Our largest fundraiser of the year takes place each fall and helps bridge the gap between the cost of tuition and the true cost of educating our students. The evening includes our annual Fund-A-Need, which changes each year but always has the same purpose—to make a meaningful and immediate impact on our schools. Every dollar raised through Fund-A-Need is designated for vital needs that help our students and schools thrive, ensuring that the funds raised are put to work within that year. Alongside the event, our growing Online Auction provides another opportunity for our community to support RCCSS.

Throughout the year, our Annual Appeal provides another important opportunity for families, alumni, parishioners, and friends of RCCSS to support the areas of greatest need within our school system. We also coordinate school sponsorships, providing local businesses, school families, and community partners with meaningful ways to support our schools while connecting their businesses with the RCCSS community. These partnerships help provide resources and opportunities for our students while allowing us to recognize and celebrate those who invest in Catholic education.

We are also honored to partner with the Western South Dakota Catholic Foundation and Catholic Social Services through the annual Bishop's Golf Tournament. We are grateful to be part of this longstanding Catholic tradition and value the opportunity to work alongside organizations that share our commitment to serving the Church and our community.

Our Advancement Office is about more than fundraising—we are committed to building a strong, connected community throughout RCCSS. Our annual Spirit Shirt Fundraiser gives students an opportunity to take ownership of their school community. Each year, the junior class prayerfully selects a Bible verse to serve as the foundation for the year's design, and students throughout the school submit ideas for the accompanying image. Once a month, students wear their Saint Spirit Shirts in place of their uniforms, with each month highlighting a different saint and providing an opportunity to learn about the lives and witness of the saints who inspire us. Spirit Shirts also help bring our students together beyond the school day—students who wear their Spirit Shirts can receive free admission to regular-season home sporting events, encouraging our students to show their school spirit and cheer on their classmates.

We also help bring our community together through events such as our Blessed Beginnings Back-to-School Mass and Fellowship Picnic, creating opportunities for students, families, faculty, and staff to begin the school year together in faith and fellowship. Throughout the year, we work collaboratively with our activities, athletics, Boosters, and PTO to support their efforts and help create opportunities for our students and families. Our goal is to be present and engaged throughout the school system—not simply as a fundraising office, but as a partner in building the strong sense of community that makes RCCSS special.

Our newest advancement initiative, Fidelis Blue, is designed to create a lasting financial foundation for RCCSS. Through the Fidelis Blue Staff Compensation Fund and RCCSS Activities Fund, donor contributions provide annual support while a portion of the earnings is reinvested to strengthen the endowment for the future.

The Fidelis Blue Staff Compensation Fund provides additional compensation for our faculty and staff, recognizing the tremendous impact they have on our students and addressing the gap between RCCSS salaries and those in the Rapid City Area School District. The RCCSS Activities Fund is designed to provide long-term support for athletics and activities, which currently cost nearly $500,000 each year to operate. As this endowment grows, it has the potential to reduce the amount of tuition dollars needed to support activities and allow those resources to be directed toward other priorities such as teacher compensation, curriculum, technology, campus safety, and facility improvements.

Fidelis Blue is an investment not only in RCCSS today, but in the generations of students, families, and educators who will come after us.

Our alumni are an important part of the story and legacy of Rapid City Catholic School System. We are continuing to develop and expand our alumni database so we can better connect with graduates, celebrate their accomplishments, host reunions, and build relationships that last for generations. Our Cavalier Alumni Magazine is one way we stay connected, featuring stories and updates from alumni of Cathedral High School, St. Martin’s Academy, and St. Thomas More, while also highlighting the people, programs, and accomplishments shaping RCCSS today. The magazine gives our alumni an opportunity to share their stories and allows graduates to stay connected to the school community that helped form them. We have a rich history, and we are proud to preserve, celebrate, and continue building upon the legacy of those who came before us.

Since its founding in 2021, the RCCSS Hall of Fame has provided an opportunity to honor the dedicated individuals and teams who have made a lasting impact on our school system. The Hall of Fame recognizes excellence in three categories: Service, Athletics, and Professional Achievement. Through this tradition, we celebrate those who have given of themselves to strengthen our schools, inspire our students, and carry the mission of Catholic education forward.