Search Through Grants for Community Service Projects in Montana in the U.S.

Our Philosophy

Building Healthier Communities

At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT) promoting health and wellness is one of our core business goals, and it drives our community involvement. We're dedicated to helping Montana be a healthier place to live, work, and play. Here's how:

BCBSMT Grants

A charitable grant supports either program focused initiatives or general operating support. Grants provide support to programs and organizations that align with our mission to promote health, wellness and human services in the communities we serve.

What does this program do?

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

How may funds be used?

Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and / or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses.

Examples of essential community facilities include:

• Health care facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
• Public facilities such as town halls, courthouses, airport hangars or street improvements.
• Community support services such as child care centers, community centers, fairgrounds or transitional housing.
• Public safety services such as fire departments, police stations, prisons, police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles or equipment.
• Educational services such as museums, libraries or private schools.
• Utility services such as telemedicine or distance learning equipment.
• Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses.

What are the funding priorities?

• Priority point system based on population, median household income
• Small communities with a population of 5,500 or less
• Low-income communities having a median household income below 80% of the state nonmetropolitan median household income.

Grant Approval

Applicant must be eligible for grant assistance, which is provided on a graduated scale with smaller communities with the lowest median household income being eligible for projects with a higher proportion of grant funds. Grant assistance is limited to the following percentages of eligible project costs:

Maximum of 75 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 5,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 60 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 55 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 12,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 70 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 35 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 80 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 15 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 90 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income. The proposed project must meet both percentage criteria. Grants are further limited.

Impact Analysis Grant Program

The program application involves a one-page form with funding decisions typically made within 48 hours. Eligible applicants include Cities, Counties and Economic Development Organizations and NorthWestern Energy Key Accounts within the Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska service area. Non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for a $1,500 grant. The studies will help applicants measure the economic impacts of existing businesses or local development projects.

Circle Analytics will use proprietary software tools and historical data to measure the economic ‘footprint’ of select projects. The report will help predict the flow of dollars as they multiply through the community and include both direct and indirect jobs.

Our corporate economic development team members assist site selection consultants, economic development agencies, government agencies, existing businesses, and potential new businesses.

They can assist with information on:

• Utility rates
• Availability of utility distribution and transmission services
• Utility operations — natural gas and/or electricity
• Power reliability and energy efficiency programs
• Deregulation (Montana)
• Long-range community planning

Since its inception, the Foundation, which is still led by Lester T. Sunderland's descendants, has focused on supporting construction projects, awarding grants to nonprofits in the Kansas City region and other markets traditionally served by the Ash Grove Cement Company. 

 The Foundation prefers to make grants for construction and special interest projects rather than for annual operating expenses. 

Grants for planning, design, construction, renovation, repairs and restoration of facilities are considered. Areas of interest include higher education, youth serving agencies, health facilities, community buildings, museums, civic projects and energy efficient affordable housing projects sponsored by qualified tax-exempt organizations. 

Funding Areas

In recent grant cycles, the Board of Trustees has awarded the majority of grants in four broadly defined areas:

Higher Education

In 2022, the Foundation awarded $49 million to more than 35 educational organizations. Grantees included community colleges, private colleges, and public universities.

Human Services

The Foundation awarded $30 million to human service nonprofits in 2022, and many grants in this area went to groups that provide essential services to youth and families. Grantees included a range of youth-focused groups, including Reconciliation Services, the Nebraska Youth Justice Initiative in Omaha, Nebraska and the Sno-Valley Senior Center in Carnation, Washington. 

Arts and Culture

Arts and culture projects received $23 million in 2022, including grants to the Springfield Art Museum in Springfield, Missouri, the Omaha Zoo and the Seattle Aquarium in Seattle, Washington. Health Care and Hospitals.

Health Care and Hospitals

This is a growing area of need in many communities the Foundation serves. In 2022, $65 million was awarded to hospitals and health-care groups to build and improve their facilities.

What We Fund

To maximize the impact of our financial support, the Foster Foundation cultivates long-term partnerships with organizations whose work aligns with our priority funding issues. By identifying well run nonprofit programs with the vision and capacity to get things done, we continue to make sound investments in the people, communities and future of the Pacific Northwest.

Priority Areas

Building strong communities benefits all of us. Improving community life encompasses not only meeting critical needs such as food, housing, healthcare, education and employment, but also enriching community spirt and well-being through the support of artistic expression, cultural programs and sports/recreational opportunities.

We seek to identify and fund under-resourced opportunities to make a difference in these four areas:

Social Services/ Human Welfare

We fund emergency and critical human services that support people and families in need. This includes food, emergency/transitional housing, job/life's skills training, counseling and other resources and opportunities that build economic self-reliance.

Education

We support innovative programs that improve literacy, learning and academic success for all ages. Training, tutoring, mentoring and enrichment programs are examples of our outreach in this area.

Medical Research, Treatment & Care

We provide funding for promising medical research to aid in the understanding, treatment and prevention of diseases. The Foundation also supports hospice care as well as HIV/AIDs research and education.

Community Engagement

We nurture the spirt and well-being of Northwest communities by supporting cultural, artistic and recreational activities that engage all ages and populations. Foundation grants help sustain arts organizations and programs that express and grow the creative imagination. We also support community sports/recreational programs, centers and activities that promote health, well-being and teamwork.

Geographic Reach

With both family and business roots in the Pacific Northwest, The Foster Foundation takes a regional approach to giving. We target our funding to assist nonprofits engaged in our priority funding concerns within Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.

In addressing the founders' original intent, the Foundation will expand our philanthropy into smaller, more diverse communities within this five state area over the coming years. We will continue to support existing grantees. But, we desire to learn about and fund other pioneering initiatives and nonprofit programs that address the underserved and disadvantaged segments of this population―especially children, women and seniors.

Central Montana Foundation Board of Directors meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month to consider minor grant requests under $5,000. Minor grants are due the 10th of the month to be considered in the month the application is received. 

Central Montana Foundation is the oldest community foundation in Montana! Organized by a group of visionary businessmen in 1984, the Foundation offers area residents a chance to give back to the Central Montana community of which they have been a part.

These grants to healthcare, essential services, education, cultural and civic projects served to improve life for the very young to the very old in Central Montana!

Focus Areas

• healthcare
• essential services
• education
• cultural and civic projects 

Our Mission: 

To receive and accept property exclusively for educational, cultural, charitable or benevolent purposes for the benefit, health and improvement of residents of the Central Montana area is such a way that the quality of life in Central Montana shall be enhanced, working alone and with any and all other persons and organizations doing similar work.   

By working through the Foundation, worthy projects are able to provide donors with a tax deductible avenue for donations.  

Endowments and pass-through funds provide support exclusively to projects within the Central Montana area. The communities supported by the Foundation include Lewistown, Grass Range, Denton, Hobson, Judith Basin (Hobson and Stanford), Judith Gap, Moore, Roy, Winifred, Petroleum County (Winnett), Wheatland County (Harlowton), and Garfield County (Jordan). 

The Central Montana Foundation continues to live up to the vision of its founding members by following the Declaration of Trust implemented at the time of its inception: “To receive and accept property exclusively for educational, cultural, charitable or benevolent purposes for the benefit and improvement of residents of the Central Montana area in such a way that the quality of life in the area shall be enhanced".

Our roots run deep.

The Ash Grove Charitable Foundation makes grants annually to support the work of public charities with tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code in the geographical markets that we serve.

As one of the largest cement companies in the United States and one of the oldest still in operation, Ash Grove plays an important part in the foundation and infrastructure of our country. And with plants from coast to coast, being a good neighbor in the communities in which we live and serve is a priority and part of our DNA.

Ash Grove territory is a lot of ground to cover. We believe in active participation to improve the existing and future quality of life in the communities we serve. This participation includes financial support to charitable activities. We aren’t just focused on building highways and buildings – we are also helping to build better communities.

Ash Grove is one of the largest cement companies in the United States and one of the oldest still in operation. Ash Grove plays a part in the foundation and infrastructure of our country. With plants from coast to coast, being a good neighbor in the communities we live and serve is a priority and part of our DNA.

The Ash Grove Charitable Foundation mission is to support communities today without compromising future needs, where nature is respected, minds challenged, opportunities created, and neighbors gather in the community. We stand together to build better communities. Communities that thrive today and for future generations.

Funding Priorities

The Foundation awards grants to charitable, educational, and scientific organizations, which are public charities.

The Foundation gives primary consideration to capital building and renovation projects for the following funding priorities:

• Nature – Protect or Preserve.
• Education – STEM
• Economic – Trade Skills
• Civic – Gather in Community
• Human Services – Shelter

Funding

The Foundation’s goal is to provide significant support to public charities for capital building and renovation projects. Grants for these projects generally are limited to $25,000. Consideration is also given to program grant requests. Grants for these projects are generally limited to $5,000.

Invest Native

Wells Fargo announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity for Invest Native, a $20 million philanthropic commitment to Native American communities in six states. The Invest Native initiative aims to impact work within Wells Fargo’s four priority philanthropic pillars of Housing Access and Affordability, Small Business Growth, Financial Health, and Sustainability & Climate Resilience among Native American communities in Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The program is designed as a grantmaking initiative to support a more equitable and prosperous future for Native Americans.

Implementation Grant

Implementation grants are one-year grants up to $400,000. Funding will be for project/program costs aligned with one of the four focus areas including strengthening housing access & affordability, small business growth, financial health, and sustainability & climate resilience.

Funding Pillars

Projects must fit within one of Invest Native’s four funding pillars to be eligible. These pillars are:

• Small Business Growth: Focus is to primarily support initiatives that accelerate growth opportunities for established small businesses to help them scale. Investments center on key drivers of growth: Capital, Network, and Knowledge.
• Sustainability & Climate Resiliency: Focus is to support sustainability initiatives that drive an equity-focused transition to a low-carbon economy, with a focus on mitigating climate impacts and facilitating transition opportunities in low and moderate income (LMI) communities. Emphasis is to expand availability and access to sustainable finance transactions in LMI communities and developing and centering community power.
• Financial Health: Focus is to invest in foundational structures and transformative solutions that address systemic inequities, build financial security, and advance wealth and legacy creation among historically marginalized communities. Emphasis is on financial stability (including financial access, asset building and financial counseling).
• Housing Affordability & Access: Focus is to strive to foster interventions and innovative solutions that increase access to affordable, sustainable, and wealth-generating housing for vulnerable populations and communities. Emphasis will be on keeping people housed, housing stability, and opening doors to access.

Battlefield Preservation Fund

Grants from the Battlefield Preservation Fund will serve as a catalyst to stimulate efforts to preserve battlefields, viewsheds, and related historic structures and to leverage fund-raising activities.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning

Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach

Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

Guidelines

Grants from National Trust Preservation Funds (NTPF) are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by supporting on-going preservation work and by providing seed money for preservation projects. These grants help stimulate public discussion, enable local groups to gain the technical expertise needed for preservation projects, introduce the public to preservation concepts and techniques, and encourage financial participation by the private sector.

A small grant at the right time can go a long way and is often the catalyst that inspires a community to take action on a preservation project. Grants generally start at $2,500 and range up to $5,000. The selection process is very competitive.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning: Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach: Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

Grant Opportunities

Communities need nonprofits to thrive

We believe in transformational ideas that help individuals, families and communities flourish—and since 1975, the Murdock Trust has invested more than $1.4 billion into nonprofit organizations that share our commitment to thinking bigger, challenging problems and making a true difference.

Strategic Project Grants

Capacity-building awards for mission-focused projects and infrastructure investment

Capital Grants

Is capital growth or expansion important to your nonprofit’s vision for long-term growth and success? The Murdock Trust regularly makes grants that support construction, renovation, land purchase and other capital projects. In most cases, we prefer to receive requests for these types of projects once your organization has raised a portion of the needed funds.

Grant Opportunities

Communities need nonprofits to thrive

We believe in transformational ideas that help individuals, families and communities flourish—and since 1975, the Murdock Trust has invested more than $1.4 billion into nonprofit organizations that share our commitment to thinking bigger, challenging problems and making a true difference.

Strategic Project Grants

Capacity-building awards for mission-focused projects and infrastructure investment

Equipment & Technology Grants

Best practices suggest that a healthy equipment and supporting technology infrastructure is essential. Please note that with these grants, recipient organizations are responsible for 50% or greater of the purchase cost.

The Impact Fund awards recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and small law firms who seek to confront economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice. Since our founding in 1992, the Impact Fund has made more than 800 recoverable grants totaling more than $10 million for impact litigation. We award grants four times per year, most within the range of US$10,000 to US$50,000.

Social Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants and legal support to assist in human and civil rights cases. We have helped to change dozens of laws and win cases to improve the rights of thousands. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Texas and North Carolina, incarcerated people with mental health disabilities are forced to remain in jail despite being found not guilty and unable to proceed with a criminal trial.
• In Orange County, California there are currently 13 gang injunctions under effect, which disproportionately affect young men of color.
• In Chicago, Illinois, the city’s homeless shelter program is inaccessible to people with disabilities.
• In Springfield, Oregon, the city and its police department used excessive force against Black Lives Matter protesters.
• In West Virginia, the state fails to protect children in foster care from abuse and neglect. 
• In Montana, voter suppression laws disadvantage young adults and give priority to gun owners.
• In Gary, Indiana, a gun manufacturer negligently marketed and distributed its guns, leading to an epidemic of gun violence in the city. 
• In Vancouver, British Columbia, the police perpetuate systemic discrimination against Indigenous people through bureaucratic measures.

Environmental Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants to support local litigation for environmental justice. These grants are for cases aiming to help people or communities who are affected by environmental harm or who lack access to basic environmental needs, such as clean water, clean air, adequate waste treatment, and green spaces. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Centreville, Illinois, the city’s failure to maintain its sewer system has caused raw sewage to flood peoples’ homes, endangering the property and health of a predominantly Black community.
• In Fresno County, California, the California Department of Transportation approved a highway expansion project that would increase air pollution and traffic in one of the state’s most environmentally burdened communities.
• In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the proposed expansion of a highway would divide the region's Black, Asian, and Latine neighborhoods and cause pollution and ill health.
• In North Dakota, the five-month closure of a highway in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests disproportionately affected the livelihoods and health of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members.
• In Ontario, Canada, mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon river system causes catastrophic environmental and health impacts for the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
• In Sacramento, California, the county government and Sacramento Area Sewer District violated the Clean Water Act by discharging raw sewage into nearby rivers.
• In the Eastern Coachella Valley in California, 1,900 residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park suffer from arsenic-laced drinking water, wastewater contamination, and overcharging for utilities.

Economic Justice

The Impact Fund provides financial and other forms of support to cases fighting for economic justice. From workers' rights to consumer protection for vulnerable populations, impact litigation is a powerful tool to hold corporationss and the government accountable. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Brooklyn, New York, a prominent mortgage lender engaged in predatory practices, leaving homeowners of color at risk of losing their homes. 
• In Washington, live-in caregivers are unconstitutionally excluded from the state’s wage-and-hour protections.
• In Ravalli County, Montana, the county has created a “modern-day debtors’ prison” by incarcerating people unable to afford pre-trial fees. 
• In San Diego, California, vehicle ordinances target unhoused vehicle owners even when no adequate housing alternative exists.
• In New York, a federal immigration detention facility is violating minimum wage and forced labor laws by forcing detainees to work for just a dollar a day. 
• In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city and county destroy the property of unhoused individuals and conduct forced evictions from public spaces. 
• In Miami, Florida, insurance companies discriminate against a nonprofit community development corporation renting to tenants with Section 8 rental subsidies.

Overview

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is NRCS’ flagship conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands.

Through EQIP, NRCS provides agricultural producers and non-industrial forest managers with financial resources and one-on-one help to plan and implement improvements, or what NRCS calls conservation practices.  Using these practices can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving agricultural operations.

In Montana, NRCS uses a “Focused Conservation” strategy to guide its EQIP investments. Learn more about Montana Focused Conservation.

Targeted Implementation Plans (TIPs)

Targeted Implementation Plans are local-level EQIP initiatives used by NRCS in Montana to guide on-the ground implementation of locally developed Long Range County Plans. See what's available in your county.

EQIP Initiatives Offered in Montana

Targeted EQIP financial assistance is available through general EQIP and several other initiatives. These initiatives address priority natural resource concerns on the most vulnerable lands, target conservation assistance in high priority watersheds, or help stimulate the development and adoption of innovation and technology.

The following initiatives are currently offered in Montana:

• Conservation Incentive Contracts
• Community Agriculture Initiative
• Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership Projects
  • Connecting Fuels Treatments in the Salish Mountains and Whitefish Range
  • Fire Adapted Bitterroot Project
  • Gallatin Valley Forest Resiliency and Watershed Health Project
  • Libby Surround Stewardship Project
• National Water Quality Initiative Projects
  • Camp and Godfrey Creeks
  • Shields River
• On-Farm Energy Initiative
• Organic Initiative
• Regional Conservation Partnership Program Projects
  • Big Game Habitat Improvement Project
  • Northern Great Plains Grassland Conservation Project
  • Flint Creek Valley Conservation Partnership Project
  • Bitterroot Conservation Connectivity Project
• Sage Grouse Initiative

Montana Priority Resource Concerns

• Degraded Plant Condition
• Field Sediment, Nutrient and Pathogen Loss
• Fire Management
• Livestock Production Limitations
• Pest Pressure
• Soil Quality Limitations
• Terrestrial Habitat (Fish and Wildlife – Inadequate Habitat)
• Wind and Water Erosion

Background

The Thomas and Corinne Nyquist Foundation is a family foundation. 

It was formed in 2004 to provide financial support for local initiatives and programs of nonprofit organizations and groups in New Paltz, NY, and in Roosevelt County, Montana, with emphasis on the communities of Bainville, Culbertson, and Froid.

Grants

The Nyquist Foundation awards small grants to local nonprofit organizations in the towns of Bainville, Froid and Culbertson, MT and New Paltz, NY annually. Past grant recipients have included the Froid Library to augment their Montana Collection, Historic Huguenot Street to support a series of guided tours focusing on native plants, Culbertson Museum for a facilities upgrade, the Town of Froid for updates to their Community Center, The Mill Brook Preserve to install bog bridges, and the Mohonk Preserve to create new trail markers.

Applications must include detailed information on how the money would be spent including written documentation or links to websites showing the items to be purchased and their costs, or written estimates from any contractor providing a service.

Grant money must be used for what was stated in the grant application, and within one year of the award. Any unused moneys must be returned.

Goals

Managing and enhancing community forests by providing accessible funding opportunities, technical assistance, and resources for tribal communities.

Expected Outcomes

The expected accomplishments of this project include increased access to healthy green spaces for tribal communities, increased tree canopy and ecosystems benefits, climate adaptation, and improved air and water quality. The project also aims to increase opportunities for tribal communities and to develop a sustainable community forestry foundation for the long-term.

Allowable Projects

Types of allowable projects through these funds:

• Tree plantings
  • urban restoration efforts, biodiversity, community and ecosystem health, habitat management in and around urban areas, trees in rural community landscapes, interpretive, cultural, educational plantings, and shelterbelts.
• Sustainability
  • climate change, pollution, and erosion mitigation, restoring culturally important tree species, accessible and energy-wise water systems for tree establishment, maintenance, removals, and replacements, and wood utilization.
• Outreach, education, planning, public awareness, build and share ecological knowledge, and strengthen partnerships.
  • Examples include public workshops, educational events, and culturally based community engagement.
• Capacity building
  • professional development, local workforce training, supporting positions to ensure sustainability and long-term management for community forestry work.
• Program development, i.e., advancement of integrating cultural knowledge and practices in community forestry.
  • Build culturally educational, interpretive tree programs.
• Establishing and supporting tree orchards and food forest sovereignty programs
• Tree nurseries, sustainable nursery programs, procurement/propagation of culturally significant trees

Available Funding

Individual subawards will range from $50,000 to a maximum of $150,000 total, over 3 years, depending on the scope of work, unique needs, and capabilities of the applicant organization.

$1,000,000 in total funding is available.

About

The Whitefish Community Foundation supports nonprofit, charitable organizations that enhance the quality of life for residents of the Flathead County, Montana

Micro-Grant Program

The Micro Grant Program is designed to respond quickly to the needs of local nonprofits to fund small-scale projects or programs.

Whitefish Community Foundation Grants Committee prioritizes funding and initiatives where there is a social need, and where the results will benefit our communities at large. The Foundation will consider funding for projects and programs that fulfill the mission of the organization.

The Community Emergency Response Fund is available to provide flexible resources for nonprofits facing an unexpected emergency. These grants will fund repairs that must be addressed immediately in order to keep a local nonprofit operating

What kinds of projects are appropriate for an emergency grant request?

• Unforeseen situations that must be addressed immediately or the nonprofit will be unable to continue program delivery
• Support for nonprofit programs mobilized to address an emergency in one, or many Flathead Valley communities

There is no maximum request for a Community Emergency Response Fund grant. Whitefish CommunityFoundation will determine funding based on the grant request and the scale of the emergency

The Seeley Lake Community Foundation helps local groups fund important community projects. In this capacity, the SLCF strives to be a community resource and catalyst for innovative approaches to improving the quality of life in Seeley Lake, MT.

Areas of Interest

Education

• Projects and efforts that seek to close the achievement gap among students.
• Projects that foster creativity and experiential learning in the classroom.
• Projects that promote literacy and life-long learning.
• Collaborative projects with other teachers, non-profit organizations (such as museums, libraries, theater companies, human service agencies, etc.) and business-education entities. 

Arts & Culture

• Projects that broaden, deepen, and diversify the public’s awareness of and engagement in local arts and cultural activities. 
• Projects that increase the creation and performance of art forms that reflect the diversity and cultural history of our community. 
• Projects that offer children and youth experiences in the arts.
• Projects that seek to increase the venues for art exhibition and performances.
• Collaborative projects with other non-profit organizations, government agencies, and business entities. 

Community Development

• Projects that help strengthen our economy and build financial stability for our community.
• Projects that work to unify and build community support and capacity to improve the quality of life for all members of the community. 
• Projects that create or retain jobs in our community.
• Projects that support affordable housing initiatives in the community.
• Projects that promote and recognize citizen volunteerism. 
• Projects that promote the physical development of a town center and hub for activities.
• Collaborative projects with other non-profit organizations, government agencies, and business entities.

Natural Resources & Conservation

• Projects that promote positive stewardship of our timber, water and other natural resources.
• Projects that recognize and protect the unique ecological setting of the Seeley Lake region.
• Projects that provide opportunities in environmental education and conservation.
• Projects that promote open space and greater recreational opportunities.
• Collaborative projects with other non-profit organizations or government agencies to ensure sustainability of the regions natural resources. 

Basic Human Needs

• Projects that help low-income and disadvantaged children and adults meet basic needs for food, clothing, and emergency and permanent housing. 
• Projects that address family violence.
• Projects that expand opportunities for persons with disabilities
• Projects that initiate or strengthen services for recovery from illness or substance abuse.
• Collaborative projects with other non-profit organizations (such as community medical services, hospitals, government agencies, human service agencies, etc.) to provide dependable, basic services to community members. 

The Seeley Lake Community Foundation will consider requests for special projects, ongoing programs, and one-time capital projects. 

What generally has a better chance of being funded:

• Proposals with broad community impact, or that touch more than one of our 5 focus areas,
• Projects that will use these grant dollars to leverage other sources of funding
• Community partnerships 

Idaho and Montana Grant Program

The Steele-Reese Foundation is a charitable trust committed to supporting rural communities and the tax-exempt entities that serve them in Idaho, Montana, in the Native nations that share the geography, and in Appalachian Kentucky. Since its inception, the Foundation has maintained a focus on the unique challenges of rural living and on helping people build healthy, successful, and sustainable communities.

We support Rural Education, Rural Human/Social Services, Rural Conservation and Preservation, Rural Health, and Rural Arts and Humanities projects. Applications from organizations operating outside of the Foundation's regional or programming areas are not eligible for funding. Please check back periodically for the latest updates about the Foundation's priorities and application policies.

Idaho and Montana Grant Program

In its Idaho and Montana Grant Program, The Steele-Reese Foundation makes grants only to federally tax-exempt entities for work in rural Idaho and Montana communities, and in Native nations with whom we share this geography. 

Program Areas

Rural Education

In both the Appalachian Kentucky and Idaho and Montana Grant Programs, the Foundation focuses on early childhood to Grade 12 education programming. Examples include funding for supplemental programs in early childhood education settings; elementary, middle, and high school programs that improve outcomes for students; support of literacy programs and out-of-school-time services; and charter schools and other model school programs that provide quality educational options for students and families. We also provide assistance to small public libraries. The Foundation does not accept applications to directly fund higher education, though we will consider early childhood to Grade 12 programs operated by colleges or universities or state or local education districts.

The Foundation considers education projects that demonstrate a comprehensive level of engagement with participants that result in clear and measurable outcomes. We are not able to fund those projects with single or limited interactions with students or those whose primary outcome is to raise awareness or introduce a concept. We are unable to support summer camps.

The Foundation also supports a small college scholarship program only for graduates of high schools in Lemhi and Custer Counties, Idaho.

Rural Human/Social Services 

In the Idaho and Montana Grant Program, the Foundation considers programs in support of low-income and under-represented populations, including elders, homeless individuals, people living with disabilities, young children, disadvantaged or disconnected older youth, young people or adults involved in the criminal justice system, and survivors of abuse or domestic violence. Programming within this area also includes support to local libraries, fire-protection services, and local food banks.

Rural Conservation and Preservation 

In the Idaho and Montana Grant Program, the Foundation considers land, water, and wildlife conservation; historic preservation and restoration projects; and ecosystem protection programs. All conservation or environmental programs must be locally focused on rural communities or landscapes.

National organizations are eligible for support only if all Steele-Reese Foundation funds will be employed directly in projects located in the geographical areas served by the Foundation and if the coordinating entity can demonstrate substantial connections to the people and organizations in these areas.

Rural Health 

In the Idaho and Montana Grant Program, the Foundation considers services in preventive health programs; medical clinics; small hospitals; EMS and ambulance units; family-planning programs, and hospices. The Foundation is not able to support major equipment purchases for rural medical facilities.

Rural Arts and Humanities 

In the Idaho and Montana Grant Program, the Foundation considers local arts programs, and the broader support of creative arts activities and efforts to maintain the rich histories of the Foundation’s funding geographies. 

Capital Improvements and Campaigns

In all program areas, the Foundation makes a limited number of grants for capital improvements, fixtures, and remodeling, retrofitting, and building new structures. In projects involving the building of a new facility or other large-scale capital endeavors, we typically make these grants only during the closing phases when a substantial portion of the required funds are already in hand. 

Funding

The minimum grant awarded by the Foundation is $5,000. We rarely make grants of up to $50,000 for a single year or make multi-year grants.

AMB West Community Fund

Through community-driven strategic philanthropy, the AMB West Community Fund (the Fund) is committed to catalyzing and nurturing both grassroots and systemic change to help build a thriving future for all Montanans. We listen to organizations and individuals closest to the challenges, who are inspired to help, and are deeply invested in solutions that support economic mobility and personal wellbeing, especially for those most vulnerable. We strive to bridge divides and foster common ground by honoring diverse voices, staying open to shifting perspectives and new ideas, and bringing our neighbors together to connect through a sense of shared purpose.

The mission of the AMB West Community Fund is to enhance the quality of life for the residents of Montana, particularly in Park and Gallatin Counties and Indigenous communities across the state. Established in 2001, the Fund has awarded over $10 million in grants. After assessing the landscape of existing programs and areas of need and opportunity through data and conversations with community stakeholders, the Fund has identified two priority areas for 2024: nurturing childhood and thriving youth. Application requirements, preferences and priorities are outlined in the following sections and links.

The AMB West Community Fund is led by AMB West and Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation associates in Montana. The AMB West portfolio of properties includes Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, West Creek Ranch, Paradise Valley Ranch, and The Ranch at Dome Mountain. At our ranches, our team is focused on meaningful and impactful guest service, and we strive to uphold those standards  by supporting the community.  Throughout the year, our associates give back to the communities in which they live and work – through volunteerism, personal philanthropy and grants made to nonprofit organizations by the AMB West Community Fund. AMB West associates help to identify and cultivate funding opportunities, review grant proposals, attend site visits, and provide recommendations for investments made by the AMB West Community Fund. Associates incorporate The Blank Family of Businesses Core Values in all aspects of their community giving.

Funding Priorities:

• Nurturing Childhood: Early childhood is the foundation of our community’s future. The Fund seeks organizations expanding access to quality childcare and early childhood experience to support preventative and upstream approaches. It provides children—zero to five—with opportunities to prepare them for successful lifelong development. The Fund is especially interested in projects promoting healthy parent-child relationships, connection to community resources, and social and emotional skills among parents and children.
• Thriving Youth: Thriving youth are energized about their future and have a sense of purpose. The Fund seeks creative efforts to help youth discover and develop talents, attributes, and passions; develop goals; connect to pathways and support networks to achieve their aspirations; and build life skills to reach independence and goals. 

Purpose of the Professional Development Award

The purpose of this funding is to strengthen the professional knowledge and experience of individual network members within Region 4 in data science or health information access/delivery, build professional capacity in support of the mission of the NNLM, and enable libraries and other organizations to train staff in skills needed to deliver reliable health information.

Professional development awards are intended to expand beyond the organizations you associate with as a normal part of your profession. For example: MLA and MLA Chapter meetings will not be considered for health science librarians.

Potential Project Ideas

Professional development opportunities such as classes, conferences, or workshops for individuals or groups of individuals associated with NNLM institutional members. Ideas include but are not limited to:

• Introduce students to the health sciences, trusted National Library of Medicine (NLM) resources, and develop their professional skills.
• Prepare individuals for a leadership position in a hospital or academic health sciences library.
• Host a reading club with learning outcomes focusing on health information access issues that can be used to improve library programming that are more impactful to your underrepresented communities.
• Costs associated with arranging for an expert speaker to give a talk, workshop, class, or lecture.
  • NOTICE: Applications that include speaker fees over $1000 MUST sufficiently justify the expense.
• Educational activities that relate to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility and prepare professionals to better serve underserved, minority, and underrepresented communities.

Award Focus & Impact

Applicants should plan to describe how their professional development activity will improve their ability to provide improved health information access related library services to their communities.

Applicants should consider submitting proposals that support:

• An INDIVIDUAL to attend a workshop, conference, or meeting (example topics - patient safety, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, health information access, data services, etc.).
• NETWORK MEMBER INSTITUTIONS to host a CE event, workshop, or speaker (example expenses - speaker fees. reading club materials, funding licenses to online training services, hosting a virtual book club discussing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, etc.)
• STUDENTS currently enrolled in a library and information science, iSchool, or health occupations program (this funding is ideal for students interested in exploring health information as a career path or the role that information plays in improving the knowledge of health care providers).
• ONLINE CONFERENCES EXPRESS APPLICATION registration costs (under $500) for individuals interested in attending an online workshop, conference, or meeting that meets the purpose and alignment with NNLM and NLM mission and strategic plan

Successful applications will demonstrate how community-based health organizations, public health organizations, and libraries work together in addressing the health information needs of NNLM priority populations. (see NNLM Overview, section "Underrepresented Populations" for details).

NNLM Region 4 Core Aims

Project proposals are intended to support the following core aims of NNLM Region 4 program:

• Construct a rich culture built on a foundation of inclusive programming designed to attract and engage a diverse regional network through effective membership management.
• Use community-driven approaches to increase access to health information.
• Work through libraries and other members to support a highly trained workforce in biomedical, health information, and data science resources.

What does this program do?

This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.

What kind of funding is available?

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. Opportunity grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding.

How may funds be used?

Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include:

• Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling and training, market research, feasibility studies, professional or/technical reports or producer service improvements.
• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.
• Pollution control and abatement.
• The capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds that will make loans for start-ups and working capital.
• Distance adult learning for job training and advancement.
• Rural transportation improvement.
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Opportunity grants can be used for:

• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Community Foundation of Northern Rosebud County

Thank you for your interest in applying for a grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Rosebud County (CFNRC). The foundation is an affiliate of the Montana Community Foundation (MCF) and provides grants to qualified non-profit and charitable community service projects in northern Rosebud County and the communities of Forsyth, Angela, Ingomar and Rosebud. 

Grant Criteria

Grants will be made for projects in the following program areas:

• Youth & Education
• Recreation, Arts & Culture
• Basic Human Services
• Community & Economic Development
• Natural Resources, Conservation & the Environment
• Health Care Services
• Emergency Services
• Historic Preservation

Evaluation Criteria

The granting process is competitive. Eligible projects will be evaluated on the following criteria.

• Provides a direct benefit to local, area residents by enhancing quality of life now and into the future.
• Creates long term asset building and is sustainable.
• Addresses important community needs.
• Demonstrates wide spread support. Applicant works with other entities to reflect community support with additional funding and in-kind contributions toward the project. 

Signature Community Impact Grant

Signature Community Impact Grants, a new program added in 2019, can range in size up to $10,000; however, the project must have significant community support and partnerships, and demonstrate significant community impact. 

Grant requests will be evaluated by the CFNRC Granting Committee and are approved by the Montana Community Foundation. Demonstrating partnerships and community support is extremely important as our grants become more competitive. We are not likely to fund 100% of any project. Money, labor and in-kind donations are all helpful in partnering. CFNRC requires quality digital pictures (300 dpi minimum) of your project, including progress or “action shots” and end results.

Central Montana Foundation Major Grants

Central Montana Foundation is the oldest community foundation in Montana! Organized by a group of visionary businessmen in 1984, the Foundation offers area residents a chance to give back to the Central Montana community of which they have been a part.

Central Montana Foundation Board of Directors meets once a year at its annual meeting in May to consider major grants requests, $5,000+.

Projects that will benefit educational, medical, essential services, civic and cultural projects are eligible and priority is given to projects that will benefit the most Central Montanans.

Focus Areas

• healthcare 
• essential services
• education
• cultural and civic projects

Our Mission:

To receive and accept property exclusively for educational, cultural, charitable or benevolent purposes for the benefit, health and improvement of residents of the Central Montana area is such a way that the quality of life in Central Montana shall be enhanced, working alone and with any and all other persons and organizations doing similar work.  

By working through the Foundation, worthy projects are able to provide donors with a tax deductible avenue for donations. 

Endowments and pass-through funds provide support exclusively to projects within the Central Montana area. The communities supported by the Foundation include Lewistown, Grass Range, Denton, Hobson, Judith Basin (Hobson and Stanford), Judith Gap, Moore, Roy, Winifred, Petroleum County (Winnett), Wheatland County (Harlowton), and Garfield County (Jordan).

The Central Montana Foundation continues to live up to the vision of its founding members by following the Declaration of Trust implemented at the time of its inception: “To receive and accept property exclusively for educational, cultural, charitable or benevolent purposes for the benefit and improvement of residents of the Central Montana area in such a way that the quality of life in the area shall be enhanced".

Our Focus

The Women’s Foundation of Montana (WFM) was established at the Montana Community Foundation in 1999 to provide a permanent resource for women and girls in Montana. WFM is committed to partnering with organizations and programs across the state that advance gender equity in Montana. The WFM Advisory Committee guides WFM’s grantmaking priorities and funding decisions.

The Women’s Foundation of Montana is seeking to fund organizations and projects that align with WFM’s priorities:

1. Wealth and Asset Building

Includes strategies that:

• support women in accessing fulfilling work with a livable wage and quality benefits;
• provide training, resources, and access to financing for women to start and grow businesses;
• provide education and training, and ongoing opportunities for women to upskill and retrain.

2. Strong Families

Includes strategies that:

• increase women’s access to essential services to meet basic needs, including housing, nutrition, safety, and financial stability;
• provide education and resources for women’s health care, including reproductive, maternal, and gender-affirming care;
• advocate for and advance policy reforms that improve access to and increase public investment in economic opportunity, security, and equity for women.

3. Leadership Development

Include strategies that:

• establish or enhance educational programs with a gender-specific lens;
• build capacity to engage women in advocacy and policy change.

• WFM accepts applications for general operating support as well as project-specific support.
• General operating requests are awarded to organizations whose overall work intentionally and specifically supports women and/or girls or addresses issues that disproportionately impact women and/or girls and includes a gender equity analysis.
• Project-specific requests are awarded to and restricted to projects and activities that are targeted to benefit women and girls. Fiscally sponsored organizations should submit project-specific requests.

Mission

The Detwiler Family Foundation invests in local organizations to enrich and improve the lives of children in our community. We strive to serve children dealing with difficult life challenges by facilitating access to education and the arts.

Improving The Lives Of Children In Our Communities

The Detwiler Family Foundation invests in local organizations to enrich the lives of children in our community who are dealing with difficult life challenges. We strive to support projects and programs that improve the health, safety and welfare of children with a focus on facilitating access to education and the arts.

The foundation focuses on creating a local impact by serving specific communities in the United States. We believe in the power of community investment and strive to build relationships with organizations that directly impact the areas near where we live and work.

Areas of Service

The Detwiler Family Foundation supports organizations that enrich the lives of children and families though programing that focuses on the following areas of service:

• Children and Families Experiencing Food/Housing Insecurity
• Children in need of Mental Health/Medical Services
• Education and After School Programming for Disadvantaged Children
• Children with Disabilities
• Arts and Cultural Programs Benefiting Children Experiencing Trauma 

Organizations may apply for a grant to support specific projects or programs that will enhance the organizations ability to serve the children in our communities.

Grants

The Detwiler Family Foundation has defined a grant structure that reflects our commitment to our local communities. We award several grants a year to organizations that further our mission.

Project Grants (75%): The Detwiler Family Foundation accepts applications for Project Grants on a rolling basis. Funding applications should be for programming in one of the following categories:

• The Arts
• Education/Literacy
• Community Resource Improvement

Matching Grants (25%); The foundation supports successful fundraising through our Matching Program. Organizations with ongoing fundraising efforts may apply for funds that are conditional on the success of other efforts.