Montana Private Grants

The Otto Bremer Trust (OBT) is implementing new grantmaking approaches to effectively invest in people, places, and opportunities in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. The new model includes Strategic Grants and Community Responsive Fund grants. Strategic Grants are awarded directly by OBT to organizations with at least $500,000 in expenses from the previous year, aligning with OBT's objectives. Community Responsive Fund grants are managed by intermediary partners, focusing on organizations with less than $500,000 in expenses.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to tribal entities and organizations in Montana for projects that enhance community forests, promote climate resilience, and improve environmental quality.

This funding opportunity provides $5,000 in unrestricted support to emerging organizations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, or Wyoming that are focused on community organizing and align with social justice values.

This grant provides financial support to Indigenous communities in Montana for search efforts to locate missing loved ones, addressing the urgent crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.

The Humanities Montana’s Community Project Grants support public humanities programming throughout Montana. This initiative aligns with the foundation's mission to strengthen community and culture by promoting civic engagement, sparking thoughtful community dialogue, and reflecting on the human experience across the state. These grants are designed to foster bold and innovative projects that are meaningful to local communities and inspire timely community conversations. The primary target beneficiaries are the general public across Montana, with a particular emphasis on engaging diverse communities and cultures. The impact goals include deepening public understanding of significant humanities questions, building on sound humanities scholarship, and fostering analytical approaches that present a variety of perspectives. The program aims to strengthen cultural understanding and civic participation through accessible and appealing formats. The program prioritizes projects focused on clearly defined humanities themes. Funding is available for a wide array of formats, including storytelling, historical analysis, public writing workshops, literacy programs, ethical inquiry, interpretation at historic sites, book festivals, exhibits, lectures, speaker series, panel discussions, teacher institutes & workshops, humanities program planning, reading & discussion programs, and various humanities events. All projects must involve humanities scholars (academic, professional, or subject-expert) in all aspects and require at least one confirmed subject-expert. Expected outcomes include increased public engagement with humanities topics, enhanced community dialogue, and a deeper reflection on the human experience. Measurable results will likely be demonstrated through the reach and participation in the programs, the quality of humanities scholarship integrated, and the active involvement of communities and cultures represented in project content. For projects involving Native American communities, letters of support from participating scholars, researchers, and/or program participants are required, outlining their involvement. The maximum award for these grants ranges from $2,000 to $10,000.

This funding opportunity supports licensed mental health providers working on Montana's Indian Reservations to enhance access to mental health services, particularly through innovative and sustainable solutions for tribal communities.

This program provides financial support to small nonprofit initiatives in Flathead County and nearby areas, focusing on projects that address community needs, particularly in health and human services.

The FY2025 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community Grant, offered by the Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Mayor’s Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA), seeks grant applications from qualified Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) serving the District of Columbia’s AAPI community. This grant program is aligned with the broader mission of empowering District residents, fostering public safety, and enhancing education. MOAPIA's strategic priorities are evident in the funding areas, which aim to improve the quality of life for all residents and build stronger communities. The grant targets members of the AAPI community of all ages residing in the District of Columbia. The impact goals are to create a vibrant downtown where residents, workers, and visitors can live, work, and play, fight to protect the middle class, reduce all forms of violence including gun violence, and ensure every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. These goals reflect a comprehensive theory of change that by investing in key areas, the District can foster a more equitable, safe, and prosperous environment for its AAPI residents. The program prioritizes initiatives within three key funding areas: Downtown Comeback, Public Safety, and Education. The Downtown Comeback focus seeks to reimagine a downtown with vibrant centers of activity and ensure job opportunities for Washingtonians across all eight wards, enabling them to build better lives. The Public Safety focus aims to create significant, lasting change by reducing and ultimately ending all types of violence, including gun violence. The Education focus emphasizes supporting schools as community heartbeats, ensuring every child has access to quality education, including reading, math, sports, arts, civic engagement, and youth engagement. Expected outcomes include a more vibrant and economically secure downtown, a reduction in violence and improved public safety across the District, and enhanced educational opportunities and well-being for students and residents. While specific measurable results are not explicitly detailed beyond the funding areas and target populations, the grant's emphasis on progress reports reflecting substantial progress towards grant agreement goals suggests a commitment to accountability and impact. Eligible organizations can be awarded up to $40,000 for a project period from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, further indicating a structured approach to achieving these outcomes.

This initiative provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations, local governments, and Tribal governments in coal-impacted communities to develop and scale innovative economic projects that create job opportunities and foster local economic transformation.

The Blaine County Community Foundation Fund, established at the Montana Community Foundation (MCF) by Warren Ross in 1997, is offering grants to benefit communities and residents of Blaine County. The grant cycle runs from August 15 to November 15. The grants range in size from $500 to $2,000 and must be used for projects benefiting communities or residents in Blaine County. Eligible applicants must be either a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or an exempt governmental unit. The grantee organization does not need to be based in Blaine County. Only one application is allowed per organization. Eligible projects must provide a direct benefit to local residents, be sustainable, and address important, unmet needs. Ineligible projects include conferences, workshops, planning, research, untested projects, and partisan or sectarian activities. The grant requests are reviewed by the Blaine County Community Grantmaking Committee, and incomplete applications will not be considered. For additional help or inquiries, contact Taylor Crowl, Program Officer, Local Community Foundations, at 406-603-4913 or [email protected]. The application can be accessed at https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=mtcommunity.

The Otto Bremer Trust is a private charitable trust based in St. Paul, Minn. Created in 1944 by Otto Bremer, it is committed to supporting a better quality of life for residents of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Since its founding, OBT has invested nearly $1 billion and provides ~$105 million annually to nonprofit organizations in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Applications are due on a rolling basis on these dates: February 4, 2024; April 4, 2024; June 6, 2024; August 1, 2024. - General Operations Application: General operations grants provide unrestricted funding that enables an organization to carry out its mission. Typical uses could include support for an organization’s administrative and infrastructure costs, maintaining core programs and/or staffing. This application is for organizations seeking $75,000 or more in general operations support. - General Operations Short Application: This application is for organizations seeking general operations support of less than $75,000. - Restricted Application: Restricted grants provide funding for a specific program or project. These funds may not be used for other purposes, although a portion may be utilized for overhead or indirect costs of administering the program or project. - Capital Application: Capital grants support constructing, repairing, renovating, or rehabilitating an organization’s physical space. Capital grants can also support the purchase of equipment necessary for an organization to carry out its work.

Humanities Montana Research Fellowship supports projects with a central focus in the humanities, a clearly defined theme, and involvement of professional humanists. Projects must include a public program, publicity, and evaluation plans where appropriate. There is a 1:1 cost-share requirement and applications involving Native American communities or cultures must demonstrate their involvement or address why they are not involved. Humanities Montana cannot fund projects focusing on personal concerns, non-public meetings, construction or operating expenses of existing organizations, lobbying or direct social action, one-sided treatment of an issue, fundraising for profit-making groups, alcoholic beverages or entertainment costs, and candidates running for political office.

This grant provides financial support and mentorship to early-stage cleantech entrepreneurs in the Midwest who are developing innovative solutions to promote economic growth and environmental sustainability.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in Montana that focus on improving literacy, children's health services, and mental health access, particularly for underserved communities.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations in the Pacific Northwest for innovative projects focused on environmental conservation, preservation, and restoration efforts.

This fund provides emergency financial support to Indigenous students in Montana to help cover urgent educational expenses and prevent interruptions in their studies.

This grant provides funding for conservation projects that restore and protect grasslands and wildlife in the Northern Great Plains, with a focus on supporting tribal communities and enhancing biodiversity.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations focused on improving healthcare access and addressing health disparities for underserved populations in Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.

This grant provides funding for conservation projects in Gallatin Valley, Montana, focusing on biodiversity, habitat restoration, and sustainable resource management while honoring the land's historical significance and Indigenous connections.

This funding opportunity supports innovative projects that improve mental health and social well-being in rural communities across the Mountain West, targeting local organizations and individuals with creative solutions to address mental health care challenges.