Avera St Marys
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Avera is a health ministry rooted in the Gospel. Our mission is to make a positive impact in the lives and health of persons and communities by providing quality services guided by Christian values.
- Income
- $133.9 million
- Spending
- $132.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- 1.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 96%
- Employees
- 695
- Volunteers
- 60
- Highest pay
- $1.3 million, cfo avera health;secretary/treasurer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 62 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.7 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 36% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1593% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 10 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $122.8 million spent. Avera St. Mary's mission is to provide healthcare services to Pierre, South Dakota residents and residents of the surrounding area. Avera St. Mary's is a 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with Avera Health. Avera St. Mary's consists of a 50-bed hospital, an 80-bed nursing home, senior living apartments, and one physician clinic in Pierre, South Dakota. The program services offered include primary care, ob/gyn, pediatrics, orthopedics, general surgery, emergency, internal medicine, oncology, podiatry, urology, dermatology, pain management, ENT, laboratory, speech therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, and wound care. Avera St. Mary's provides acute care and long-term healthcare services.Following is a breakdown of these statistics by facility:Avera St. Mary's Hospital 1,542 Acute patient discharges 464 Newborn patient discharges 96 Swing bed patient discharges 62,334 Outpatient visits 614 Swing-bed patient days 771 Newborn patient days 96,599 Clinic visitsAvera Maryhouse 20,625 Long-term resident days 134 Long Term Care patient dischargesAvera St. Mary's maintains records to identify and monitor the level of charity care it provides. These records include the amount of charges forgone for services and supplies furnished under its charity care policy and equivalent service statistics. The amount of charges foregone, based on established rates, were $3,452,863.Avera St. Mary's also provides community benefit health activities at less than or at no cost to support those in the area serviced, see Schedule H. As a member of the Avera Health Network, Avera St. Mary's upholds the vision of the Presentation and Benedictine Sisters to work through collaboration to provide quality, effective health ministry and to improve the healthcare of individuals and our communities through a regionally integrated network of persons and institutions. Avera St. Mary's engages in activities designed to improve the health of individuals and communities in response to a calling to heal the sick, the elderly, and the oppressed.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Worth knowing.
Not individually listed by the IRS as eligible, which is usual for local chapters covered by a parent organization's exemption. The master file records contributions to it as deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1946.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.