Child welfare advocate, longtime ASU supporter T. Denny Sanford dies at 90
After overcoming a childhood of poverty and the early loss of his mother, T. Denny Sanford (left, with ASU President Michael Crow) built a career and a foundation aimed at benefiting children, higher education, health care, workforce development and the arts.
T. Denny Sanford’s name is associated with major philanthropic gifts throughout the U.S. With few exceptions, they are associated with the health and welfare of children and young people — such as the Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, built to resemble a fairy-tale castle.
At Arizona State University, the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics and the T. Denny Sanford Harmony Institute are both named for Sanford.
“I can think of no better return on investment than supporting a program that can change the lives of children,” Sanford told ASU News in 2014 when he committed additional money to ASU.
Sanford died July 18 at the age of 90 and will be remembered for his many contributions to benefit children, higher education, health care, workforce development and the arts.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Sanford overcame poverty and the early loss of his mother to graduate from the University of Minnesota in 1958. Building on a career in sales, marketing and materials distribution, he purchased United National Corporation in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and created the credit card company Premier Bankcard.
When he created his foundation for charitable giving, Sanford’s initial focus was to help sick, disadvantaged, abused and neglected children. In addition to the Sioux Falls hospital, Sanford funded the Pediatric Center at Florida Hospital for Children. And the Edith Sanford Breast Center, with dozens of locations, is named for his mother, who died of breast cancer when Sanford was 4.
In 2007, he donated $400 million to the Sioux Valley Health System, which became Sanford Health.
At ASU, Sanford’s name and values are found in multiple centers and initiatives. In 2008, he funded the creation of the Sanford Harmony Program, a pioneering effort to help teachers develop stronger social connections among students and foster positive peer relationships that enable students to thrive at school, at home and as they grow into adulthood. Sanford Harmony has been implemented in 70,000 schools, serving 40 million students across all 50 states.
His 2009 gift of $19 million created the Sanford Education Project, expanding the relationship between the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation and Teach For America.
“Denny Sanford dedicated his time, vision and treasure to creating transformational change in the lives of others,” ASU President Michael M. Crow said. “His contagious energy and gracious support for social innovation in education, health and community well-being has improved the lives of countless children and families, including those served by ASU, and will continue to have a meaningful impact for generations to come.”
In 2014, Sanford's gift of $5.9 million increased the reach of the Sanford Inspire Program at ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, providing educators with free, online tools and resources to inspire students from pre-kindergarten through high school.
In recognition of Sanford’s exemplary support of community-centered initiatives at ASU, the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics was named in 2012 and is ranked among the top 10 programs of its kind worldwide. The school has become an important center of research, teaching and collaboration to improve the well-being of children, youth and families.
In 2023, Sanford increased his commitment to ASU when he established the Sanford Harmony Institute, which accelerates and broadens the research and programming geared toward nurturing children and their relationships developed through the Sanford Harmony Program.
Gretchen Buhlig, CEO of the ASU Foundation for a New American University, said, “Denny Sanford’s steadfast support of ASU was inspiring for all of us. His commitment to improving life for children and families across the nation allowed us to fulfill our own commitment to meet the needs of 21st-century learners — learners who will then touch countless lives themselves, through careers that advance the communities where they live.”
Sanford’s overall charitable contributions have been recognized multiple times, including being named among the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s 50 most generous philanthropists multiple times and a recipient of the Horatio Alger Award.
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