September 2026

At Montana Community Foundation, we help you shape Montana’s future through giving. People want to make a meaningful difference in the state they love. MCF team members provide the guidance, the expertise, the relationships, and local knowledge to help you create your legacy.

As students head back to school this month, we’re reminded that learning is also an ongoing commitment for our team. Strong leadership doesn’t happen by accident. It takes practice and a willingness to keep learning. Building a more equitable Montana requires that same intention, starting with how we work within our own organization.

This year, we’ve invested in our employees and their professional development, welcomed new members to our leadership team, and added roles to expand our capacity. These changes help us live our values and better serve people across the state.

Our relationships across Montana shape everything we do. By strengthening our team, we are better equipped to help you turn your generosity into lasting opportunities for Montana.

Developing leadership

Jessica Stewart was recently promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Montana Community Foundation. In this new role, she'll play an important part in internal operations while continuing to guide our team in helping donors create lasting opportunities for Montana.

Jessica, who joined MCF in 2015, also serves as fundraising faculty for the Council on Foundations, teaching its Community Foundation Excellence Fundamentals course four times a year. The course, which she took in 2015, offers professional development for community foundation professionals across the country. Now, she brings her experience working with Montana donors, nonprofits, and local community foundations to a national audience.

Teaching is also an opportunity to ensure rural perspectives are represented. Drawing on the work she and our philanthropy team members have done across Montana, she shares practical lessons and serves as a resource for others working in rural places.

“Most of the time these courses are taught by big community foundations in big cities. The importance of having representation from rural communities is being able to show the things that our philanthropy department team members and I have been teaching nonprofits across Montana and community foundations across Montana, and being able to take that to a wider audience and represent our resources for other rural communities,” Jessica said.

Jessica also was part of the Council on Foundations’ Career Pathways 2025 Cohort. The cohort is a small group of emerging leaders in the philanthropy sector selected to be invested in and developed into leadership positions. The fellowship helped Jessica explore how authentic leadership can strengthen our organizational culture, put our values into practice, and improve how we serve Montana.

“This gave me an analysis of how to be a leader that demonstrates authenticity and embodies true leadership, meeting people — whether it’s our staff and team or our donors or granting partners — where they are and holding that space for them to be where they are so that together we can accomplish what they want and what Montana needs,” Jessica said.

For the capstone of the 10-month leadership program, Jessica wrote a publication that examines over-functioning, titled “Hey you, What if You Let Things Break.” It is available here.

New Titles and Our Expanding Team

Two members of the Montana Community Foundation team were recently promoted, reflecting their strong leadership and contributions to helping donors and communities across Montana thrive.

Rebecca Connors is now Vice President of Communications. Rebecca has done an exceptional job guiding MCF’s brand identity since she started in 2023. Her keen marketing savvy, combined with her disciplined approach, helps us clearly communicate our work, who we are, and our role serving the state.

Jim Bennett has been promoted to Vice President of Philanthropy. Jim joined MCF in 2021 and brings extensive expertise in relationship management, fund development, and donor stewardship. Around MCF, we jokingly call him “Jim Bacon Bennett” because there never seem to be more than six degrees of separation between Jim and anyone in Montana. 

There are several new faces around our Helena office and across the state. 

Todd Lengacher is our new Gift & Estate Planning Director. He previously served as Director of Philanthropy at Montana Food Bank Network, where he co-led a $15 million capital campaign that established a statewide food security hub in Missoula, and prior to that led organizations across Montana and beyond. Todd lives with his family in Whitefish. Contact Todd.

Michael Stark is also a Gift & Estate Planning Director, based in Billings. He has extensive knowledge of relationship management, finding philanthropic solutions to complex problems, and donor stewardship. Most recently, Michael served as the Institutional Funds Manager at Seattle Foundation. Contact Michael.

Katherine Anderson recently started her role as Philanthropy Officer in Helena. She brings nearly a decade of experience in economic and community development, with a background spanning both state government and the nonprofit sector. She is passionate about meaningful work, building strong relationships, and supporting communities across Montana. Contact Katherine.

Beth Petro is MCF’s Community Vitality Program Officer serving the eastern part of the state. She spent the past 20 years working exclusively for nonprofit organizations and institutions in Eastern Montana. Her work and passion have centered on education and outreach in the rural communities she has served. Contact Beth.

More than $1.2 million in scholarships for Montana students

More than 260 students are getting help pursuing college or technical school this year through $1,267,114 in scholarships awarded by Montana Community Foundation. That’s a 33% increase over last year.

Behind those numbers are students like Madeline Pomeroy, whose T. Eugene Young Montana’s Promise Scholarship is helping her study pre-medical sciences at the University of Montana. The support gives her more time to volunteer and shadow medical professionals as she works toward becoming a pediatrician.

Made possible by generous donors, these scholarships help make education more affordable and give students encouragement as they pursue their goals.

Read the full story to learn how this support is shaping Montana students' futures.

Helping Ronan Imagine Its Future

With barn doors open to a warm late-summer evening, Ronan residents gathered at their newly revamped community center to share what they love about their town and their hopes for what comes next.

Guiding the conversation was Camden Graves, one of Montana Community Foundation’s certified Community Heart & Soul coaches. Through the program’s Getting Started phase, she’s helping residents explore how to turn shared priorities into action.

“You guys have those answers,” Camden told the group. “We’re just here to help you pull them together and find them and make action plans to move on.”

Read the full story to hear from residents and learn how Camden is helping Ronan explore its path forward.

2026 Reimagining Rural Roadshow

There’s not much time left to register for the 2026 Reimagining Rural Roadshow on Wednesday, October 7 in Winnett.

Join Montana State University Extension and Montana Community Foundation for a day of inspiration, practical ideas, and valuable connections. Tour successful community projects, hear from local leaders, and connect with funders and resource partners serving rural Montana.

If you care about the future of Montana’s small towns, this event is for you.

Space is limited. Registration closes Friday, September 25.

Learn more and register now