Following a recent Board of Directors meeting, the John T. Vucurevich Foundation (JTVF) is pleased to announce recent awards totaling $3,535,000 to 10 Rapid City area nonprofits. All awards fall within the following priority goals: strengthening critical economic pathways, investing in programs that meet basic needs, and strengthening affordable housing for low-income families in Rapid City.
“When our neighbors have access to safe, attainable housing, they gain the opportunity for stability that makes everything else possible. And when essentials are in place, people are better positioned to pursue opportunity and reach their full potential,” says Jacqui Dietrich, JTVF President & CEO. “Our local nonprofits are making it happen, and we invite the community to continue to learn more, find ways to be involved and share in building a stronger future together.”
2026 Grant Recipients
Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention
$25,000
The Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, Community Prevention Partnership Network received $25,000 to support the exploration and feasibility of creating a center for teens in Rapid City. Planning will include focus groups with teens, adults, and mapping of current opportunities.
Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity – East Creek Village
$1,000,000
Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity received $1 million for the East Creek Village affordable housing complex. The proposed 40 to 45-unit townhome development is a needed and creative pathway to help improve the availability of affordable homeownership in Rapid City. The scale of the project will also allow for more resourceful contracting.
Black Hills Special Services Cooperative – Workforce Connections
$680,000
Black Hills Special Services Cooperative will receive $680,000 over two years in support of its Workforce Connections program, which supports adults to further their education and training and provides intensive mentorship to low-income residents. The Workforce Connections program contributes to the development of a skilled workforce in Rapid City.
Catholic Social Services – Uplifting Parents
$700,000
Catholic Social Services will receive $700,000 over two years to support the Uplifting Parents Program. The Uplifting Parents program provides mentoring, monthly stipends, financial literacy education, childcare coordination, and crisis-diversion case management to low-income single parents completing post-secondary degrees and certificates in the Rapid City area.
Catholic Social Services – Uplifting Parents
$120,000
Helpline Center will receive $120,000 over two years to support its Volunteer Connections online platform, which serves as a user-friendly online platform to connect those who want to volunteer with the agencies that need support.
Journey On
$40,000
Journey On will receive $40,000 over two years to support its Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS) Team. The Journey On LOSS Team and volunteers work in partnership with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Department, responding on-scene, offering postvention support to those who have tragically lost a loved one to suicide. The Journey On LOSS Team offers immediate bereavement support, crisis response, long-term support programming, and suicide specific grief classes in the He Sapa (Sacred Black Hills) of South Dakota.
Pennington County Human Services
$300,000
Pennington County Human Services will receive $300,000 over two years to use in discretionary spending, allowing their team to provide support to individuals and families with no alternative resources. Funding supports critical interventions including security deposit assistance, rental assistance, and past-due utility payments. Together, these investments prevent crisis escalation, and often are the difference between stability and homelessness.
Seventh Circuit CASA
$250,000
Seventh Circuit Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program will receive $250,000 over two years as they aim to boost volunteer recruitment, retention and serve more children each year. General operations support can help expand their child advocacy services in the region, allowing them to provide advocacy for more children annually.
Western Dakota Technical College
$120,000
Western Dakota Technical College (WDTC) will receive $120,000 over three years to support the Catapult Stakeholders Group. The group is a three-year project uniting 65 leaders from education, industry, workforce development, and community organizations in a shared effort to build a stronger, more sustainable workforce pipeline for western South Dakota.
Youth & Family Services
$300,000
Youth & Family Services will receive $300,000 over two years to support Girls Inc. of Rapid City programming. Funding will sustain the employment of dedicated staff who mentor, teach, and guide program participants each day. Operational support allows YFS to maintain high-quality programming and promote positive, long-term outcomes for the girls they serve.
