In 1972 the Sacred Heart School Board started a Foundation with the State of South Dakota to build funds for the operation of the school. The SHS parent group and other interested individuals made donations to this fund through the next several years. By the mid 80’s it was nearly forgotten but was worth about $13,000. 

In 1994 Bishop Robert Carlson, during a trip to Yankton to discuss the newly formed St. Benedict Parish, encouraged those in attendance to begin building “endowment funds” to help support and build the school. (An endowment fund is a fund in which the principal remains intact forever but the interest earnings are contributed to budget needs.) The school board immediately formed a committee to investigate ways to build this type of fund. That committee eventually raised enough money by asking interested individuals to be Blue Ribbon members and to contribute time, talent and treasure to start a Development Office. 

The Sacred Heart School Development Office was established in 1998 with a box of memory books and old photos of SHS graduates, an empty file cabinet, and a brand new computer. In 2000 the office expanded to represent all the ministries of the two Catholic parishes in Yankton and is now called the Yankton Catholic Community Foundation Office. We are located at 509 Capital Street in Yankton.