Catholic Social Services covers both South Dakota dioceses, Sioux Falls and Rapid City, with refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, emergency food, housing help, and programs in the state's tribal communities. Sioux Falls has received refugees from Myanmar, Bhutan, and South Sudan. This page lays out the agency's work and the most effective ways to support it.
Two very different populations define this agency's caseload. The first is refugees: Sioux Falls has become a resettlement destination for families from Myanmar, Bhutan, and South Sudan, and Catholic Social Services provides resettlement and immigration legal services for these communities in a state with few other providers.
The second is South Dakota's tribal nations. The Oglala Lakota, Cheyenne River Sioux, Rosebud Sioux, Standing Rock Sioux, Crow Creek Sioux, Lower Brule Sioux, Flandreau Santee Sioux, and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate all face food insecurity at rates well above the state average, and the agency runs programs in reservation communities to address it. Emergency food and housing assistance are available statewide, and every program serves people of all faiths.
The agency accepts donations online at cssdiocesesioux.org/donate. Because so much of the work is casework and legal services, cash goes further than goods; it funds the staff who resettle families and handle immigration cases. A recurring monthly gift is the single most useful format for an agency running multi-year programs.
For food or household goods, especially items that could equip an apartment for a newly arrived refugee family, ask first via the official site so your donation matches a current need.
If you need emergency food, housing assistance, counseling, or immigration legal help anywhere in South Dakota, start at the official website or the nearest office. Eligibility is based on need, not religion, and the agency's coverage spans both dioceses, so the entire state is in its territory. Details on locations and hours change, so check the site for current information rather than relying on older listings.
Run the organization through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search at apps.irs.gov to confirm its 501(c)(3) status, and glance at its Charity Navigator profile for accountability data. If you give $250 or more, keep the agency's written acknowledgment; the IRS requires it to claim the deduction.
Sources: Catholic Social Services SD official site (cssdiocesesioux.org); our South Dakota charity guide research. Retrieved July 2026. We are not affiliated with Catholic Social Services SD and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
More South Dakota charities and donation guides