April 2020
Letter From Mary
Dear Friends,

Things are not “business as usual” in our state right now, but there is something we can rely on even in this time of uncertainty- the generosity of individuals towards their fellow Montanans and this state we love. A couple weeks ago, we urged you to support local nonprofits during this time. Many of you responded and, in the last two weeks, we have granted nearly $500,000 from Donor Advised and local community foundation funds to our local Montana communities. THANK YOU!

We are proud to be the agent of the philanthropist in service to Montana. We do not take this role lightly. As our state faces economic and social obstacles due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the power of philanthropy is more evident than ever. It is helping keep our nonprofit partners in business and ensuring our communities can help our most vulnerable weather this storm.

Recently, Liz Moore, Executive Director of Montana Nonprofit Association (MNA), and I co-authored an opinion piece about how you can continue to support our communities during this time. Read more here.

Additionally, below you can find information about the many COVID-19 funds that have been established in local communities. I am also pleased to announce that we have set up the Montana COVID-19 Fund at Montana Community Foundation, in partnership with MNA and Montana State University Extension, to serve those communities not already being served by a community-specific fund. 

You have already shown what can happen when we harness the power of philanthropy. I urge you to continue this wave of generosity. Even a small act of kindness can go a long way. Together we will make it out of this crisis.

Stay well.

Sincerely,
Mary K. Rutherford
President & CEO
COVID-19 Funds Around the State
As the current pandemic continues to have an economic impact on Montana communities, several COVID-19 relief funds have been established by local organizations to meet the immediate needs of our communities and are currently accepting contributions. See a list of the funds here.

Additionally, Montana Community Foundation (MCF), Montana Nonprofit Association (MNA), and Montana State University Extension have partnered to create and administer the Montana COVID–19 Fund. This statewide fund will provide safety-net funding for Montana's rural and tribal communities adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund will specifically support those communities that do not have established community-specific funds.

In Montana, we know rural and tribal communities are far more vulnerable in disaster and lack the capacity and resources to respond to disaster in the same way urban cores do. Because of this, we are committed to prioritizing rural and tribal communities in our response to the current crisis. Learn more about the Montana COVID-19 Fund here.

Thank you to the following businesses and organizations for your generous contributions to the fund!

  • AMB Philanthropies- $100,000
  • Montana Television Network- $50,000 and media coverage
  • BlueCross BlueShield of Montana- $100,000
  • Wells Fargo- $50,000
New Donor Portal Coming May 26!
Montana Community Foundation's donor portal is getting a new look!

A new and improved donor portal will be available on Tuesday, May 26 with the same features you've come to love and more. To accommodate the conversion to our new donor portal, the portal will be unavailable from May 11- 25.

For Donor Advisors: Grant recommendations can be made on the current portal until May 11. After that time, grant recommendations can be made on the new portal once the conversion is complete on May 26.

For Nonprofit Representatives: Many of our nonprofit fund representatives are not active users of our donor portal or our records may need to be updated. If your organization would like to set up a user account or update your record, please contact me at ccooney@mtcf.org.

We will be holding a Portal Training webinar on June 4 from 11 AM- 12 PM (MST) to cover the basics of the new portal and answer any questions.

We also understand that many of you will be anxious to see your fund's quarterly statement for the first quarter of 2020 in light of the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. We do expect a delay in getting those posted. They will be available via the new portal on May 26. We can provide current fund balances by phone if that information would be helpful. Call Cathy Cooney, Director of Donor Services at (406) 441-4954 for questions about your fund.

Thank you for your patience during this transition.
Census 2020: April Update

Census 2020 is here! Complete the Census and be counted at census.mt.gov .

COVID-19 Update:
Considering the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. Census Bureau is adjusting 2020 Census operations in order to protect the safety of the public and Census workers, while also ensuring an accurate count. Learn more here.
PowerHouse Montana Presents WFM Power Hours
In these uncertain and challenging times, Women’s Foundation of Montana (WFM) and PowerHouse Montana, programs of Montana Community Foundation, are committed to increasing support and opportunities for Montana women.

Over the next few months, WFM will be hosting WFM Power Hours . The goal of these webinars and conversations is to offer resources that will help the women (and men!) in our community thrive. Now, more than ever, we know that our greatest resource is each other. 

Previous Power Hours have included training on how to access Paycheck Protection funds, negotiating for higher wages and better benefits in the hiring process, and how to take care of yourself in times of crisis.

Don’t want to miss out? Email Maggie to be notified of upcoming Power Hours and other WFM events.
Generosity at Work
In March, MCF sent out $3.5 million in distributions to nonprofit organizations through our annual endowment distribution. A variety of causes were supported from the arts and conservation to animals and early childhood education.