January 2025
 

Letter from Tom McGree, MCF Board Chair

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! As the incoming Board Chair of the Montana Community Foundation (MCF), I am honored to connect with you as we begin 2025 together.

A bit about me: I serve as the Chief Development Officer for Ascent Bank in Helena and have been there since we purchased the Bank in 2016. Before banking, my career was in commercial insurance and risk management across Montana. I hold a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Carroll College and an MBA from Gonzaga University. Born and raised in Helena, I’ve had the privilege of contributing to organizations locally and statewide, including Leadership Montana, Montana Ambassadors, The Helena Regional Airport Authority, and the Helena Education Foundation among others. I’ve been proud to serve on the MCF Board for the past six years and am deeply committed to our mission of cultivating a culture of giving so Montana communities can flourish. 

I’m excited to share with you that MCF was able to close out 2024 with a significant milestone. MCF made our first loan to NACDC Financial Services, Inc. as part of our Montana Impact Investing program. NACDC Financial Services, Inc. will utilize the funds to expand its Home Loan Program, addressing the critical need for affordable housing in Indigenous communities in Montana. The Montana Impact Investing Program exemplifies how we leverage our resources to support innovative, community-driven projects that create lasting change. Achievements like these reflect the dedication of our staff, board, donors, and partners who make it possible to turn bold ideas into impactful realities.

As we begin the new year, I want to introduce and welcome six new board members who bring fresh perspectives and expertise to MCF. They are Curt Barnekoff (Havre), Tracy Cosgrove (Helena), Dr. Jennifer Isern (Billings), Tod Kasten (Circle), Dr. Steffi Siegel (Bozeman/West Yellowstone), and Maria Valandra (Great Falls). Their contributions will be invaluable as we continue serving Montana communities. At the same time, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to our two outgoing board members, Angie Main and Dale Woolhiser, for their years of dedication and service. Their commitment has helped shape the foundation’s success, and we are incredibly thankful for their leadership.

As we look ahead, I am excited to serve as MCF’s Board Chair and continue building on this momentum. Together, we will advance the foundation’s vision, that every Montana community has the resources they need to thrive. I look forward to engaging with you throughout the year as we work to make more possible for Montana.

Warm regards,

MCF Board of Directors

MCF’s board members represent the diverse communities of Montana, bringing statewide perspectives and expertise to our mission. This map highlights where our dedicated board members live and serve, with each red dot representing a location and the number within the dot showing how many board members reside there. Together, they illustrate our commitment to supporting all corners of our state.

Scholarship Applications are Now Open

More than $1 million in scholarships are available for Montana students via the Montana Community Foundation. Students can apply for funding between January 1 and March 31, 2025. A variety of scholarships are available for four-year or two-year colleges, certificate courses, non-traditional students, vocational studies, and more. For more information or to apply, please visit mtcf.org to take the scholarship eligibility quiz and find the right scholarship for you! 

2024 was an impressive year and the statistics highlight the impact these scholarships have for Montana students. 

• New awards: $1,040,920 
• Renewed Awards: $273,400 
• Total Awards: $1,314,320 
• Students awarded: 207 

Scholarship Highlight: Mark Kelly Scholarship in Memory Ruth Kelly

John Markel “Mark” Kelly knew his way around a classroom and a good piece of literature. Countless stories can be told of his wit, tenacity, and commitment to quality journalism and education. His passing in 2020 is still felt deeply by the Boulder community and those who had the privilege of knowing him.

Mark had a 41-year career at Jefferson High School where not only did he teach English and Journalism but also taught countless students how to drive in Driver’s Education and was the leader of the award-winning school paper, the Panther Press.

Now his unwavering commitment to students and their education continues through the Mark Kelly Scholarship Fund in Honor of Ruth Kelly. The fund was established through Mark’s estate in honor of his mother, Ruth, and provides an annual scholarship to JHS graduates who have completed a year of college and are pursuing a career in teaching. As a permanent fund, it will provide lasting support to local students.

Rylee Baird is a Jefferson High School graduate and a recipient of the Mark Kelly Scholarship in Memory Ruth Kelly scholarship:

"I graduated Jefferson High in May 2023, and I am currently a sophomore at the University of Montana Western in Dillon. I started college with a major in Elementary Education but have since decided that I wanted to teach at a higher level, so I changed my major to Mathematics and Secondary Ed. My high school teachers are the ones who made the biggest impact on my education, and I want to do the same for my future students. I never got to have Mr. Kelly as my teacher but I know those in my family that had the honor of having him as a teacher have nothing but praise for him. Go Panthers!” ~ Rylee Baird 

MCF Grant Cycles

William B. Pratt Endowment Fund Opened on January 13, 2025

The annual grant cycle for grants from the William B. Pratt Endowment Fund to benefit Montanans Traditional Folk and Media Arts is now open. Grants will range in size from $500 to $2,000 and must be matched dollar-for-dollar. Grant applications will be accepted from January 13 to April 1, 2025.

Apply for grants here.

The William B. Pratt Endowment Fund is a legacy gift to the people of Montana to help them tell and share stories – especially the untold ones – about Montana’s arts, culture, and history and to learn about the traditional art forms and cultures of this unique state. Learn more about the fund here.

Darby Town Endowment Fund

Opens February 1 – February 28, 2025

Grants will be made from the Darby Town Endowment Fund, established at MCF by Richard and Barbara Ackerman in 1999 and enhanced through generous contributions from community members. Applicants must be either a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or an exempt governmental unit. Individual grants will be up to $5,000. While grants must be used for projects benefiting the Darby community and residents, the grantee organization does not need to be based in Darby. Only one application is allowed per organization.

Eligible projects must provide a direct, ongoing benefit to local residents, be sustainable, and address important, unmet needs. Ineligible projects include one-time events, conferences, workshops, planning, research, untested projects, and partisan or sectarian activities.

Apply here.

Key Information about Annual Endowment Distributions

The 2025 Annual Endowment Distribution process is underway, and our team at MCF is preparing to distribute millions of dollars to support Montana organizations in early March. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming distribution:

What are Annual Endowment Distributions?

• Annual endowment distributions are paid out each spring from qualifying endowment funds at MCF to benefiting beneficiaries.

When will the funds be available?

• Payment Date: ACH (electronic) payments are scheduled for Monday, March 3, 2025.
• Arrival: Funds should be in benefiting organizations’ accounts by the end of the week, depending on bank processing times.

Who will receive information about my organization’s distribution(s)?

• Following the ACH payment, notifications will be sent to the designated fund representative.
• Donors with designated endowments will receive updates by the end of March.

What if our bank account information has changed?

• ACH payments will be directed to your organization’s bank account on file.
• If your bank account details have changed since March 1, 2024, please submit a new Direct Deposit Form by February 3, 2025.
• A new form is required if your bank has merged or been sold.
• If no changes have occurred, or if you’ve recently submitted updated information, no further action is needed.

Need help?

• For fund representative updates: Cathy Cooney, Director of Donor Services, at ccooney@mtcf.org
• For other inquiries: Kay Gray, Senior Accountant, at kay@mtcf.org

Conserving Montana's Wild Places:

Article provided by the Cinnabar Foundation

The Cinnabar Foundation was created in 1983 to support the constitutional right of Montanans to a clean and healthful environment.

Terry and Phyllis Buckridge shared a deep love for nature and wildlife that shaped their personal lives and continues to influence Phyllis’ philanthropic legacy today. As a lifelong educator and passionate outdoors enthusiast, Phyllis is dedicated to preserving the wild landscapes and wildlife habitat that she and her late husband cherished in Montana. Today, their conservation values are honored through their support of the Cinnabar Foundation, which has established a Conservation Endowment at the Montana Community Foundation (MCF).

Give Now to Support the Cinnabar Foundation

The Cinnabar Foundation serves as Montana’s Conservation Fund for those - like Phyllis - who love Montana, value its natural heritage, and wish to invest in Montana’s future … in perpetuity. We focus on a highly balanced approach that ensures investment is well leveraged through strategic partnerships. We know Montana’s conservation community, and fund conservation organizations and projects that have been carefully vetted through field visits and independent evaluations. We annually review and reallocate our grant portfolio to reflect conservation opportunities and challenges, as well as remain open to changing conservation priorities in the field.

Read more about Terry and Phyllis and their commitment to conservation in Montana here. 

Give Now