A firm legacy of service

At Woods Fuller, we do more than serve our clients. We support their communities, too. We work with people who are dedicated to making a difference. By supporting various non-profit organizations and community projects across the Midwest, we help strengthen communities and make lasting changes. Our team is dedicated to building better futures and better communities.

340

hours of company-wide voluntary time off

1%

of Woods Fuller revenue is donated annually, back into the community

73

organizations supported in 2023

7

collegiate scholarships donated annually

3

states served
(SD, MN, IA)

15+

different non-profit boards we serve within the community

Shared Values Across the Firm

Not only is our commitment to community a part of our firm’s beliefs, our attorneys and team members exemplify this in their own community service involvements. Learn about our attorney’s individual commitments to community.

"One of the benefits of being a lawyer is that non-profit organizations often love to have lawyers on their boards, so there is ample opportunity to be involved and use our skills in a way that gives back to the community. There is a very rich tradition of lawyers taking advantage of these opportunities, and that tradition is still going strong today."

Dan Harmelink

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“I serve in municipal, political, and nonprofit roles in order to give back to the community. Throughout my professional life, I have been fortunate to live and work in a community that offers so many opportunities. Serving in these roles allows me to provide voluntary support and create the same types of opportunities for others.”

Justin Smith

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“My interest in community involvement lies heavily with organizations focused on children and families. With the busy schedules everyone leads today, organizations that promote and support families spending time together, learning, and being active are so important. I have had a lot of fun working with these organizations and am privileged to have been able to work with them.”

Melanie Carpenter

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“I have been grateful for all of the help and support that I have received over the years, and owe a debt of gratitude to the community. By giving back, my hope is that it will improve the local area and lead to tangible, positive changes. Woods Fuller has always encouraged volunteering and serving others, and has a strong tradition of supporting local organizations.”

Jesse Flynn

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“I like the sense of community that volunteer and community organizations develop. Both volunteers and recipients benefit from community members helping each other.”

Justin Bergeson

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“Woods has a deep level to community commitment. We consider ourselves part of the community which we serve through legal services in South Dakota and Iowa. I personally use my volunteering time to support the personal commitments I believe in by serving and advocating for persons with disability and supporting my church and my children’s schools.”

Heather Springer

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“I hope the Woods Fuller legacy is reflective of its strong community involvement. Our lawyers and staff support many community organizations in various ways, as we all feel supporting our community is truly important and makes for a better city (and surrounding areas) in which to live.”

Lisa Maguire

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“As a member of the Sioux Falls community, I think it is important to give back to the community that supports us. At Woods Fuller, we have been blessed with many years of success and it is important that support the many important organizations that support Sioux Falls.”

Craig Krogstad

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“I give back to my community because I want to help make it a better place to live. The organizations I belong to do that in a variety of ways—by fostering positive relationships, providing opportunities for growth, and helping those in need.”

Tom Schartz

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“I enjoy community involvement, because I believe we’re made to live in community and to serve and support each other. I view it more as being involved and living within the community, and not as giving back. I usually leave any community “service” project feeling uplifted and refilled.”

Amanda Bahena

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“When you consider what Woods Fuller gives to the community over the period of time it has and will continue to do so, the impact and lives that the firm will have touched is far and wide. I hope the community views Woods Fuller as community partner that has focused on giving back to the community that has brought it success.”

Max Donohue

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“Sioux Falls has always been, and continues to be, graced by an extraordinarily proactive and involved business community. I hope that Woods Fuller continues this legacy and maintains a reputation of not simply being a good business partner, but a great community partner.”

Sander Kline

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“Through its commitment to community outreach, Woods Fuller provides an exemplary model of the positive impact a successful business can have on its local community. Woods achieves this impact not only with monetary donations, but with direct encouragement and support of staff and attorneys to volunteer for local organizations.”

Susan Rasmussen

Hear From Our Attorneys

Watch the videos below for their personal stories and the "why" behind the organizations they support.

J. Vincent Jones

"The values and principles that drive my community service are just the desire to leave things better than the way I found them and to make this community a better place.”

Heath Oberloh

“I'm hopeful that, through our work not only for our clients but also for the community here at Woods Fuller, our firm can also have a long-lasting effect on the community.”

Jen Wosje

"I'm passionate about community involvement because it brings a sense of fulfillment and inspires others. By leading through example, we can inspire a new generation of lawyers to value and prioritize community service alongside their professional responsibilities."