# South Dakota State University Endowment Plan

South Dakota State University Endowment Plan is an Endowment / Foundation based in Brookings, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Brookings, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Brookings, South Dakota, United States
- **Founded:** 1946
- **Assets under management:** 260 (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** sdstatealumnifoundation.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/sdstatefoundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The South Dakota State University Endowment Plan was established in 1946 to manage gifts and investments benefiting South Dakota State University. Steve Erpenbach guided the foundation through its Bold & Blue campaign before stepping down as President and CEO. The endowment operates under the SDSU Alumni & Foundation and receives oversight from the South Dakota Board of Regents. Investment activity centers on real estate and mission-related holdings. Confirmed assets include agricultural land in Sully County and Day County, commercial properties such as the SDSU Alumni & Foundation Building, and the South Dakota Art Museum collection. The plan also maintains aircraft and participates in xenon procurement through a partnership with the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority. Geographic exposure remains limited to North America. The foundation lists 260.7 million dollars in assets under management per internal estimates. It maintains professional affiliations with CASE and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. No public disclosure of recent leadership changes or new commitments has appeared in the last 24 months.

## Sectors

- Real Estate
- Philanthropic

## People

- Steve Erpenbach — Former President and CEO
- Jerry Lohr — Board Member
- Dana Dykhouse — Co-Chair, Bold & Blue campaign

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at the South Dakota State University Endowment Plan?

Steve Erpenbach served as former President and CEO and oversaw major growth periods. Current decisions rest with the SDSU Alumni & Foundation board and its relationship with the South Dakota Board of Regents.

### Does the endowment participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

Activity centers on direct holdings in real estate, agricultural land and institutional collections rather than external fund commitments.

### What investment stages does the endowment typically target?

The plan focuses on long-term holdings in real estate and mission-related assets rather than venture-stage deployment.

### How is the endowment related to South Dakota State University?

The SDSU Alumni & Foundation serves as the primary fundraising and asset management arm for the university under the endowment plan.

## Related profiles

- [Buttonwood Capital Management](https://altss.com/profile/buttonwood-capital-management-bcm)
- [United States Olympic Endowment](https://altss.com/profile/united-states-olympic-endowment)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/south-dakota-state-university-endowment-plan

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