Supporting you with more resources

Local Leaders,

In Montana, we know the importance of community. It’s where we make our homes, build our families, labor hard to earn a living, and cultivate the networks that make living here so special.

We also know that these places flourish and grow because of the innovative work done by local community foundations like yours across the state. Your hard work and dedication improve the lives of your neighbors, and the Montana Community Foundation is increasing our capacity to offer you personalized, regional support in that effort.

As the two new Community Vitality Program Officers at MCF, we each serve a distinct part of Montana. Camden Graves covers the western part of the state and Beth Petro covers the east.

We’ve already been crisscrossing the state, racking up miles on our odometers to attend meetings with local community foundations and nonprofits to learn more about how we can support you.

Our regional approach allows us to work more closely with you, connecting you with the resources and opportunities that support your community’s priorities.

We hope you’ll reach out to us with questions or just to say hello. And we’ll do the same when we’re in your area. We look forward to building strong relationships and understanding local priorities from the people who know them best — you.

Warmly,

The Role of a Community Vitality Program Officer

Montana Community Foundation’s Community Vitality Program Officers help local community foundations and nonprofit organizations strengthen their work and plan for the future.

With one officer serving eastern Montana and another serving western Montana, they provide a regional point of contact for practical guidance, training, and resources.

They help organizations build relationships with donors, strengthen fundraising, and grow endowments that provide reliable funding year after year. They also support local grantmaking and help communities bring residents together to identify shared priorities and shape plans for their hometowns.

Learn more about Beth & Camden and see which counties they serve. 

Grounds for Conversation

Grounds for Conversation is our monthly virtual “coffee hour” designed just for local community foundation folks. It’s a relaxed space to connect, ask questions, and share ideas with peers across the state.

There’s no formal agenda, just good conversation and real-time problem-solving with people who get the work you’re doing.

Join us for our two upcoming gatherings and come as you are — coffee encouraged.

Register: Thursday, November 19, 10:00 a.m. MST.

Register: Thursday, December 17, 10:00 a.m. MST

Resources for Community Foundation Week

Nov. 12-18 is Community Foundation Week, a time to celebrate the central role local community foundations play in building up towns and cities across Montana.

There are 74 local community foundations in Montana, each an expert in the specific needs of their communities and uniquely positioned to leverage local philanthropy to support the projects and events that help their friends and neighbors thrive.

Community Foundation Week was created in 1989 by former president George H. W. Bush, and it overlaps with National Philanthropy Day on Nov. 15.

Sharing the success of local community foundations

Across Montana, local community foundations are turning generosity into opportunities for their neighbors while building resources that will serve generations to come.

The Lincoln County Community Foundation has awarded $80,000 in grants supporting health and well-being, young people, and an animal shelter. Columbus Community Foundation raised more than $169,000 at its May event for grants and scholarships.

Jefferson Valley Community Foundation’s inaugural “A Night for Tomorrow” raised more than $40,000 after expenses, helping launch a scholarship fund for students pursuing trades and other nontraditional education while strengthening its endowment and community grantmaking.

Elsewhere, Powell County Community Foundation supported repairs to a school district pool, and Great Falls Area Community Foundation issued Give Great Falls awards to 14 area nonprofits.

Foundations such as the Community Foundation of Northern Rosebud County and Musselshell Valley Community Foundation are building endowments toward and beyond the $1 million mark, creating lasting sources of local support.

These efforts reflect what community foundations do best: bring neighbors together, respond to needs close to home, and ensure today’s generosity continues making a difference tomorrow.

How you can share your own story

The Council on Foundations offers several resources to help your local community foundation raise awareness about the work you’re doing during National Community Foundation Week and National Philanthropy Day, through social media campaigns, sample press releases and editorials to send to local media, and more.

Did you know the Montana Community Foundation also has a library of resources for local community foundations? Check out our Affiliate Resources to explore new tools and put them to work in your community

LCF+ Fundraising Updates Available

In January 2024, the Montana Community Foundation launched an incentive program to encourage local community foundations to grow their unrestricted endowed assets. The LCF+ Incentive Program allows local community foundations to invest additional funds within their communities to make an impact now and in the future.

Over the course of the LCF+ Incentive Program, MCF will distribute over $1 million to LCFs across Montana.

Participants in the LCF+ program should have received their third-quarter updates, letting them know how they’re progressing toward their fundraising goals.

If you have any questions about your statement, fundraising totals, or progress in the program, please reach out to Camden Graves (western Montana) or Beth Petro (eastern Montana) for support.