De Smet Community Foundation Case Study

De Smet Water Tower
De Smet Water Tower

Through a partnership with Pollen Midwest, we created a case study to learn how the De Smet Community Foundation has been the vehicle for many successful efforts to solve long-standing community problems.

Excerpt from the Case Study

Working closely with their community, the De Smet Community Foundation created a 20-year plan to grow the population while maintaining the things that made De Smet a great place to live.

Shared idea illustration

Collaboration

When representatives from other towns tour De Smet’s event center, they often ask Rita, “How did you get everyone to work together?” Her answer: joint meetings from the get-go, partners viewed the event center as a community project that required teamwork.

Key Illustration

Sharing Ownership

At both the foundation and the development corporation, keeping secrets from the community is off the table. Instead, each organization often consults with residents before making decisions.


Storefront

Featured Video

See how De Smet Community Foundation created a 20-year plan to grow the population while maintaining the things that made De Smet a great place to live.