Best Grants for Charities in Montana

Charitable 501(c)(3) and similar tax-exempt organizations in the greater Chicago area can seek McGraw Foundation support for education, human services, conservation, health, and cultural programs. McGraw Foundation provides Montana charities with US $2,000 - US $10,000 grants for general operating support, specific projects, and occasionally capital needs, primarily benefiting children and vulnerable populations.

Montana agricultural producers, non-industrial private forest owners, Tribes, and water management entities seeking conservation improvements on working lands can access funding through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Support helps plan and implement practices that improve soil, water, air, wildlife habitat, energy efficiency, and fire management, which may benefit Montana charities engaged in land and resource stewardship.

Montana agricultural and forestry producers seeking to enhance conservation on working lands can access funding through the Natural Resources Conservation Service of Montana for customized stewardship plans and practices. Support includes annual payments for maintaining and improving conservation addressing soil health, water quality, wildlife habitat, fire management, and other priority resource concerns across entire operations.

Graduate students conducting research in drinking water quality, environmental science, or public health can apply for the Dr. Philip C. Singer Scholarship, which provides US $3,000 for impactful, industry-relevant projects. Focused on water-related fields, American Water Works Association invites Montana-based students and others in North America to pursue actionable solutions for current water industry challenges.

Montana 501(c)(3) organizations and public entities located in or directly serving Seeley Lake can receive up to US $3,000 for community projects in education, arts and culture, community development, conservation, or basic human needs. Seeley Lake Community Foundation supports special projects, ongoing programs, and capital efforts, especially those with broad impact and strong local partnerships.

Charities and 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Montana working on economic and workforce advancement, affordable housing, or community arts and culture may be eligible for grants that strengthen local communities. Grants from US Bancorp Foundation help organizations, especially those led by people of color, advance diversity, equity, and inclusion through sustainable, high-impact programs.

Charities and public entities serving Flathead County, Montana can seek funding for community programs such as affordable housing, youth development, environmental stewardship, human services, and cultural growth. Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund supports local initiatives in its operating communities, with grants of more than US $1,000 awarded based on community need and impact.

Charities and nonprofit organizations addressing humanitarian aid, child welfare, education, health care, or disaster relief in Montana can apply for funding to support women and children’s immediate and long-term needs. The Father's Table Foundation provides up to US $750,000 for projects that build self-sufficiency, such as employment assistance, homelessness services, food security, microfinance, and water and sanitation initiatives.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in Montana and the broader Pacific Northwest can apply for Foster Foundation grants to support social services, education, medical research and care, or community engagement programs. Eligible charities must serve populations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, or Alaska and align with the foundation’s stated priority areas.

Cities, counties, tribal governments, conservation and irrigation districts, and state agencies in Montana can seek funding for renewable resource projects, including water, wastewater, solid waste, irrigation, and conservation work. Grants from Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation support feasibility studies, design, planning, construction, rehabilitation, and related implementation efforts that may benefit charitable community infrastructure goals.

Undergraduate-focused higher education institutions in Montana can pursue small-scale biomedical research funding to engage students and strengthen their research environment. The National Institutes of Health provides up to US $375,000 for projects in areas such as public health, neuroscience, genetics, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related biomedical fields at colleges that meet NIH funding eligibility thresholds.

Montana conservation districts can access funding for conservation and natural resource education projects in Montana through the Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation. Education Mini-Grants offer US $1,000 - US $5,000 for youth and adult programs, workshops, field trips, outreach, and related project costs that align with local conservation district goals and priorities.

Montana charities working with undergraduate or graduate students in vertebrate biology can access funding through the Society for Northwestern Vertebrate Biology to support student-led research. Scholarships up to US $1,500 help cover research expenses such as travel, equipment, and supplies for projects in herpetology, ichthyology, mammalogy, or ornithology within SNVB’s geographic scope.

Early-career medical and health researchers at low- or middle-income country institutions conducting clinical trials can apply for the Emerging Global Leader Award, with approximately US $140,000 in support. Grants from the National Institutes of Health help Montana-connected charities partnering with LMIC institutions support mentored research career development in areas like cancer, cardiovascular disease, mental health, and more.

With a mission to advance health equity, PacificSource Foundation for Health Improvement provides Montana 501(c)(3) organizations with funding to expand access to healthcare and prevent health inequities. Charities serving underserved or marginalized communities can request US $10,000 - US $50,000 for direct services, supportive programs, key equipment, or capacity building.

Early-career research scientists at low- or middle-income country academic or research institutions proposing health-related research and career development projects can apply for approximately US $140,000 from the National Institutes of Health. Montana-based charities partnering with or supporting LMIC investigators and institutions may benefit from this multi-year, mentored global health award.

Focused on education and related community programs, 501(c)(3) charities in Montana can apply for US $5,000 - US $20,000 from the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust. Funding may support educational access, youth initiatives, arts education, literacy, libraries, environmental education, community development, historic preservation, and services for disadvantaged or disabled populations in its U.S. focus areas.

Montana charities and other organizations hosting health-related congresses, events, or initiatives can seek corporate sponsorship funding for activities that offer Biogen Foundation tangible benefits such as exhibits, banners, or marketing visibility. Eligible programs span areas like neurology, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, stroke, lupus, ALS, and related neurological or immune conditions.

Charities and 501(c)(3) organizations working on environmental conservation, sustainable agriculture, and healthy food access can use this funding for general operating support in Montana and across the U.S. Focused on grassroots, community-based efforts, Clif Family Foundation offers US $5,000 - US $50,000 one-year grants, reviewed twice annually, for groups advancing its strategic priorities.

Charities and other organizations supporting regenerative agriculture and private land conservation in Montana can seek funding to expand technical assistance for landowners and operators. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation supports work such as management planning, implementing conservation practices, and helping participants engage in Farm Bill programs, with awards ranging from US $250,000 - US $750,000.

About the Montana Department of Commerce

Every day, staff at Commerce work alongside private industry and local organizations to create jobs, grow businesses, provide affordable housing and improve community infrastructure.

The economy of the Treasure State continues to grow and diversify. Studies rank Montana as the number one place in the country to start a business. Plus, our workforce has earned some of the highest rankings in both trade and technical skills by having one of the highest STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) concentrations in the country.

Public and Community Facilities

Public and Community Facility Grants

Montana's CDBG Public and Community Facilities grants help local governments fund construction or rehabilitation of infrastructure and facilities that primarily benefit low- to moderate-income (LMI) Montanans, i.e. individuals earning less than 80% of the area median income. These projects can target LMI residents and provide direct benefits by improving or creating access to suitable living environments or necessary services, or these projects can provide an area-wide benefit to the entire community as long as at least 51% of the project’s beneficiaries are determined to be LMI. 

Certain projects such as senior centers, food banks, homeless shelters, youth homes, or head start centers are presumed to serve a limited clientele that is primarily LMI. Therefore, determining exactly what percent of project beneficiaries qualify as LMI is not required. Other projects, such as a wastewater improvements or water treatment improvements provide benefits to the entire community and are considered to have area-wide benefit because both LMI and non-LMI residents are served. Therefore, applicants must document at least 51% of the project’s beneficiaries qualify as LMI for projects considered to have an area-wide benefit.

The Community Ties Giving Program by Union Pacific Foundation offers local grants aimed at enhancing community well-being through diverse funding priorities. These include safety initiatives, workforce development, community vitality, and environmental sustainability. The program emphasizes supporting organizations that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, aiming to create impactful projects that resonate with Union Pacific's heritage and mission. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit organizations serving Union Pacific communities and demonstrate a clear need and capacity to deliver effective programming.

The High Stakes Foundation Grant supports transformative initiatives in Montana, focusing on civic engagement, climate change solutions, economic development, and social justice. By providing general operating support to 501(c)(3) organizations, the foundation aims to empower leaders and strengthen local communities. With an emphasis on sustainability and preserving public lands, this grant cultivates a vibrant, interconnected society committed to the health and prosperity of Montana. Organizations interested in applying must submit a letter of inquiry before the full proposal.

Intermountain Community Care Foundation

Our mission: Helping people live the healthiest lives possible.

Intermountain Health is the largest nonprofit health system in the Intermountain West. We’re dedicated to creating healthier communities and helping our patients thrive.

Intermountain Health was established in 1975, but our legacy of compassion and care extends well beyond that, going back to the late 1800s and the early 1900s in Colorado and Utah respectively. We have since become a 60,000+ person strong nonprofit health system, with operations in six states across the interior West with a shared vision to be a model health system that inspires the future of health.

Intermountain Healthcare, SCL Health, and HealthCare Partners Nevada have now come together to serve communities in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.

Grants

The Intermountain Community Care Foundation awards grants to organizations whose programs align with Intermountain Health’s mission, our national community health areas of focus, and priorities identified through our Community Health Needs Assessment. By supporting evidence-based programs and services that strengthen communities, the Foundation is dedicated to helping people live the healthiest lives possible.

What We Fund

We provide grants to organizations whose programs align with Intermountain Health’s mission, our national community health areas of focus, and priorities identified through our Community Health Needs Assessment.

• Healthcare Access Grants
• Social Drivers of Health Grants
• Child & Family Mental Well-Being Grants
• Utah Education Innovation Grants

Child & Family Mental Well-Being Grants

To qualify for Child and Family Mental Well-Being funding, your program or service must focus on families with children. Funding priority areas include:

• Mental well-being for children, including: reducing suicide deaths; reducing frequent mental distress, anxiety, and depression; decreasing substance misuse
• Advance prevention and early intervention addressing risk and protective factors
• Expand comprehensive, family-centered, mental well-being programs
• Build trauma-informed systems for young children including evidence-based prevention, behavioral health treatment, or related interventions or programs
• Strengthen community behavioral health capacity and collaborations through coalition-building

Requirements

• A full and complete financial audit conducted within the last two years. Submission must include the entire audit, including any findings and the auditor's letter
• A copy of the organization's 501(c)(3) designation letter or a comparable government designation
• A completed W9
• A completed Supplier Form (a blank copy will be provided in the application)

Additional information

• In Utah and Idaho, applicants can request a total grant award between $5,000 to $100,000 per year for 3 years (up to $300,000 total) for the entire project period. Projects can last between 12 and 36 months and must begin upon receipt of funding.
• In Colorado, Montana, and Nevada, applicants can request a total grant award between $5,000 to $50,000 per year for 2 years (up to $100,000 total) for the entire project period. Projects can last between 12 and 36 months and must begin upon receipt of funding.
• A funding request may not exceed 20 percent of an organization’s annual operating budget, e.g., to be eligible for a $50,000 grant, your organization’s annual operating budget must be at least $250,000.
• In general, small equipment and materials are eligible at no more than a total $5,000 cost, but large equipment, construction, and capital costs are not eligible. Consideration will be given if computer equipment is necessary and vital to the success of the project.

NAFC Open Grant/Product Donation Applications

The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is the only nonprofit 501c(3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of the medically underserved throughout the nation and the more than 1,400 Free and Charitable Clinics that serve them. The NAFC has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar and a 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator. Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., the NAFC is working to ensure that the medically underserved have access to affordable quality healthcare and strives to be a national voice promoting quality healthcare for all. For more information about the NAFC, including how to become a member, please visit https://www.nafcclinics.org.

NAFC Healthcare Services Expansion Fund

The NAFC Healthcare Services Expansion Fund supports the launch or expansion of clinical programs and new service areas that increase access to care for underserved patients. This funding is designed to help NAFC members introduce new services or grow existing programs that address unmet community health needs and improve access to comprehensive, patient-centered care.

The Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship, sponsored by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, provides financial support to students pursuing careers in natural resources. Applicants must reside in specific Illinois counties and plan to enroll in a full-time program related to fields such as ecology, hydrology, and conservation. Academic performance is a key consideration in the selection process. For more details, contact the Winnebago County Soil & Water Conservation District.

The OECD Conference Sponsorship aims to enhance scientific knowledge and provide essential information to influence policy decisions on sustainable resource use in food, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. It supports international events that showcase innovative research and developments, inviting applications from scientists in these fields. The event sponsorship encourages collaboration among policymakers, industry, and academia, ensuring that research insights are effectively communicated and utilized in decision-making processes.