Search Through Public Policy Grants in Montana in the U.S.

Making community possible

At U.S. Bank, we are dedicated to supporting our communities through responsive and humbled actions focused on addressing racial and economic inequities and creating lasting change in our communities. Through our Community Possible Grant Program, we are partnering with organizations that focus on economic and workforce advancement, safe and affordable housing and communities connected through arts and culture.

The U.S. Bank Foundation is committed to making Community Possible through Work, Home and Play. We advance this work through collaborative grant making to bring equitable and lasting change through our focus on sustainable, high-impact funding with 501c3 nonprofit partners.

How we partner with nonprofits

We focus on collaborative grantmaking and sustainable, high-impact funding with 501(c)(3) nonprofit partners. We partner with organizations that support:

• Economic and workforce advancement
• Safe and affordable housing
• Community arts and culture

Our strategy

Our community affairs and foundation team work closely with U.S. Bank regional leadership, business resource groups and our National Community Advisory Committee to ensure that prevailing needs are addressed in all the communities we serve.

To make the most meaningful impact, we prioritize organizations that:

• Focus on economic development issues related to work, home and play
• Address more than one of the grant pillars (work, home and play)
• Are based in and serve designated U.S. Bank communities
• Advance diversity, equity and inclusion

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

JFLA Mini Grant For Japanese Arts & Culture Program

This grant aims to support projects that will enhance further understanding of Japanese arts and culture. Successful candidates may be granted up to $5,000. The Japan Foundation Los Angeles handles Arts and Culture grants for the 13 states west of the Rocky Mountains. These include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Grant Coverage

• Publicity fees
• Printing costs of programs, flyers, and brochures
• Honoraria for artists and lecturers
• Travel Expenses for artists and lecturers, including per diem and accommodation expenses
• Shipping cost of films, exhibits and other materials related to the proposed event
• Facility fee

The grant will be paid in the form of reimbursement for the preceding expenses. The award money will be remitted upon receipt of the final report and proofs of payment. 

Summary

The Western Montana Conservation Commission (WMCC), an attachment to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), is seeking applications from eligible entities to serve as partners in programs that reinforce efforts to enhance water quality through the reduction of toxins from stormwater and septic leachate within Western Montana, the headwaters of the Columbia River Basin. WMCC Grant Programs will provide funds to complete projects and programs that address the elimination or reduction of stormwater and septic leachate pollution, reduce runoff, and promote citizen engagement and knowledge through education and outreach efforts. These grant programs aim to support tribal, state, and local governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and others in implementing the Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Action Plan, as well as activities under the Clean Water Act (CWA) § 123, the Columbia River Basin Restoration Act.

Residential and Community Green Stormwater Infrastructure Program Grant

Purpose

As Western Montana rapidly grows and the population increases, urban stormwater is, and will continue to be, a source of toxic pollution in the Upper Columbia Basin. Engaging residents and\ communities to take action to understand and reduce stormwater pollution is important to protect western Montana’s water quality for years to come.

The Residential and Community Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Program Grant is for residential GSI implementation with the goal to provide eligible entities with the resources to develop new or grow existing rain garden, rain barrel, or other applicable programs for residents and communities.

Eligible activities may include but are not limited to building an educational demonstration rain garden and beginning new or improving existing programs to provide financial and/or technical support to residents and communities implementing GSI. If no program already exists, all activities should include components of program development such that a program can be sustained by the recipient beyond the period of the grant and/or public education and outreach activities.

Alongside such activities, recipients will engage and educate residents about toxic pollution from stormwater and present participants with a pledge to garner long-term behavior change commitments to toxic reduction actions. Residents will be surveyed before and after program participation to assess knowledge increase and behavior change commitment.

WMCC staff will provide awardees with resources and capacity support during program development and implementation as needed within staff capacity. WMCC has developed a toolkit of materials that WMCC Stormwater and Septic Leachate Toxics Reduction Grant may be used by awardees to develop, advertise, and implement their program, including a Stormwater Stewardship pledge template and survey content for assessing participant knowledge.

Grants Awarded

Grants will be awarded until total awards reach $245,000.00

Summary

The Western Montana Conservation Commission (WMCC), an attachment to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), is seeking applications from eligible entities to serve as partners in programs that reinforce efforts to enhance water quality through the reduction of toxins from stormwater and septic leachate within Western Montana, the headwaters of the Columbia River Basin. WMCC Grant Programs will provide funds to complete projects and programs that address the elimination or reduction of stormwater and septic leachate pollution, reduce runoff, and promote citizen engagement and knowledge through education and outreach efforts. These grant programs aim to support tribal, state, and local governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and others in implementing the Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Action Plan, as well as activities under the Clean Water Act (CWA) § 123, the Columbia River Basin Restoration Act.

Residential Septic System Education and Maintenance Program Grant

Purpose

Underperforming septic systems can release pollutants into groundwater and waterbodies. Proper maintenance, inspections, and education programs can reduce potential pollutants introduced to ground and surface waters.

The Residential Septic System Education and Maintenance Program Grant has been created to incentivize residential septic system maintenance best practices while increasing knowledge on how septic systems impact water quality to create long-term behavior change). This grant is intended to provide eligible entities with the resources to develop new and support existing, residential septic system maintenance programs that include cost-shares for inspection, pumping, homeowner septic education and planning programs, and maintenance best practices for residential septic systems.

Grant recipients will develop new or expand an existing septic maintenance program. In addition to providing a maintenance cost-share, the program will engage and educate residents about toxic pollution from septic leachate and present participants with an elective Septic Stewardship pledge to reinforce a long-term behavior change commitment to toxic reduction actions. Residents will take part in a survey before and after participation in the program to assess knowledge increase and behavior change commitment.

WMCC staff will provide awardees with resources and capacity support during program development and implementation as needed and as capacity allows for. WMCC has developed a toolkit of materials that may be used by awardees to develop, advertise, and implement their program, including a pledge template and survey content for assessing participant knowledge

Grants Awarded

Grants will be awarded until total awards reach $500,000.00.

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

Summary

The Western Montana Conservation Commission (WMCC), an attachment to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), is seeking applications from eligible entities to serve as partners in programs that reinforce efforts to enhance water quality through the reduction of toxins from stormwater and septic leachate within Western Montana, the headwaters of the Columbia River Basin. WMCC Grant Programs will provide funds to complete projects and programs that address the elimination or reduction of stormwater and septic leachate pollution, reduce runoff, and promote citizen engagement and knowledge through education and outreach efforts. These grant programs aim to support tribal, state, and local governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and others in implementing the Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Action Plan, as well as activities under the Clean Water Act (CWA) § 123, the Columbia River Basin Restoration Act.

Septic System Replacement and Sewer Connectivity Grant

Purpose

Underperforming septic systems can release pollutants into groundwater and waterbodies. Replacing and upgrading underperforming septic systems or connecting to adjacent sewer systems can reduce potential pollutants introduced to ground and surface waters.

The Septic System Replacement and Sewer Connectivity Grant program provides funds for replacing aging and underperforming septic systems or to connect residents to local sewer districts/systems, if and where applicable. 

Grants Awarded

The number of grants awarded is dependent on the size of the projects submitted. A total of 3-10 grants will be awarded until total awards reach $237,967.00.

Summary

The Western Montana Conservation Commission (WMCC), an attachment to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), is seeking applications from eligible entities to serve as partners in programs that reinforce efforts to enhance water quality through the reduction of toxins from stormwater and septic leachate within Western Montana, the headwaters of the Columbia River Basin. WMCC Grant Programs will provide funds to complete projects and programs that address the elimination or reduction of stormwater and septic leachate pollution, reduce runoff, and promote citizen engagement and knowledge through education and outreach efforts. These grant programs aim to support tribal, state, and local governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and others in implementing the Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Action Plan, as well as activities under the Clean Water Act (CWA) § 123, the Columbia River Basin Restoration Act.

Showcase Green Stormwater Infrastructure Project Grant

Purpose

As Western Montana rapidly grows and the population increases, urban stormwater is, and will continue to be, a source of toxic pollution in the Upper Columbia Basin. The Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Project Grant is designed to support the planning, design, and construction of two showcase green stormwater infrastructure projects in Western Montana. These projects will be designed to mitigate stormwater pollution and reduce runoff while showcasing additional co-benefits of GSI.

For the purpose of this grant, green stormwater infrastructure means any stormwater management technique or practice employed with the primary goal of preserving, restoring, mimicking, or enhancing natural hydrology. Green stormwater infrastructure includes but is not limited to methods of using soil and vegetation to promote soil percolation, evapotranspiration, and filtering or the harvesting and reuse of precipitation.

This grant supports projects that showcase green stormwater initiatives (i.e., stormwater parks, constructed wetlands) that mitigate stormwater toxins and provide Western Montana communities an amenity with co-benefits and opportunities for public engagement. Green stormwater treatment methods must have known toxic reductions (i.e., heavy metals, oil, grease, 6PPD, other emerging contaminants, etc.).

Grants Awarded

Two grants will be awarded.

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

The Foundation embraces the protection of biodiversity as its overarching priority.

Frank Weeden, the Foundation’s founder and original benefactor, established the Weeden Foundation to address the impact of growing human populations and overuse of natural resources on the biological fabric of the planet. Since his death in 1984, the Foundation has helped preserve more than 6 million acres of biologically important habitat worldwide and provided financing for the first debt-for-nature swap in Bolivia in 1992, a strategy that is now widely used by international conservation organizations. Program efforts have supported projects in environmentally sensitive regions of the western United States, Alaska, Russia, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Columbia, Ecuador, Belize, Namibia, Mexico, and various Caribbean nations.

Focus Areas

On a more general scale the Foundation supports the following focus areas.

Bird Conservation

Our goal in the Bird Conservation program area is to conserve wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. In particular we seek to fund grantees that work to prevent bird species extinctions and to prevent declining populations of bird species from becoming endangered. We specifically focus on protecting and restoring public and private bird habitat and we assist in acquiring land for threatened bird species. Finally we support protection of bird migration corridors in North and South America.

Systemic Support program at the U.S. national policy level for wildlife corridors, the Endangered Species Act, and additional wilderness designation.

Our goal in Systemic Support is to improve the effectiveness of environmental efforts through specialized services. Specific objectives include:

• support the Endangered Species Act through litigation, lobbying, grassroots campaigns and public education generally,
• promote organizations providing support for groups engaged in wilderness protection, land conservation, endangered species protection, wildlife corridor issues, and management of public lands, an
• improve federal and state support for environmentally sustainable practices, wilderness designations, and wildlife corridors. 

Global Biodiversity

Our goal in Global Biodiversity is to support campaigns and/or groups in biodiversity hotspots. Specific objectives are to

• protect global temperate rainforests,
• support creation of wildlife corridors,
• land acquisition and protection for endangered species and,
• support projects that involve indigenous peoples in the process and stewardship of conservation projects.

Environmental Education

The Foundation’s Environment Education program area focuses on supporting grantees that will provide future leaders with the tools to effect environmental policies. These policies complement the other grantees of the Foundation including biodiversity and habitat protection. Sustainable environmental policies must include both immediate actions as well as education to anticipate and to prevent future environmental impact.

Marine Wildlife Conservation

The Marine Wildlife Conservation Program Area focuses on helping to protect endangered marine species in the Americas through research, advocacy, policy change, and habitat conservation.

To address the adverse impact of economic and human population growth on biodiversity, the Foundation’s grantmaking includes both Consumption and Population programs.

The Foundation’s Sustainable Consumption program currently focuses on promoting greater use of environmental paper. Grantmaking in this area aims to broaden the market for environmental papers and packaging through markets campaigns, shareholder activism, consumer-targeted education, and dialogue with the corporate sector. This year we have expanded our packaging program to include efforts to reduce plastics in the waste stream, through strategies such as eliminating single use plastic disposables by promoting reusable packaging for grocery stores, take-out, and delivery.

The Foundation’s International Population program area is focused on reducing population growth rates in countries recognized for their rich biodiverse landscapes and that have a total fertility rate exceeding replacement levels. To achieve this goal, the Foundation funds groups that facilitate initiatives related to family planning, women’s education and women’s empowerment in countries with such rich and recognized biodiversity. The Foundation also supports advocacy efforts addressing global population growth in the context of environmental sustainability.

The Missouri-Madison River Fund Grant Program, implemented through the Missouri-Madison Comprehensive Recreation Plan, addresses ongoing needs for public recreation in the Missouri-Madison Project Area. Created as a public-private partnership among local government, state and federal agencies, and licensee of the Project 2188 Hydroelectric Project, River Fund grants and NorthWestern Energy matching funds are awarded annually for qualifying projects.

Per provisions of the MOU for the Missouri-Madison Comprehensive Recreation Plan, NorthWestern Energy will provide matching funds for recreation projects approved for funding by the River Fund Board. The amount of the match varies by the location of the project and the amount of public agency contributions to the project, as noted here. The total amount of matching funds for all projects is limited to $200,000 plus an inflation adjustment per year.

Our Core Principles:

• Relevance: We continually seek information regarding significant opportunities in our region and in our focus areas to ensure that we are responding to current needs and opportunities.
• Community Engagement: We seek to foster community engagement in protecting wildlife and habitat and in engaging youth skills to build directly on community needs and strengths.
• Focus on Place: Grounded in the Northwest, we fund in urban, rural and tribal communities in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington where people work to improve the places that they live.
• Expand Opportunity: We give special consideration in our grant making to benefit and expand opportunities for underserved populations in our region.

Wildlife and Habitat Programs: Promoting Biodiversity in a Changing Climate

Conservation efforts that utilize the impacts of climate change when selecting areas for protection.

Engaging a community of citizens, scientists, and conservationists in educating the public about biodiversity and climate change.

Restoring important lands for biodiversity, focal species, and landscape connectivity. Including but not limited to:

• Assessments to identify species and communities at risk, including strategies to work toward ecosystem resilience.
• Identification of barriers to migration and mitigation measures to enhance landscape connectivity.
• Adaptive restoration strategies based on predicted species range expansion and contraction.
• Promoting the biodiversity of the marine and freshwater environments.

Guidelines for Wildlife and Habitat Programs

As development pressures increase, the stewardship of vital ecosystems is critical for protecting wildlife populations and habitat. The effort must be based on solid conservation biology, recognizing the resilience, complexity and interdependence of all life. Conservation of critical habitat and species requires comprehensive strategies and collaboration among partners working in the region, recognizing the limitation of funds available. Stewardship is the shared responsibility of empowered citizens, engaged scientists, collaborating foundations, informed business and property owners, and an accountable government. Healthy and diverse wildlife populations and habitat must be preserved through sound government policies and a range of creative conservation approaches. The principle of sustainability requires that environment, economics and equity are considered together to protect the quality of life at every level.

Conservation District Grants

DNRC's Conservation Districts Bureau offers state-funded grants provided by the legislature with the goal of empowering conservation districts to conserve the natural resources of Montana through locally-led conservation. Grant funds can be used for implementing on-the-ground projects, delivering educational programming to youth and adults, assisting landowners with innovative conservation practices, and for district operations.

Project & Planning Grants (Formerly 223 grants)

Grants for conservation projects and planning.

Funding Amount

• Planning: $20,000
• Project: $50,000

Conservation Planning Grants

Conservation District Planning Grants are intended to assist conservation districts with operational planning and for the planning and design of technically feasible natural resource projects. These grants are specifically available to fund a formal planning process that results in a written plan or report. Examples include strategic plans, watershed restoration plans, preliminary engineering reports, feasibility studies, new program guidelines, or completed applications for larger project grants. In addition to the general guidelines provided previously in the overview section, the following guidelines apply specifically to the Conservation District Planning Grants:

• The minimum application amount is $5,000 and applications may not exceed $20,000.
• The final deliverable must be a completed planning document, report, or grant application.
• Planning grants are intended to lead to on-the-ground project(s).

Conservation District Project Implementation Grants:

The Conservation District Project Implementation Grants are for any project under the authority of Conservation Districts pursuant to MCA, Title 76, Chapter 15, Part 4. Funds may be used for any project a conservation district is authorized to carry out, including, but not limited to stream restoration, soil health improvements, water quality improvements, demonstration projects, farm experiments, equipment purchases, or construction projects. In addition to the general guidelines provided previously in the overview section, the following guidelines apply specifically to the Conservation District Project Implementation Grants:

• Projects must be identified in the district’s strategic plan or annual workplan, a copy of which must be provided with the application.
• The minimum application amount is $5,000 and applications may not exceed $50,000. Conservation Districts may request funds above this limit, but for any grant above $50,000.00 a 50:50 cash match is required for the entire grant amount.
• Applications that include a monitoring plan, a public outreach and education plan, and a partners’ plan will rank higher.
• For educational events, funds can only be used to pay for expenses that exceed revenue (registration fees, sponsorships, donations, etc.). A detailed spreadsheet that itemizes expenditures and revenues must be submitted with the final report.
• Applications that include the purchase of equipment must include a maintenance plan that includes rental fees, repair and maintenance costs, deposits (if applicable), and long-term leases (if applicable). Reasonable rental fees must be charged to cover maintenance and replacement costs. Applications for equipment must also include 50:50 cash match.
• Per DNRC policy, noxious weed projects must demonstrate that funding was first sought through the Noxious Weed Trust Fund at the Montana Department of Agriculture and be coordinated with the local weed district. https://agr.mt.gov/NoxiousWeedTrustFund
• Per DNRC policy, aquatic invasive species project funding must be sought through the DNRC Aquatic Invasive Species Program. https://invasivespecies.mt.gov/montanainvasive-species/Aquatic-Invasive-Species-Grant-Program .

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

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.

Definition and Purpose

The Cinnabar Foundation supports organizations that effectively conserve, preserve and restore the natural environment in Montana and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Program/Project Grants provide funding that enables an organization to carry out a specific project, program or campaign. 

Priority for Program/Project Grants will be given to projects that align with the Cinnabar Foundation's priorities and advance the Foundation's strategic vision and conservation goals. 

Conservation Program Areas

The Cinnabar Foundation has adopted four key program areas that align with its Strategic Framework, each with specific focus areas designed to drive impact and further the Foundation's mission. Conservation program areas and focuses are described below.

Please note that in 2025, the Cinnabar Foundation Board of Directors has adopted a new policy regarding educational programs. Cinnabar has de-emphasized funding K-12 education and community-based ecology and conservation programs that are not embedded in the applying organization’s broader conservation work.

• For example, if an organization is strictly a K-12 or community-based ecology or conservation program without a broader conservation work, Cinnabar will likely not fund that organization in 2025. However, if education is one element of the organization’s broader conservation strategy (and that strategy aligns with Cinnabar’s mission), that organization will be considered. 

2025 Program Areas

• Build an informed constituency to inspire conservation actions that advocate to preserve and restore our natural heritage as we adapt to change
• Support the advancement of climate strategies and solutions 
• Support stewardship practices that enhance ecosystem health 
• Prevent or mitigate irresponsible natural resource extraction 
• Nurture the next generation of conservation leaders and stewards 

• Protect wildlife habitat and migration corridors
• Conserve strategic open space and agricultural lands that protect habitat and migration corridors

• Advocate, preserve and protect our public lands and public access
• Support citizen science and field work restoration programs

• Protect, restore and advocate on behalf of clean air, water and fisheries
• Support citizen science and field work restoration programs

Applications will be accepted in any of these four program areas as long as they are focused on one or more of the bulleted criteria.

2025 Funding Priorities 

​Cinnabar has four funding priorities which are hierarchically described below.

• Build an informed constituency to inspire conservation actions that advocate to preserve, protect and restore clean air, water, lands and public access, wildlife, fisheries, and wildlands in Montana and the GYE
• Expand knowledge through scientific research and data collecting to find and implement solutions to environmental and conservation challenges (includes citizen science)
• Conserve strategic open space and agricultural lands that protect wildlife habitat and migration corridors
• Protect public lands and advance critical wilderness projects

Funding Amount

Applicants seeking Program/Project support are advised that grant amounts will not exceed 50% of the total project budget, or $15,000, whichever is less. Cinnabar rarely funds more than 25% of total program/project expenses.

Helena, Mont. – The Montana Pulse Crop Committee (MPCC) is seeking proposals for the Montana Pulse Research & Market Development Program. The MPCC invites proposals to fund research projects, market development projects and educational projects designed to address Montana’s pulse industry.

The Montana Pulse Crop Committee’s mission is to invest in and deliver support for marketing, research, education, and policy development programming that improves return on investment for the pulse producers of Montana.

RFPThe Montana Pulse Crop Committee invites proposals to fund market development projects and educational projects designed to address Montana's pulse industry. All funding awards will be determined by the Montana Pulse Crop Committee or the USADPLC Research Review Committee. Generally, to qualify for consideration, proposals must have practical, near-term application involving practices or organizational arrangements that will stimulate an expanded pulse industry. 

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.

Immigration Justice Grant

Social Justice Fund (SJF) is pleased to announce the Immigration Justice Grant, open to grassroots organizations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and/or Wyoming.

This year’s SJF Giving Project is focused on Immigration Justice, funding movements led by immigrants, refugees, and migrant workers most affected by an immigration system built to dehumanize the people caught in its cyclical violence. The Giving Project will make grants to support community organizing work that aims to build collective power and undo the overlapping and intersecting systems of oppression and domination, including colonialism, imperialism, anti-Blackness, Islamophobia, ableism, classism, and xenophobia. For SJF’s definition of community organizing, please click here.

This Immigration Justice Grant seeks to support organizations working to end the systemic discrimination, criminalization, detention, deportation, and harassment of immigrant, refugee, and migrant communities to build a future where borders do not dictate where and how people live, thrive, love, access joy, heal, and make community and family.

Immigration Justice work can include, but is not limited to, building capacity and knowledge for collective resistance, public advocacy and litigation, gender-based and sexual violence prevention, abolition work, equitable access to healthcare and housing, farmworkers organizing, labor organizing, and policy making at the local and statewide levels.

Funding

1-year grant of $25,000

TRANSform Culture Fellowship

People who are Transgender, Two-Spirit, Nonbinary, and Intersex (2STNBI) have always existed and will always exist in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. If the ultimate goal of our CARE Department is to fuel a Northwest inhospitable to harm directed at LGBTQ+ communities, then our TRANSform Culture program is our unapologetic commitment to 2STNBI individuals and communities in the service of that goal.

The TRANSform Culture Program supports the brilliant and dedicated organizations and leaders working to meet the needs of BIPOC 2STNBI individuals and organizations in the Northwest. What has crystalized as the TRANSform Culture program has evolved and shifted over the years, but what has remained central is the belief that all gender and sexual minoritized people should be able to live openly as our whole selves, and to live free and well from discrimination and violence.

Origins of the TRANSform Culture Program

The TRANSform Culture (TFC) program exists because BIPOC gender-diverse community members in the Northwest asked for it (see “Introducing TRANSform Washington” 2016). In 2016, Pride Foundation was invited to join a community coalition called TRANSform WA, a public education campaign that successfully was able to defeat Ballot Initiative I-1551 (an anti-Trans Bathroom Bill).

With the defeat of I-1552, the TRANSform WA campaign evolved into the TRANSform Culture program, now housed at Pride Foundation, with a new broader focus to work across the Northwest.

In 2021 and 2022, the TRANSform Culture experimented with launching a community advisory body called the Village Council, consisting of BIPOC Trans, Nonbinary, Intersex, and Two-Spirit Northwesterners. We are indebted to council member Ganesha Gold Buffalo for the idea of a Village Council.

In 2022, with the hiring of an inaugural Director for the Department of CARE, the TRANSform Culture program was restructured to better clarify the narrative and power-building elements of the work. In 2023, it became an integral program within the Department of CARE.

What is the TRANSform Culture Program

The TRANSform Culture program consists of a fellowship project (the TRANSform Culture Fellowship), an alumni network project (the reimagined Village Council), and broader narrative work honoring and unapologetically centering BIPOC 2STNBI knowledge and livelihoods in the Northwest.

The Goals of the TRANSform Culture Program are:

• To support community education activities reflecting the historical and future gender and sexual diversity within and across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon, respectively.
• To promote community research by and for BIPOC 2STNBI individuals and organizations in the Northwest.
• To develop a network of community action with 2STNBI communities in the Northwest for the region and beyond.

Project Details

The TFC fellowship currently consists of ten fellowship slots (two per state that Pride Foundation serves), and it runs twelve-months. The fellowship provides fellows with a one-time monetary stipend ($15,000). In 2023, we officially launched the inaugural cohort of the TFC fellowship.

The goals of the TRANSform Culture Fellowship Project are to:

• Financially and professionally support BIPOC 2STNBI individuals in the Northwest and increase their capacity to grow their leadership.
• Train fellows to lead and participate in community-based narrative research that supports cultural change and public policy work in the service of Pride Foundation’s mission.
• Create a network of trained BIPOC 2STNBI leaders across the Northwest who work with Pride Foundation and our community partners to drive cultural change and transform public policy. 

Community Ties Giving Program

As part of the Community Ties Giving Program, Local Grants help us achieve our mission by providing small and medium-sized grants within our priority cause areas to local organizations spread widely across Union Pacific's footprint.

Funding Priorities & Objectives

Throughout its existence, the success of Union Pacific's business has been inextricably linked to the economic and community wellbeing of cities and towns across the nation. We take pride in the role we have played in helping communities thrive and believe the impact we can have on local communities is greatest when it is authentic to our history and reflective of the diverse company we are today.

As such, we have carefully aligned our Local Grants cause areas to our company's unique heritage, strengths, and assets. Specifically, we prioritize funding for direct services and efforts that build the capacity of organizations focused on the following causes within our local operating communities. Within each focus area, we aim to support programs and organizations working to advance the diversity, equity and inclusion of underrepresented populations within the local context and issue areas addressed. Find more information about our commitment to DEI in our FAQs.

Safety

In order for communities to thrive, all residents must feel safe. Just as the safety of our employees and community members is paramount to how we operate, Union Pacific is committed to helping communities prevent and prepare for incidents and emergencies, and helping residents get home safely at the end of each day. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to: 

• Encourage safe behaviors and prevent incidents through education and awareness, particularly projects which focus on rail, driver, bike, and pedestrian safety, and ensure outreach efforts reach underserved populations.
• Eliminate risks and improve safe and equitable access to community spaces through infrastructure improvements, such as signage, proper lighting, and public trail improvements.
• Prepare and equip residents and emergency responders* to effectively respond to incidents and emergencies if or when they occur.
  • *Union Pacific supports publicly funded emergency responders through a variety of corporate programs; only independent nonprofit, 501(c)(3) emergency response organizations, such as volunteer departments, are eligible for funding through this grant program
• Prevent crime and violent incidents and support survivors of domestic violence through efforts that address the root causes of these issues and seek to mitigate their occurrence.
• Build the capacity of safety-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Workforce Development

For more than 160 years, Union Pacific has helped stimulate economic growth in cities and towns throughout the nation by training and providing employment to millions of workers. More than ever, we are committed to helping underrepresented residents in our communities achieve family-supporting careers like those offered by Union Pacific. As such, we prioritize funding for programs that seek to:

• Put youth on the right track by creating awareness of and pathways toward employment opportunities; building foundational skills, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); establishing necessary technical skills and life skills; and providing mentorship and positive role models for the future.
• Raise awareness of, educate and prepare young adults for middle skills jobs like those Union Pacific offers, for instance through community colleges, vocational and career training programs, workforce readiness initiatives, and programs that assist with job placement and/or on-the-job experience.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas relevant to Union Pacific operations such as welding, electrical work, machine operations, and civil and electrical engineering are given priority.
• "Up-skill" the existing workforce by providing training and resources that enable them to reach the next level of their career.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas of relevance to Union Pacific operations are given priority.
• Resolve barriers to employment such as transportation, childcare, acquiring necessary equipment for work, and second chance employment programs.
• Build the capacity of workforce development-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Community Vitality

Union Pacific Railroad is committed to establishing vibrant, healthy and inclusive communities for employees, customers and residents to work, visit and call home. Just as the railroad opened avenues for economic development and opportunity more than 160 years ago, we maintain this tradition by cultivating unique cultural and recreational experiences and equipping community members with opportunities to live healthy, vital lives. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Create, sustain or expand artistic and cultural experiences offered to a broad and diverse audience (e.g., museums, theaters, zoos, cultural and local heritage, visual and performing arts, etc.)
• Provide recreational opportunities that foster wellbeing, enrichment and/or an appreciation for our natural environment (e.g., parks, libraries, senior centers, recreation centers, learning centers, etc.).
• Revive neighborhoods and main street areas, especially in historically underinvested neighborhoods, to improve livability, promote commerce and attract more residents, businesses and visitors to town.
• Ensure residents’ basic needs are met and barriers are overcome (e.g., safe shelter and homelessness prevention, hunger relief, mental health and community health needs, etc.).
• Offer youth development and educational opportunities to ensure young people can thrive into healthy and productive community members (e.g., mentoring, leadership development, tutoring, services for youth in foster care, etc.).
• Build the capacity of community vitality-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Environmental Sustainability

The future of our business, communities and planet depends on bold, collective action to reduce and slow the impacts of climate change while building a more sustainable economy for the next generation. Union Pacific is taking deliberate steps to reduce our environmental impact and helping our partners improve their own. Extending this commitment to our community investments, we seek to support leading environmental nonprofits and community-based organizations to advance the health of our environment. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Preserve and restore nature, including programs focused on natural habitats, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
• Protect and enhance water, soil and air quality through innovative and proactive solutions such as water conservation, carbon sequestration and emission reduction programs.
• Reduce waste through initiatives focused on promoting recycling and circularity throughout the community, including recycling and composting programs and other efforts that reduce waste.
• Develop environmental stewards through youth programs focused on fostering environmental appreciation, responsibility, and leadership.
• Advance a sustainable economy by helping communities accelerate their transition to environmental jobs and renewable energy, as well as helping nonprofits and small businesses build their own capacity to operate more sustainably.
• Promote environmental justice through initiatives that ensure access to clean air, water, and land and protect underserved populations from disproportionate and adverse environmental effects.
• Build the capacity of sustainability-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience.