For almost three decades, Black Hills Federal Credit Union (BHFCU) has been on a mission to help students succeed. And as the needs of schools and students have changed, so has the credit union’s approach. In 2025, the organization identified three areas of focus to guide their $45,000 in donations: classroom wishes, school improvements, and lunch debt.
BHFCU knows there’s always a need for student support, but it can be a challenge to know exactly where that need is. That’s where the community comes in. This summer, BHFCU put out the call to help connect with teachers, schools, and educational organizations in its communities. The credit union received 322 submissions spanning individual classroom wish lists and school improvement projects from Billings, MT, to Sioux Falls, SD.
Teachers are the backbone of the classroom. They regularly go above and beyond the call of duty, purchasing supplies out of their own pockets to make their classrooms more accessible and learning more fun for their students. That’s why BHFCU stepped in to fulfill 30 teachers’ wish lists this year!
From books to boost the in-class library and all-things glow-in-the-dark for neon activities to voice amplification technology for soft-spoken teachers and amps for the orchestra, each teacher’s wish list was unique to them. BHFCU earmarked $11,900 for wish lists, ensuring each teacher had just what they needed in Billings, Box Elder, Custer, Eagle Butte, Hermosa, Hill City, Hot Springs, New Underwood, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Sturgis, and Spearfish.
“I’ve loved seeing the variety of needs coming in. For years, we focused on traditional supplies, so it’s been fun to rethink what supplies can mean,” said Meghan Rose, Marketing Strategy Specialist. “An electric guitar for a high school jazz band is a supply just as much as the voice amplifier for the soft-spoken teacher.”
Shared spaces and services in schools are essential to the success of students. BHFCU wants to help make those improvements more attainable. This year, the credit union put $17,500 towards 12 school improvement projects in Billings, Hot Springs, Philip, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Spearfish, and Whitewood. BHFCU would never have known about the teachers’ workroom upgrade or the safer woodworking tools without community nominations!
“When visiting the schools to give our gifts, we’re seeing firsthand how impactful our new focused effort has become,” shared Jillian Steen, Community Engagement Specialist. “Teachers and school administrators have been so thankful, but the real treat is the screams and giggles of pure joy and excitement from the students.”
Empty bellies aren’t conducive to a brain ready to learn. That’s why BHFCU allocated $15,000 to help pay down lunch debt in our communities. Be on the lookout for more details on how you can help!
BHFCU doesn’t do all this work alone. School Support Drive giving is made possible by donations from its vendor partners, participation from the community, including spreading the word and chipping in, businesses that chose to partner up with organizations providing the supplies they really need, and credit union employees who can’t say no to a good raffle.
“As our School Support Drive continues to grow and change, one thing will always remain the same. We will continue to provide support that changes the learning experience for the better,” Meghan emphasized.
BHFCU supports community needs through corporate contributions, employee fundraisers, and donations from members and community supporters to the Black Hills FCU Charitable Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.