About Us

We help you shape Montana's future through giving.

Who is the Montana Community Foundation?

The Montana Community Foundation is your trusted partner in giving.

Since 1988, Montana Community Foundation (MCF) has established lasting philanthropy and strengthened communities. We manage more than $235 million in assets and oversee 1,733 philanthropic funds and planned gifts. These funds represent legacies at work and nonprofits seeking stewardship and partnership from MCF. Our collaboration with donors, charitable organizations, cities, and towns plays a vital role in both philanthropy and community growth. Since its founding, the Montana Community Foundation has reinvested more than $137.5 million in Montana through scholarships, grants, and our impact areas of education, equity and culture; community and Economic vitality; land and resiliency; and health and well-being.

A dedicated board of directors with statewide reach and skilled, professional staff to provide personalized service and local expertise to maximize the impact of your generosity and shape Montana's future through giving.

What is a Community Foundation?

More than a hundred years ago, Cleveland businessman Frederick H. Goff identified growing community needs, including education, housing, and public health. In 1914, he founded the Cleveland Foundation and created a system where charitable gifts would be pooled into endowments to address a variety of local issues.

That was the seed for community foundations, which strengthen communities by bringing together people and organizations who want to make a positive impact. They are tax-exempt public charities dedicated to improving the quality of life in the areas they serve. Individuals, families, businesses, and organizations work with community foundations to create permanent charitable funds that address local challenges. The foundation invests and administers these funds.

Community foundations offer a variety of giving options and philanthropic advice to help donors achieve their charitable and financial goals. Community foundations provide leadership, expertise, and resources to help their communities thrive.

There are more than 900 community foundations in the United States, including 77 in Montana. Each year, our work with local community foundations injects more than $1 million into communities across our state. Learn more about our local community foundations.

Our Commitment to Excellence

When you partner with us in your philanthropy, we know you're placing an incredible amount of trust in us as an organization. Through our accreditation from the National Standards Board for U.S. Community Foundations, we demonstrate our commitment not only to following legal guidelines but also to operational excellence, accountability, and sound policies and procedures.
 

We want to be your partner in philanthropy. Together we can ensure a strong future for Montana.

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