Emily’s Hope awarded $50,000 DAR Foundation grant

Local nonprofit Emily’s Hope is the recipient of the $50,000 annual Dorothy Day Davenport Grant through the Mary Chilton DAR Foundation. The grant will bring a substance use prevention curriculum to Sioux Falls schools during the 2025-2026 school year.

"The support of the Mary Chilton DAR Foundation allows us to give Sioux Falls’ students access to prevention education that can change—and even save—lives,” Angela Kennecke, CEO and founder of Emily’s Hope, said. “This is an investment in the future of our children and our community.”

Emily’s Hope will use its Dorothy Day Davenport grant to provide curriculum materials, teacher training, and classroom resources to the Sioux Falls School District for classroom and after school programs. The curriculum, designed by Emily’s Hope, was created by a team of educators, medical professionals, and prevention specialists.

By funding the full cost of the program, this DAR Foundation grant removes financial barriers and equips educators to deliver science-based lessons that promote healthy choices, reduce youth substance use, and strengthen the Sioux Falls community.

The award will be officially presented to Emily’s Hope CEO Angela Kennecke at a ceremony during the Mary Chilton Chapter NSDAR meeting at 11:30 a.m. on October 14, 2025, at the Country Club of Sioux Falls located at 3400 W. 22nd Street.

The Dorothy Day Davenport Grant is an annual program that awards funds to a Sioux Falls-based organization to make the city a better place through a project related to patriotism, historic preservation, or education. The grant honors the legacy of Dorothy Day Davenport, a founding member of the Mary Chilton Chapter of DAR, whose gift to the chapter led to the creation of the DAR Foundation.

In addition to the annual Dorothy Day Davenport grant, the Mary Chilton DAR Foundation awards Mini-Grants and Regular Grants throughout the year. These grants must go towards projects related to patriotism, historic preservation, or education and are available to nonprofit and governmental organizations throughout South Dakota. Organizations that are interested in applying for a DAR Foundation grant can do so at mcdarfoundation.org.

Contact: info@mcdarfoundation.org

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About Mary Chilton, Dorothy Day Davenport, Mary Chilton Chapter NSDAR, and Mary Chilton DAR Foundation

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) is a charitable organization established in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism.

The Sioux Falls Chapter’s namesake, Mary Chilton, was a passenger aboard the Mayflower and is believed to have been the first European woman to step ashore at Plymouth Rock in 1620.

Dorothy Day Davenport was an original founding member of the Mary Chilton Chapter in 1915. Mrs. Davenport’s later bequest to the Chapter made possible the formation of its Foundation in 1987. The Foundation administers grants made possible by Mrs. Davenport’s gift. Members of the Mary Chilton Chapter have an ancestral connection to the men and women who had a patriotic role in the American Revolution.

Since 1987, the Mary Chilton DAR Foundation has made over 500 grant awards totaling more than $3 million. These awards have had a significant impact on local and statewide initiatives. They also have helped preserve South Dakota’s pioneer spirit and democratic past, honored veterans, and expanded educational horizons for students and others.