$30,000 awarded in Capacity Building Grants to 6 Montana nonprofit organizations

Mike Schechtman, Executive Director of the Big Sky Institute for the Advancement of Nonprofits http://www.bigskyinstitute.org/mnc/mnchome.shtml (BSI), today announced that $30,000 in Project Grants is being awarded to six Montana nonprofit organizations to help them better serve their communities.

This funding is made available through BSI’s Montana Nonprofit Connections (MNC) Program, and represents a 20 percent increase over the 2009 MNC project grants. MNC will provide $5,000 to each nonprofit, located in Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula, and Red Lodge. The grants will enable them to engage a consultant to address priority organizational development areas that were previously identified through a professionally-led assessment of the organizations’ administration and leadership. MNC is one of BSI’s collaborative ventures it has initiated with foundations to help increase philanthropic and nonprofit sector resources in Montana.

Organizations receiving 2010 Project Grants include:

Child Care Resources, Inc. (Missoula) (406) 728-6446 ext. 226;

Domestic and Sexual Violence Services of Carbon County (Red Lodge) (406) 446-2296;

Family Promise of Gallatin Valley, Inc. (Bozeman)(406) 582-7388;

Great Falls Community Food Bank (Great Falls) (406) 452-9029;

homeWORD (Missoula)(406) 532-4663 ext 18;

and

Montana Audubon (Helena) (406) 443-3949.

"Major regional and national foundations are increasing support for their grantees and other nonprofits to help them sharpen their organizational development focus, build their skills and increase their efficiency and effectiveness. This is especially important in the current economy because nonprofits face increased demand for their services and find themselves working with constrained resources," said Schechtman. "We are proud that a collaboration of Montana foundations is playing a leading role in boosting the effectiveness of nonprofits in our state. This group of foundations is unique, as most capacity-building programs are based in urban areas and supported by individual large foundations," Schechtman added.

MNC’s core collaboration foundations include:

O.P. and W.E. Edwards Foundation

Lora L. and Martin N. Kelley Family Foundation Trust

Oro y Plata Foundation, and

Solid Rock Foundation

Other grantors that have supported MNC include:

Gilhousen Family Foundation

Luise Hass Fund

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Fund

NeighborWorks Montana

Steele-Reese Foundation, and

Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation

Organizations receiving 2010 Project Grants will engage consultants as follows:

Child Care Resources, Inc. (Missoula) – To develop a comprehensive marketing plan and associated materials that support CCR’s service outreach, builds general awareness about CCR, and positions CCR for improved fund development;

Domestic and Sexual Violence Services of Carbon County (Red Lodge) – To update the organization’s mission, values and philosophy; educate the board about current IRS regulations, as well as best practices of board governance; and develop a plan for organizational sustainability;

Family Promise of Gallatin Valley, Inc. (Bozeman) – To assist with board development, including clarifying board responsibilities and their role in organizational oversight, and create a strategic plan;

Great Falls Community Food Bank (Great Falls)- To develop a new three-year strategic plan with a focus on marketing, communications and fundraising, which will address the projected growth in services anticipated as a result of facility expansion in 2011;

homeWORD (Missoula) – To evaluate the organization’s current branding, logo and visual imagery, and association with the founding organization, and to develop a strategic marketing plan; and

Montana Audubon (Helena) – To develop a strategic/business plan for the Audubon Conservation Education Center in Billings.

To learn about the MNC organizational effectiveness grants program, visit BSI’s website at http://www.bigskyinstitute.org. For funders who want to learn more about MNC and how they might participate, contact: Mike Schechtman, executive director, Big Sky Institute for the Advancement of Nonprofits, P.O. Box 1514, Helena, MT 59624, 406-443-5860 or [email protected].

Since 1999, the Big Sky Institute for the Advancement of Nonprofits has strengthened the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors in Montana and other Philanthropic Divide states nearby. BSI researches and documents successful programs that build nonprofit and philanthropic capacity in rural states. We share this information with nonprofits, public agencies and foundations to emphasize the importance of developing core infrastructure that enhances the capacity of nonprofit organizations and networks, and expands philanthropic resources. BSI works closely with its partners to design and undertake large scale initiatives that develop new resources and infrastructure to help a state’s nonprofit sector strengthen and assist individual nonprofits. Montana is our headquarters state and our laboratory. We pilot initiatives here and refine them for adaptation and application in other rural states and regions