Greetings Local Leaders!

Since joining the Montana Community Foundation (MCF) as the Local Community Foundation Program Officer, I have been able to meet many of you via email – and I cannot wait to meet those of you that I have not met yet! There has been a learning curve shifting from working on community development projects with the Montana Department of Commerce to learning the ins and outs of community foundations. Nevertheless, seeing so many familiar faces from previous projects, and observing each of your community foundation’s impact, makes me so excited about what the future has in store.

With six weeks under my belt, I thought that I would share some early reflections on the LCF Program. First, local community foundations act as critical conveners to bring resources into their areas for important discussions ranging from strengthening their communities to planning for the future (read more below on Reimagining Rural and Dr. Goetting’s estate planning workshops on the Hi-Line). Second, local community foundations are making grants that have a tangible impact on quality of life across the state (read more below on Broadwater Community Foundation’s grantmaking). Third, local community foundations have a strong partner in MCF. There are so many knowledgeable folks that are here to support your local community foundation grow in the direction that you would like it to. From these reflections, it is clear the LCF Program has a strong foundation, and I am excited to bolster that while building it out in ways that best support your work on the ground.

Looking forward to working with you in the years to come,

The LCF Convenings are back in-person this spring! We are aiming for the first two weeks of May for the LCF Convenings in 3-4 locations across the state. We will provide detailed information in the January 2023 issue of the Local Leader, however, if you have any suggestions about dates or locations, please reach out to Taylor at taylor@mtcf.org or (406) 603-4913.

The 2022 session of Reimagining Rural wrapped up this past month. The program, which is facilitated by MSU Extension with coordination and sponsorship from MCF, brought together 16 communities to shift the narrative around small towns in Montana. Contrary to popular belief, research shows that rural communities across the state are experiencing a “brain gain” with the influx of newcomers and that there are small, inexpensive, and easy projects that we can tackle to make our communities better places for new and existing residents. Keep your eyes peeled for these projects and we look forward to continuing the conversation around MSU Extension’s research on newcomers to Montana at the LCF Convening!

Dr. Marsha Goetting – in coordination with MSU Extension – is planning a workshop tour of the Hi-Line! Dr. Goetting will be conducting one of her infamous workshops, “Wildflower Reflections about Estate and Legacy Planning,” on November 2^nd in Havre, November 3^rd in Malta, and November 4^th in Glasgow. Hill County Community Foundation, Phillips County Community Foundation, and Valley County Community Foundation have worked hard to bring this educational resource to their communities. The sessions will encourage their neighbors to see if everything is squared away with their estate plans, while planting the seed to potentially leave something to the local community foundation. If your local community foundation is interested in hosting an event like this and would like support from MCF, please reach out!

Local community foundations across the state are making impactful grants that catalyze further changes in their cities, towns, and counties. For example, this past quarter Broadwater Community Foundation awarded $3,000 to the peer support program administered by the Broadwater County Mental Health Local Advisory Council. The peer support program reroutes mental health calls from the sheriff’s office to peer supporters, who are residents in the community. This program has a significant and measurable impact! In 2021, the sheriff’s office rerouted six suicide threats and three mental health crises to the peer support program, which saved $10-15 per hour of deputy time since the peer supporters were able to connect residents with mental health services and avoid a law enforcement response.

This past month, the Laurel Community Foundation was featured on “Hello, Montana” – check out the conversation in the video below! MCF’s own Heather Ohs and Jon Rutt discussed the important role that the Laurel Community Foundation plays in the area, particularly as a fiscal sponsor for community projects. In addition, the Laurel Town Square – which is a downtown gathering spot created and owned by the Laurel Community Foundation – is the backdrop for the entire clip.

This time of year has many donors thinking about the causes they care about and how to support them. Here’s a quick guide to year-end giving to share with your donors as they look to support their community through a gift to your local community foundation.

Community foundations are uniquely situated to improve their regions through supporting innovative solutions and creating powerful partnerships. Our community foundation works to support the efforts that will help this place we call home continue to flourish and grow.

There are many benefits of giving to your local community foundation, including:

Here is a list of giving options to consider:

As an Affiliate of the Montana Community Foundation (MCF), we are able to utilize the Gift and Estate Planning team at MCF to help answer any questions you may have as we work with you, your family, and your financial and legal advisors to consider the best ways to structure your charitable giving.

The Montana Community Foundation (MCF) has recently adopted an Anti-Hate Grantmaking Policy. This policy, which is effective immediately, is a proactive step to creating a balanced policy that protects MCF and our donors and ensures our grantmaking aligns with our mission and values. 

Read the policy in its entirety here. 

If you have any questions regarding this new policy, please contact MCF Program Director, Elisa Fiaschetti at 406-441-4953 or elisa@mtcf.org. We have several resources to help us determine if an organization is a hate group and they will be part of our overall grantmaking due diligence. 

MCF loves sharing your stories and events. If you would like an event to be highlighted on our Facebook page please email Kristin Williams, Communications Associate, at kristin@mtcf.org.