Our Impact
We feel the best way to draw attention to our grantees is to celebrate their big wins and shed light on the community challenges they face. By cheering on low-income families and organizations, we’re not just acknowledging their hard work, but also spreading optimism and showing how their progress uplifts our entire community.
Check out our latest blog posts for uplifting stories about our community working together to make a piece of the world a brighter place.
JTVF Welcomes Whitney Rencountre II and Claudia Vucurevich
Spring has sprung, and with it comes budding new board members! We're absolutely thrilled to announce the latest additions to our dynamic team - not one, but two stellar individuals who are joining us as esteemed board members. Whitney Rencountre II and Claudia...
Planting Seeds of Change with March Grantees
Much like planting seeds in fertile soil, our March grants are a catalyst for positive change. We are thrilled to to announce $137,000 in grant awards to a diverse set of organizations that meet needs in transportation, mental health, safety, and social belonging....
Thank You Eric Abrahamson
We can’t believe we have to say so-long to our 9-year board member Eric Abrahamson, President and Principal Historian at Vantage Point History. During his tenure, Eric guided us in strategic planning, hosted the fireside chat with Speaker Series guest former...
Celebrating 10 Years of the Coaches Network
It’s more than just luck that keeps our nonprofits collaborating. Since 2014, social services professionals from the Rapid City region have met once a month to share resources, make connections, and break bread at a meeting called the Coaches Network. But how does...
JTVF Awards Mommy’s Closet $120,000 in February
One grantee found gold at the end of the rainbow in February. This month we awarded $120,000 to Volunteers of America Mommy’s Closet to help low-income families meet the basic needs of their young children. This two-year operating support will help Mommy’s Closet...
JTVF Launches into 2024 with $450,000 in Basic Needs Grants
The John T. Vucurevich Foundation began 2024 by awarding $450,000 to organizations that uphold access to education, safety, and food in our community. The following organizations received grant awards: YFS Girls Inc. of Rapid City: $200,000 in two-year operating...
JTVF Awards $1.5 Million to Local Nonprofits and Scholarship Programs
The John T. Vucurevich Foundation closed out 2023 with $1.5 million dollars in grant awards to organizations that support families or individuals with educational, child care, or safety needs. The following organizations received grant awards: Local Scholarships:...
JTVF Emerging Leaders Celebrate Graduation
On a VERY cold January 12th, our 5th cohort of Emerging Leaders, along with 110 other community members, celebrated their graduation. The John T. Vucurevich Foundation Emerging Leaders program empowers participants to discover their role in addressing community...
Oaye Luta Okolakiciye Empowers Rapid City Middle Schoolers
We can’t keep it to ourselves any longer, Oaye Luta Okolakiciye is the recipient of a $75,000 one-year Basic Needs Grant. This grant will support talking circles in all Rapid City Middle Schools for the 2023-2024 school year.About Middle School Talking Circles Oaye...
Cheyenne River Youth Project Nurtures Young Leaders
We are buzzing with excitement to announce a $95,000 two-year Basic Needs grant to Cheyenne River Youth Project for youth leadership and workforce development programming.About Youth Leadership and Workforce Training Program This grant helps Cheyenne River Youth...
Fork Real Community Café: Food with a Side of Empathy
We are tickled to announce $50,000 in support for Fork Real Community Café. This one-year Basic Needs grant will help train and retain their workers (paid and volunteer) and address future sustainability.About the Work Fork Real's track record underscores its...
Volunteer Connections Boosts Nonprofit Participation
Drumroll, please! We are happy to announce a $110,000 two-year Basic Needs grant to the Helpline Center to continue the Volunteer Connections Program.About Volunteer Connections The Helpline Center's Volunteer Connections Program functions as the Volunteer Center...
Jump Starting Quality Child Care
We are ready to shout it from the rooftops: the YMCA of Rapid City is our latest Early Learning grantee! This $700,000 two-year grant will support the Jump Start Program in Rapid City.About Jump Start Jump Start provides quality early-learning and affordable child...
Uplifting Parents One Degree At a Time
We are delighted to share that we awarded a final year of grant funding for the Uplifting Parents Program at Catholic Social Services. This $174,182 will complete the Uplifting Parents Program Pilot.About Uplifting Parents The Uplifting Parents Program (Program UP)...
ReNewed Support for Recovering Mothers
We can finally spill the beans on our October 2023 Basic Needs grant: Bethany Christian Services of Western South Dakota! This $25,000 one-year grant will support the Recovering Mothers with Newborns (ReNew) Program in Rapid City.About ReNew The Recovering Mothers...
JTVF Releases Local Child Care Report
Need real data on the child care industry in Rapid City? Download our latest report Too Expensive and Not Expensive Enough: Investing In Child Care to Strengthen South Dakota’s Economy today!Download the Report In this report, our friends at the Low Income...
Join Us For A Thrilling Child Care Webinar
Join us for an eye-opening free online event where we delve into the world of child care in Rapid City! Discover the truth about why child care is both too expensive and not expensive enough. During this webinar we will share findings on a study authored by our...
New Era of Transparency for JTVF
We are absolutely thrilled to unveil the rebranded John T. Vucurevich Foundation! We feel that this fresh and dynamic rebrand underscores our commitment to transparency, purpose, and making a piece of the world a brighter place. Transparency is new for us at JTVF....
Just Announced: August Basic Need Grantee
We are thrilled to award $100,000 to Pennington County Human Services, a longstanding JTVF community partner. They serve our veteran, formerly incarcerated, and low-income neighbors.Pennington County Human Services $100,000 – funds to assist individuals with rental...
Announcing July Basic Needs Grantees
Three cheers for our July 2023 grantees Wellfully and Journey On! These organizations serve some of our most vulnerable community members. Learn more about these incredible programs and what they plan to do with our investment.Wellfully $305,000 for one year to...
Why You Should Attend Our Poverty Escape Room
Can you escape a day in crisis? Based on real experiences in the Rapid City community, our Poverty Escape Room offers you a vivid opportunity to become a more compassionate neighbor. We won’t spoil the experience for you, but we can share how this unique learning...
Different Lens Coaches Network Empowers Social Service Professionals
Are you a social service professional? Join us for our monthly Different Lens Coaches Network meeting. Here you will find support from other boots-on-the-ground folks navigate alongside low-income families in our community. Come for the free lunch but stay for the...
Sneak Peak at JTVF Early Learning Investments
We are so excited about two of our upcoming early learning investments that we couldn’t stop ourselves from giving you a sneak peek! In 2024, we will launch two pilot programs to address the child care crisis faced by local families. Bridgecare: the Zillow of Child...
What Is a Livable Wage Anyway?
What is a livable wage? A simple question with a surprisingly complex answer. A livable wage is the household income needed to meet minimum standards of living in our community. The Living Wage Model, developed by MIT, is only a ‘step up’ from poverty as it only...
Why the “Poverty” Definition Doesn’t Cut It
The US poverty threshold: a shockingly powerful definition that many of us have never stopped to think about. Here are a few facts that make the case for why we at the John T. Vucurevich Foundation have moved away from using the "poverty threshold" to define who we...
5 Things to Know about JTVF Joining the NYU Furman Center’s Housing Solutions Lab
The NYU Furman Center’s Housing Solutions Lab has selected Rapid City as one of five city teams nationwide to participate in the 2023 Peer Cities Network – a national program for small and mid-size city leaders to develop innovative and equitable local housing...
What Is the Rapid City Strategic Housing Trust Fund Anyway?
One of our largest Foundation investments in recent years is a $5 million grant to the Black Hills Area Community Foundation for the Strategic Housing Trust Fund. But what does that actually mean for Rapid City affordable housing? Let us explain. The Rapid City...
Fast Facts on Rapid City Housing
Access to stable, safe, and affordable housing is a foundational need for families and individuals working towards economic stability. Since the pandemic, costs for both rental and owner-occupied housing have risen substantially, putting additional pressure on our...
Preschool Scholarship Program Empowers Low Income Families to ‘Start Strong’
The Starting Strong program is vital to our community. But don't take our word for it. Listen to the testimonials from people in our community who benefit the most. Starting Strong is a preschool scholarship program for three and four-year-old children as well as a...
