Foundation News
We hope these stories and insights help you better understand our community, celebrate progress, and inspire new ideas for creating lasting change.
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...