Billings Community Foundation
/OVERVIEW: BCF supports the Greater Yellowstone region of Montana regarding education, basic human needs, arts and culture, natural resources and conservation, economic development, endowment marketing support, animal welfare, and Billings-area brick-and-mortar projects. Grant applications are accepted annually.
IP TAKE: BCF supports much more than just the city of Billings—actually, it's open to proposals from the seven-county region surrounding the town.
PROFILE: The Billings Community Foundation (BCF) is a community funder for the Greater Yellowstone region. It seeks to “help individual donors and charitable organizations meet the needs of the Greater Yellowstone Region.” It is based in Billings, Montana, and awards grants through donor funds. In a recent 10-year period, the funder made grants totalling at least $171,096 to over 60 nonprofits in the Billings area.
Before BCF was established, the Greater Yellowstone Region Committee of the Montana Community Foundation existed. The decision to form a separate and independent foundation came in 2006. In a recent year, the funder gave 16 grants from the MCF Dousman Endowment and 10 from BCF accounts. Current assets exceed $2.8 million. Today, this foundation supports the seven-county region around Billings.
The foundation supports Billings organizations such as the Clocktower Inn Animal Fund, Montana Conservation Voters Education, Billings Studio Theatre, Billings Public Library, Rimrock Opera, Unity Church of Christ, and ZooMontana. It has also supported regional groups such as Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness and Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society. BCF works in Big Horn, Carbon, Custer, Musselshell, Stillwater, Treasure & Yellowstone Counties. Field of interest funds address animal welfare, community development education, arts and culture, environment and parks, public projects and capital funding for public projects.
Grants from BCF typically range from $500 to $2,500. It accepts grant applications between the first of January and the end of February. Grant seekers will find a list of grant recipients by year here. Between a dozen and two dozen grants are usually given per year.
BCF has hosted webinars and workshops on topics including peer fundraising, writing grant requests and marketing. Yellowstone Valley Gives is an annual 24-hour online giving event in May that BCF hosts to bring attention to local nonprofits. In a recent year, the event raised over $34,000 for 61 nonprofits.
Browse the newsletter archives to learn more about the funder. Quarterly newsletters are typically published, as well as annual reports.
PEOPLE:
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