South Dakota Youth Activism

What South Dakota Youth Activism does

South Dakota Youth Activism (SDYA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that mobilizes youth aged 14-24 across South Dakota to advocate for LGBTQIA2S+, disabled, BIPOC, and underrepresented communities through education, legislative action, and community engagement. Founded in early 2021 by teen advocate Elliott Morehead of Sioux Falls, the organization operates a committee-based structure spanning at least five issue verticals (First Nations, Disability Inclusion, Black Empowerment, Queer & Trans Liberation, and Environmental Justice), supported by creative teams (Media Team, Publications Team) that produce zines, flyers, blog content, and social media output. Its primary distribution channels are the sdya.org website, a Discord community server with monthly Safe Spaces for identity-specific groups, and a presence across Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.

SDYA's product surface is content and organizing infrastructure rather than commercial software. The website hosts resource libraries covering Racial Justice, Disability Empowerment, LGBTQIA2S+ Liberation, Gender Equality, state legislature education, bill tracking, BIPOC/disability/LGBTQ+/mental health/sexual wellness/homelessness resources, scholarships, and Know Your Rights guides. The organization has engaged in direct legislative advocacy, including founder testimony against HB 1080 in Pierre during the 2023 legislative session. The underlying technology stack is entirely third-party: Discord for community communication, Notion for calendar and coordination, Google Forms for applications, PayPal for donations, and standard social media platforms for outreach. There is no proprietary technology platform, mobile application, API, or AI capability.

The business model is donation-funded nonprofit operations. SDYA became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation registered with the IRS as of January 2024, making all donations tax-deductible. Revenue flows through a single PayPal donate button on the website, with no membership dues, programmatic fees, or earned income streams. Governance is exercised by a board of directors including President Antoinette, Treasurer Ayden, and VP/Secretary Perci Ereth, with Founder & CEO Elliott Morehead leading day-to-day operations. The organization is headquartered at a mailing address (PO Box 5013 S Louise Ave #181, Sioux Falls, SD) with no disclosed physical office, and serves a single-state market (South Dakota).

Name

South Dakota Youth Activism

Legal name

South Dakota Youth Activism

Website

https://sdya.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

South Dakota Youth Activism is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes youth aged 14-24 across South Dakota through committees and creative teams to advocate for LGBTQIA2S+, disabled, BIPOC, and underrepresented communities via education, legislative action, and community engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Advocacy Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Youth advocacy services
• Social justice education
• Legislative bill tracking
• Community resource library
• Nonprofit activism organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Organization accepts tax-deductible donations via PayPal as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation (registered as of January 2024). Donations fund organizational efforts, projects, and expansion of platform for South Dakota youth.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

South Dakota Youth Activism is a youth-led nonprofit platform that mobilizes advocates ages 14-24 from across South Dakota through issue-based committees (Black Empowerment, Disability Inclusion, Queer & Trans Liberation, Environmental Justice, First Nations), creative teams (Media, Publications), an aggregated educational resource library, state legislative bill tracking, direct testimony in Pierre, and a Discord-hosted community with monthly Safe Spaces. The organization centers marginalized identities in its leadership and advocacy work and operates as a registered 501(c)(3) accepting tax-deductible donations via PayPal.

Product overview

South Dakota Youth Activism is a nonprofit youth activism platform rather than a commercial technology product. The organization provides educational resources, legislative advocacy tools, community organizing capabilities, and publishes informational content (zines, blogs, newsletters) focused on social justice issues affecting LGBTQIA2S+, disabled, BIPOC, and underrepresented communities in South Dakota. The platform operates primarily through a website with the following resource categories: Racial Justice, Disability Empowerment, LGBTQIA2S+ Liberation, Gender Equality, State Legislature education, Bill Tracking, General Resources, LGBTQ+ Resources, BIPOC Resources, Disability Resources, Youth & Family Resources, Mental Health Resources, Sexual Wellness Resources, Homelessness & Domestic Violence Resources, Scholarship Information, and Know Your Rights guides. The organization also facilitates community engagement through Discord, committees, and leadership programs, but does not offer distinct commercial software products or modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Activism Committee Programs Committee-based organizing structure mobilizing youth ages 14-24 across South Dakota around First Nations, Disability Inclusion, Black Empowerment, Queer & Trans Liberation, and Environmental Justice causes. Members attend monthly meetings to brainstorm, plan, and execute advocacy projects.
• Educational Resource Library Aggregated web resource library covering Racial Justice, Disability Empowerment, LGBTQIA2S+ Liberation, Gender Equality, State Legislature education, Bill Tracking, General Resources, LGBTQ+ Resources, BIPOC Resources, Disability Resources, Youth & Family Resources, Mental Health Resources, Sexual Wellness Resources, Homelessness & Domestic Violence Resources, Scholarship Information, and Know Your Rights guides.
• Discord Community and Safe Spaces Discord-hosted community platform for member coordination across South Dakota, featuring monthly Safe Spaces for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and Disabled youth.
• Legislative Bill Tracking and Advocacy State-level bill tracking tool paired with direct legislative advocacy, including youth testimony in Pierre during Legislative Session on bills affecting transgender youth and other marginalized communities (e.g., 2023 testimony against HB 1080).
• Zines and Publications Printed and digital publications produced by SDYA's Media Team and Publications Team covering social justice perspectives, identity-based resources, and educational content.

Quantifiable outcome

• Founded early 2021 by teen advocate Elliott Morehead of Sioux Falls

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Equality Federation: National federation of state-based LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations. SDYA could plausibly partner with or be affiliated through Equality Federation's state network, and the federation's focus on state-level policy is directly analogous.
• Lambda Legal: National legal organization focused on civil rights of LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV. Comparable mission on LGBTQ+ civil rights, with litigation-heavy approach versus SDYA's community organizing model.
• Human Rights Campaign: Largest U.S. LGBTQ+ civil rights advocacy organization. Operates broadly across LGBTQ+ policy, with overlapping policy priorities (anti-discrimination, transgender rights) but at a vastly larger scale and federal rather than state focus.

Direct peers

• National Center for Transgender Equality: National advocacy organization for transgender rights. Founder Elliott Morehead's testimony against HB 1080 (transgender youth healthcare) makes this a closely aligned peer on the transgender policy work central to SDYA's mission.
• Black Youth Project 100: National organization of young Black activists organizing for justice. Comparable youth-led, BIPOC-centered organizing model with intersectional focus that closely mirrors SDYA's framing.
• GSA Network: National network of Gay-Straight Alliances supporting LGBTQ+ student organizing in schools. Directly comparable in youth-led, school-anchored LGBTQ+ advocacy, with overlapping member demographic.
• ACLU of South Dakota: State affiliate of the ACLU operating in South Dakota on civil rights and civil liberties litigation and advocacy. Founder is listed as a prior advocate with ACLU of SD, and the organizations share overlapping constituent bases and legislative priorities.
• GLSEN: National LGBTQ+ youth advocacy and education organization. Founder Elliott Morehead served on GLSEN's National Student Council. Directly comparable mission focused on LGBTQ+ student organizing and policy advocacy.
• The Transformation Project: South Dakota-based LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. Founder affiliations and overlapping state-level focus on transgender rights make it a directly comparable peer in the same geography.

Others

• Movement Advancement Project: Think tank providing policy analysis and data on LGBTQ+ equality and movement building. Serves as an enabling infrastructure provider rather than direct competitor, but tracks the same state-level policy environment SDYA operates in.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sdyouthactivism
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-dakota-youth-activism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Youth Activism