities."
Issue Areas in the
2025 Survey
Issue areas that were not selected will reappear in the 2026 survey.
2025 CAUSE: YOUTH MENTAL WELLNESS
Many young people struggle with depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns. With quality support, youths can build the resilience needed to face these challenges and thrive. Your vote would support nonprofits dedicated to strengthening the mental wellness, healthy development, and overall wellbeing of our youth.
QUALITY CARE FOR elders
Elders enrich our community with deep wisdom drawn from diverse life experiences. In turn, they benefit from quality care that helps them enjoy their stage of life with health and ease. Your vote would support nonprofits that care for our senior generation by promoting health and wellness, cultivating connections, and fulfilling basic needs.
ARTS FOR ALL
The Black Hills has a long history of bringing people together around artistic events and workshops. These gatherings build strong connections across generations, skillsets and backgrounds. Your vote would support nonprofits that cultivate community and expand access to the arts through gatherings such as concerts, festivals, and creative workshops in all types of art forms.
CHILDCARE FOR HEALTHY FAMILIES
Access to quality childcare strengthens our workforce and reinforces the wellbeing of parents, grandparents, and children. However, many guardians struggle to afford childcare, while providers struggle to cover the costs needed to keep their doors open. Your vote would support nonprofit childcare providers, filling gaps needed to keep quality childcare available to families.
Stay updated on Thriving Communities and other initiatives
Sign up for our quarterly newsletter to learn the latest news and updates from the Black Hills Area Community Foundation.
Let’s create a thriving Black Hills together.
Past Thriving Communities Causes
We launched the annual initiative in 2024.
2024 Cause: Beautiful Black Hills
In 2024, Black Hills residents voted to support “Beautiful Black Hills.” This issue area focuses on caring for the outdoor spaces that make the Black Hills such a wonderful place to live.
With the support of private donations, BHACF directed $125,000 in grants to 10 nonprofits. The 2024 grantees are listed below.
• Black Hills Trails: Supports construction and maintenance on the Centennial Trail.
• Black Hills Bike Hub: Supports strategic planning and operational expenses.
• Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park: Supports updated signage along the trail.
• Black Hills Parks and Forests Association: Supports interpretive art installations at state and federal parks.
• Booth Society, Inc: Supports the Junior Ranger Program and updated signage.
• The Nature Conservancy: Supports a stewardship project in the Southern Hills.
• Pathways Spiritual Sanctuary: Supports upkeep of Pathways Sanctuary.
• Black Hills Environmental Coalition: Supports a projects pool, where organizations can collaborate on outdoor spaces work together.
• Casting for Recovery: Supports a fly-fishing retreat for women affected by breast cancer.
• Casting Vets: Supports three ice fishing retreats for veterans in the Black Hills.
Give to Thriving Communities
Help us support a meaningful cause selected by people who know and love the Black Hills.
At the end of the year, your gift will go straight to nonprofits growing positive change in the community’s selected issue area.
Until the end of 2025, all donations will go directly to nonprofits addressing youth mental wellness across the region.
Have questions? Connect with Carrie.
Carrie Robley, Director of Community Impact, manages the Thriving Communities Initiative. She’s happy to answer your questions or share ways to partner with us.