The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) has announced that annual charitable giving for 2008 exceeded $40 million, a significant increase from prior years.
MCF publishes an annual list of grantmaker rankings. Last year SMSC ranked 12th on the list of the top 50 Minnesota grantmakers, with donations totaling $26 million.
This dramatic increase in 2008 giving could place SMSC among the top 10 most generous philanthropic organizations in the state, along with such corporate givers as Target, General Mills, Medtronic and Cargill.
According to the Strib yesterday, economic development of other Midwest tribes is a prime focus of SMSC. According to details in the SMSC 2008 Donation Report (pdf), nearly $19 million of the $40 million total was given to other Native American tribes and organizations around the country.
Education, youth and health initiatives are also important to SMSC. One very large gift of $12.5 million went to the University of Minnesota for scholarships and to build the Minnesota Tribal Nations Plaza at TCF Bank stadium.
