A Current Status Report of the South Dakota Hall of Fame and Future Pursuits
The South Dakota Hall of Fame is actively seeking support to sustain its current five programs, as well as funding for two major projects intended to transform its learning experiences and position the Hall well for its future. The South Dakota Hall of Fame is celebrating its Fiftieth Anniversary in 2024, and we hope to finish this anniversary year with strong support from our constituents. Before we share our future plans, let me tell you more about who we are now.
Number of Inductees and their Communities
In our fifty years, we have inducted six hundred fifty-five (655) men and one hundred thirty-seven (137) women. Sixty Inductees have been Native American. To the right are the number of Inductees from select South Dakota cities.
One can see the statewide scope of our work in these statistics. We continue to seek diverse nominations across South Dakota. Please know that our nominations are open now through midnight CT on February 1, 2025. If you know of a deserving individual to be considered for induction into the SD Hall of Fame, please contact us and begin the nomination process.
The South Dakota Hall of Fame continues to be solely sustained through private charitable giving, grants, free-will donations to the Visitor and Education Center, Gift Shop sales, and Honors Ceremony ticket sales. The Hall is a statewide 501(c)3 organization designed to Honor, Inspire, and Preserve the rich stories of our Inductees who have shaped our State, and Educate others about Excellence. Our mission is to “Foster a Culture of Excellence”
We currently live out our mission through our five lanes of service: 1) we elect, honor, and celebrate ten Inductees every year; 2) we curate and preserve the histories of our Inductees through our Legacy of Achievement Program; 3) we wish to keep our Visitor and Education Center displays fresh, engaging, and meaningful for all generations; 4) we manage the Acts of Excellence Program sponsored by Sanford Health which recognizes extraordinary acts of excellence in our rural state; and 5) we build teacher and student resources based on our Inductees through our Legends and Learning Program so that our youth will know about South Dakota’s “Greats”. Through the Legends and Learning Program, our youth can learn life lessons towards success and high achievement, right here at home.
Annual Budget Summery
Our budget to operate and sustain the five programs is currently $747,667 annually. Approximately $118,000 is realized from our endowment distribution from our endowment housed with the South Dakota Community Foundation. Goals for admission donations at the Center and Gift Shop Sales are $3,000 and $9,000 respectively. The remainder of the budget must come from charitable giving, grants, and Honors Ceremony tickets annually. We have been blessed throughout the years with the gracious giving from so many of you. All gifts are appreciated and truly make a difference.
The chart to the right is a summary of the current revenue status of the South Dakota Hall of Fame.
Let me share a bit about our future goals. In addition to ensuring that our five programs are excellent, we have two, special-purpose stretch goals. 1) Repair the Visitor and Education Center and address key building maintenance requirements and 2) Transform our exhibits to include holograms.
Repair and Maintenance of the Visitor and Education Center–$450,000.
We wish to ensure the Visitor and Education Center is well maintained and up to date.
The foundation has shifted on the facility and needs to be repaired.
Replace oil burning furnace with an energy-efficient furnace. The current furnace is 24 years old and is inefficient.
Replace air conditioner that is 24 years old.
Transform exhibits to include Holograms–$300,000
We wish to make the visitor experience more dynamic by advancing holographic art and technology.
The introduction of 3D holograms will allow visitors of the Center to interact with exhibits in new ways, such as witnessing Inductees providing life lessons as if they were present, or perhaps playing an instrument on a virtual stage with an Inductee of yesteryear.
With new technology, the South Dakota Hall of Fame hopes to attract more visitors to its Visitor and Education Center and improve engagement by providing a richer, visually compelling learning experience.
These experiences can be digitized and web-based for a remote audience too.
We wish to bring more creativity into the Center in an efficient and scalable manner.
We are pleased to report that in 2024 we have received $51,200 towards our special purpose stretch goals with additional commitments of $150,000 in discussions.
As we close this remarkable year, we are reminded of the incredible legacy of excellence, leadership, and service that our SD Hall of Fame Inductees have contributed to South Dakota. With your generous support, we can continue to honor achievements and inspire future generations to make a lasting impact.
Your gift–no matter the size–plays a pivotal role in honoring, inspiring, preserving, and educating all South Dakotans about excellence. Even a first-time gift or additional gift of $50 or $100 dollar split between General and one of our Special Purpose projects would go a long way in meeting these needs. Together we can uphold the spirit of South Dakota and celebrate the values that make our state exceptional. Please seriously consider making your end-of-year donation and be a part of the lasting legacy of the South Dakota Hall of Fame.
With heartfelt gratitude, may your 2024 holidays be extra special,
Laurie J. Becvar, M.A., Ed.D.
Chief Executive Officer
The South Dakota Hall of Fame