The Aberdeen Area Community Foundation along with its partner the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has provided a $4,400 grant to the Aberdeen Catholic School System to support the costs of purchasing touchless water fountains in each of its three buildings. The fountains are designed only to fill water bottles, not for direct drinking, which reduces the potential for spreading disease during the pandemic. The funds came from the Knight COVID-19 Aberdeen Sub-fund within the AACF.
In March 2020, Knight Foundation committed $225,000 in partnership with the Aberdeen Area Community Foundation and the South Dakota Community Foundation to provide short-term and long-term relief in response to the pandemic through the AACF Knight COVID Sub-fund. These funds were a portion of the over $10 million Knight Foundation committed to its 26 Knight communities around the country. The funds are meant to address immediate needs within the community while also focusing on priority areas Knight Foundation has identified in Aberdeen. Through September 2020, the fund has made more than $120,000 in grants in the Aberdeen area to address the impact of the pandemic.