A Rapid City foundation has been awarded a nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help nonprofit agencies develop their job-creation abilities.

The Chiesman Foundation for Democracy won a $999,932 Strengthening Communities Fund grant that will be awarded over two years. The grant, paid for with stimulus funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is described as a capacity building grant designed to improve the ability of nonprofit organizations to promote the economic recovery of people with low incomes.

"It's exciting," said Helen Usera, chief executive officer of the Chiesman Foundation. "We'll be providing technical assistance and training to nonprofit organizations who focus on helping individuals find employment and gain working skills."

It is the second capacity-building grant the private organization has earned, but the largest grant to date for the foundation, which was founde in 1995 by Butte County philanthropist Aileen Chiesman. About $300,000 of the grant money will be subawarded to various Black Hills area nonprofits each year, Usera said. Secular, faith-based, community-based and tribal organizations are eligible.

The award arrives in November and within the first 40 days she'll work with the federal government to establish criteria for nonprofit agencies to apply to Chiesman for assistance. The grant must be used to develop job skill training and curriculums but cannot be used to pay for direct services, construction costs or fundraising, she said.

"We are pleased to support nonprofit organizations in South Dakota that train people to land and keep jobs, earn higher wages, and reach economic independence," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "This is what the Recovery Act was meant to do: provide the help people need to help themselves."

Usera recently succeeded her father, John Usera, as CEO of the foundation. She spent the past three years as a public school principal and is the former director for the foundation's Institute for Educational Leadership and Evaluation.