The Montana Community Foundation, Inc. (MCF) is pleased to announce $7,700 in grants to benefit the Darby community.

The grants are from the Darby Town Endowment Fund, established at MCF in 1999 by Richard and Barbara Ackerman and supported by ongoing community contributions. Over the past six years, the Darby Town Endowment Fund has awarded more than $45,000 to 16 organizations that improve the quality of life in the Darby community.

Awardees include:

• Darby Bread Box, with $1,500 to purchase fresh produce for the food bank’s clients.
• Bitterroot Heritage Center, with $2,000 to create and install informational signage directing visitors to Sacajawea Park, print promotional materials for community events, and support the reinstallation of roadside banners that highlight the town’s heritage.
• Darby Community Public Library has $890 to purchase a new cataloging computer to replace an aging system.
• Bitterroot Early Learning Network – Evergreen Kids Corner, with $3,310 to replace worn classroom materials for early learning at Little Tigers Child Care.

“The Darby Town Endowment Fund is a great example of how local generosity can create meaningful, lasting change,” said Barbara Ackerman, founding donor and member of the grantmaking committee. “These grants support projects that directly benefit residents today while helping build a stronger Darby for the future.”

Ackerman also thanked the Darby Town Endowment committee members who helped review the applications, including Juli Winthers, Teri Mountford, Andy Massie, and Dan Mountford.

To support the Darby Town Endowment Fund, donations can be made online or mailed to the Montana Community Foundation at PO Box 1145, Helena, MT 59624-1145. Please write “Darby Town Endowment” in the memo line.

MCF proudly partners with donors and organizations to support a variety of causes and Montana communities through grantmaking. MCF also partners with 45 local community foundation affiliates to further statewide philanthropy through grantmaking and building resilient communities. Our affiliates offer annual grants for a broad range of projects to support local community needs. 

To see information about grants, visit the MCF website. Find the local community foundation affiliate in your area here.