Making Foundation Work Accessible Through Strategic Messaging

Research-Based Messaging

Our Challenge

Driven by founder John T. Vucurevich’s inspiring vision “to make a piece of the world a brighter place,” the John T. Vucurevich Foundation (JTVF) is dedicated to intentional funding and catalyzing real change in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. While JTVF is well-known for its grantmaking efforts, the foundation recognized an opportunity to communicate the full scope of its work more effectively, signaling its influence within the greater community.

To achieve this, JTVF tapped Barefoot PR to craft a messaging platform that not only showcases where their funding goes, but also illustrates their strategic role as a connector and convener for the region, ultimately tying their efforts back to Vucurevich’s original vision and demystifying the Foundation’s role within the Black Hills.

Our Solution

Our process began with a strategy session involving JTVF’s leadership and communications teams, leading into a comprehensive Listening and Learning phase with board members, community leaders, local officials and grantees. Our goal was to understand how JTVF is perceived and identify areas where its existing messaging could be improved.

Three critical insights emerged: JTVF was viewed as a local funder, but not as a strategic partner contributing to widespread systems change; their role as a trusted convener and thought partner was overlooked; and community conversations revealed that contentious rhetoric distracted from the values-driven dialogue John T. Vucurevich envisioned. To address this, we developed a messaging platform that elevates JTVF from Rapid City’s quiet funder to a community investor driving regional collaboration, anchored in three main activities: strategic grantmaking, community connection and welcoming more voices to the table.

The platform highlights JTVF’s role and impact within the great Rapid City area, providing a foundation for engaging key audiences — local leaders seeking to partner in driving meaningful progress, nonprofits looking for funding or collaboration around strategic priorities and community members wanting to stay informed about local issues that affect them.

We had the pleasure of visiting Rapid City to train staff and board members on bringing this narrative to life and applying the messaging platform to engage new audiences, invite partnership and amplify the impact of JTVF and its grantees.