South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance

What South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance does

South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance (SDPAA) is a member-owned, non-profit public entity risk pool founded in 1987 by the South Dakota Municipal League in response to a mid-1980s crisis in which commercial carriers were unwilling or unable to provide affordable liability coverage to South Dakota public entities. Headquartered at 208 Island Drive in Fort Pierre, South Dakota, SDPAA provides property and liability coverage to more than 460 South Dakota municipalities, counties, townships, conservation districts, and special districts, operating exclusively within the state. The organization is governed by an eleven-seat Board of Directors composed of elected and appointed officials from member entities, with the SDML and SDACC/SDACO Executive Directors serving as ex-officio members, giving members direct governance influence over coverage terms and rates.

SDPAA's core product set consists of property coverage (real property, contents, mobile equipment, and vehicles) and liability coverage, supplemented by training resources (online modules via NEOGov and Aurora Pictures; live sessions through Safety Benefits), an employment and government practices hotline staffed by outside counsel, loss control services including property surveys and sample policies, and a law enforcement training portal provided via LLRMI. Pricing is determined through individual underwriting of each member's risk profile and property schedules, billed annually on a subscription basis, with a stated objective of stable year-over-year rates rather than profit maximization.

SDPAA distributes coverage directly through its Fort Pierre office, acquiring new members via industry conferences, conventions, direct outreach, and referral partnerships with the South Dakota Municipal League and the South Dakota Association of County Commissioners. Revenue is generated entirely through member premiums; financial figures are not publicly disclosed. Leadership transitioned in Q1 2023 when Lynn Bren assumed the Executive Director role following Dave Pfeifle's departure, and the membership base grew from 451 to 460 entities during 2023.

Name

South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance

Legal name

South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance

Website

https://sdpaaonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance is a member-owned, non-profit risk pool providing property and liability coverage to 460+ South Dakota public entities including municipalities, counties, townships, conservation districts, and special districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pierre

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Premiums: SDPAA generates revenue through member premiums paid by participating public entities for liability and property coverage. The organization operates on a cost-sharing basis with stable rates as a core objective.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SDPAA is a member-owned public entity risk pool that provides Property Coverage (real property, contents, mobile equipment, and vehicles) and Liability Coverage to South Dakota municipalities, counties, townships, conservation districts, and special districts. Membership is earned by annual premiums set through underwriting review of member property schedules, risk exposures, and coverage selections, with stable year-over-year rates as a core objective. Coverage is supplemented by member services including loss control, training resources, and an Employment & Government Practices Hotline.

Product overview

South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance (SDPAA) is a member-owned public risk pooling organization providing insurance coverage and risk management services exclusively to South Dakota public entities. The core offerings consist of Property Coverage and Liability Coverage for municipalities, counties, townships, conservation districts, and special districts. These are supplemented by Training Resources (online video training via NeoGov and Aurora Pictures, plus live training through Safety Benefits partnership), an Employment & Government Practices Hotline providing access to expert legal counsel, Loss Control Services including property surveys and sample policies, and a Law Enforcement Online Training Portal via LLRMI partnership. The organization has grown from fewer than 10 participants in 1987 to over 460 members currently.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property Coverage Insurance coverage for real property, contents, mobile equipment, and vehicles belonging to South Dakota public entities, offered as part of risk pool membership.
• Liability Coverage Liability protection for municipalities, counties, townships, conservation districts, and special districts against liability exposures arising from public entity operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Membership grew from 451 to 460 members in 2023
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Safety Benefits, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafety Benefits provides live training opportunities including civility training, defensive driving, MSHA certifications, and jail-specific training. The SDPAA also partners with Safety Benefits to conduct property surveys for member coverage.
• NEOGovsupportingTechnology or IntegrationNEOGov provides online video training with options to assign modules to employees, track progress, and award completion certificates.
• Aurora Pictures StreamingsupportingTechnology or IntegrationProvides shorter video content for Toolbox Safety Meetings to help start safety discussions among member employees.
• LLRMI (Law Enforcement Risk Management Institute)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides online training and policy portal specifically for law enforcement exposures, offering state-specific policies and procedures with associated training.
• Connections EAPsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDPAA sponsors Connections EAP for first responders who are Members of either the SDPAA or SDML Workers Compensation Fund.
• South Dakota Municipal League (SDML)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDML helped form the SDPAA in 1987 and continues to partner with the organization. The SDML Executive Director serves as an ex-officio board member. SDPAA sends timely news blasts on emerging topics to members.
• South Dakota Association of County Commissioners (SDACC/SDACO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SDACC/SDACO Executive Director serves on the SDPAA Board of Directors. SDPAA staff attend and sponsor events at SDACC/SDACO hosted trainings and conventions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sdpaa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance