First Tee - South Dakota

What First Tee - South Dakota does

First Tee - South Dakota is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that uses golf as a vehicle to build character and life skills in children and teens ages 5-18. Legally registered as the South Dakota Golf Association Junior Golf Foundation, the chapter operates as part of the national First Tee network of 150 chapters. It delivers programming across nine South Dakota locations — Sioux Falls (headquarters), Aberdeen, Brookings, Dell Rapids, Madison, Milbank, Mitchell, Sisseton, and Pine Ridge — through age-segmented junior golf programs (Little Duffers ages 5-7 through the Ace capstone for high schoolers), School Programs integrated into elementary and middle school PE classes, and Community Programs delivered through youth centers including YMCA and Boys & Girls Club. The chapter is reported to reach more than 40,000 youth statewide annually, with 850+ participants at the Sioux Falls location alone. Program delivery relies on an evidence-based life skills curriculum developed since 2004 organized around five key commitments (Pursuing Goals, Growing through Challenge, Collaborating with Others, Building Positive Self-Identity, Using Good Judgement), with a mobile application (First Tee App on iOS and Android) providing gamified reinforcement via badges, points, and challenges.

Core products include the age-based junior golf programs, the School Program (aligned with SHAPE national PE standards), the Community Program, the Ace capstone for teens, the First Tee mobile app, and a pipeline of National Opportunities (PURE Insurance Championship, Game Changers Academy, Drive Your Future Academy, National Championship, Innovators Forum). A flagship capital project is the Denny Sanford Learning Center under construction at the Elmwood Golf Course in Sioux Falls (construction began August 2024, Grand Opening scheduled February 2026), which will deliver year-round programming including the Homework and Hitting program with mentorship, academic resources, and food security support for at-risk youth. The technology backbone is the national First Tee curriculum plus consumer mobile/web infrastructure; the chapter uses Donorbox for online giving, Auctria for online auctions, and Salesforce-based participant registration via firsttee.my.site.com. SafeSport compliance (Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and SafeSport Authorization Act of 2017) governs youth protection operations.

The business model is a hybrid donations-and-program-fees nonprofit revenue structure. Program revenue comes from session-based participant fees of $50 to $186 per session depending on location and age, with family caps ($200 at Aberdeen) and broad financial assistance ensuring no child is turned away. Donations drive the majority of funding via individual and corporate giving (Donorbox), equipment donations through the 2nd Swing Club Donation Program, third-party giving programs (Amazon Smile, Giving Assistant), and annual events including the April online auction ($45,000+ raised in 2026, up from $34,000-$40,000 prior years) and the Building Game Changers Golf Tournament ($4,000 per team). Grant funding includes the Charles Schwab Challenge Grant (matching donations), USGA IDEA Grant (awarded 2024), and support from Sanford Foundation, PGA Tour Foundation, and Austad Foundation. The chapter is governed by a board chaired by Kristy Griffin with Julie Jansa serving as CEO/Executive Director and a five-person operational team.

Name

First Tee - South Dakota

Legal name

South Dakota Golf Association Junior Golf Foundation

Website

https://firstteesouthdakota.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

First Tee - South Dakota is a nonprofit youth development organization using golf to build character and life skills in children ages 5-18, operating across nine South Dakota locations and serving 40,000+ youth annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Play-Based SEL & Executive Function Skill-Building Programs (EDACAOAB)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Junior golf instruction
• Character education curriculum
• School PE partnerships
• Community youth services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Individual and corporate donations supporting program operations, scholarships, and equipment. Donors can give online via Donorbox, by mail (cash/check), or through in-kind gifts. Contact: Julie at 605-351-8808 or [email protected]
2. Grant Funding: Challenge grants such as Charles Schwab Challenge Grant that match donations to amplify impact. Additional grants from foundations like Sanford Foundation and PGA Tour Foundation
3. Event Fundraising: Annual online auctions (April) raising $34,000-$45,000+; Building Game Changers Golf Tournament at $4,000/team; League Day events
4. Equipment Donations: Partnership with 2nd Swing Club Donation Program converting donated golf equipment into cash donations. Also accepts direct equipment donations (clubs, balls, apparel, shoes, bags, carts)
5. Third-Party Giving Programs: Giving Assistant (up to 30% cash back donation) and Amazon Smile programs enabling shopping-based donations
6. Scholarships: SDGA Junior Golf Foundation scholarships ($1,500) and Dean Shortridge scholarships ($1,500 x2) for high school seniors attending post-secondary education

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

First Tee - South Dakota delivers golf-based youth development programming for ages 5-18, integrating junior golf instruction with a character and life skills curriculum across nine South Dakota communities. Programs include age-based on-course classes, a School Program embedded in PE classes, Community Programs at youth centers, a high school Ace capstone, scholarships, and the upcoming Denny Sanford Learning Center.

Product overview

First Tee - South Dakota is a youth development organization operating as a single unified program that uses golf as a vehicle to build character and life skills in children ages 5-18. The portfolio includes the core First Tee App mobile application for participant engagement, age-based Junior Golf Programs at 9+ locations statewide, School Program integrated into PE classes, Community Program delivered through youth centers, National Opportunities (competitive events and leadership programs), Scholarship Programs, and the Denny Sanford Learning Center. The Ace Program serves as a capstone offering for high school teens transitioning to their next chapter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Junior Golf Programs (Age-Based) Golf-based personal growth programs for ages 5-18 organized by age groups (5-7 Little Duffers, 7-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14+) that integrate golf skills with the character-building 5 Key Commitments curriculum. Delivered at nine South Dakota locations.
• School Program Curriculum integrated into elementary and middle school PE classes, providing training, equipment, and lesson plans to physical educators. Aligned with SHAPE national physical education standards.
• Community Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Research proves youth transfer life skills to multiple settings
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• 2nd SwingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClub Donation Program partnership converting donated golf equipment into cash donations for the chapter.
• PURE InsuranceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTitle sponsor of PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach, pairing First Tee teens with PGA TOUR Champions players.
• AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting First Tee Game Changers Academy national event.
• 3M OpencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolf tournament partner for Game Changers Academy activities.
• TopgolfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting Game Changers Academy and gateway to golf programs.
• John DeerecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresenting sponsor of First Tee Drive Your Future Academy (all-girls leadership event).
• YMCA and Boys & Girls ClubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYouth center partners delivering Community Program to youth across South Dakota.
• South Dakota Golf Association Junior Golf FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization operating First Tee - South Dakota; provides $1,500 scholarships to high school seniors.
• First Tee HeadquartersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational First Tee organization providing curriculum, national opportunities, and chapter support across 150 chapters.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Junior Golf Association (AJGA): Established national organization running competitive junior golf tournaments and college-exposure events for elite juniors 12-19. While AJGA focuses on elite, competitive juniors (versus First Tee's developmental approach), it draws from the same broader junior-golf talent pipeline and competing host courses.
• First Tee (national HQ): National umbrella organization (PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation) operating 150 chapters that share the same proprietary youth-development-via-golf curriculum, brand, and national events. As licensor of the curriculum, brand, and national sponsorships, it is the closest upstream counterpart and the umbrella under which First Tee - South Dakota operates.
• National Golf Foundation: Trade association that tracks and grows golf participation, including youth and beginner segments. It publishes widely cited data on junior-golf participation (relevant to First Tee's market) and runs industry programs that influence the same funding and policy environment.

Direct peers

• PGA Junior League: Team-based recreational youth golf league run by the PGA of America for kids 13 and under, using a scrambled format at host clubs. It directly competes with First Tee for junior golfers' time and attention, while sharing many of the same participating facilities and PGA-aligned branding.
• Youth on Course: Nonprofit that subsidizes rounds of golf for members 18 and under at partner courses and runs caddie and leadership programs. It addresses the same affordability and access barriers First Tee tackles and competes for the same junior-golf donor base and host-course partnerships.
• LPGA Girls Golf: LPGA Foundation program introducing girls to golf through affordable, fun instruction at host courses nationwide. Like First Tee, it combines skill-building with life skills and confidence-building, and specifically targets the same junior-girl demographic (First Tee runs its own LPPA Girls Program at the Sioux Falls location).
• U.S. Kids Golf Foundation: Foundation that runs a global series of age-based junior tournaments (including local-league and multi-day tour events) and supplies age-appropriate equipment. It overlaps directly with First Tee's 5-18 audience and competes for tournament entry fees and parent engagement.
• Drive, Chip & Putt: Joint USGA/PGA of America youth skills competition that culminates at Augusta National during Masters Week. It overlaps directly with First Tee's audience of beginner-to-intermediate junior golfers and offers a parallel national pathway for kids who progress through local programs.

Others

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth-development network (and First Tee - South Dakota's Community Program partner in South Dakota) that delivers afterschool and summer programming focused on character, leadership, and SEL. It is not a golf program but competes for the same at-risk-youth demographic and corporate/foundation donor dollars.
• YMCA of the USA: National community-based youth-development organization that operates afterschool and camp programming focused on character and SEL, and is also a First Tee - South Dakota Community Program partner. Competes for youth-participation slots and donor support in the same South Dakota communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FirstTeeSoDak
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FirstTeeSD
• Facebookfacebook.com/165991650086744
• Instagraminstagram.com/firstteesouthdakota
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-tee-south-dakota

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about First Tee - South Dakota