Nye Community Foundation
/OVERVIEW: NCF supports charitable causes in and around Nye, Montana. Funding priorities include education, youth, community, and fire and rescue groups. Grants are awarded annually.
IP TAKE: This is one of the well-established Montana Community Foundation affiliates that has its own website, grant application forms and grantmaking process. Grants are modest, but they go out every year.
PROFILE: The Nye Community Foundation (NCF) is based in Nye, Montana, and was established in 1999. It seeks to “build a permanent financial base to support and promote projects that will benefit the residents of Nye and the surrounding area.” It promotes projects benefitting residents of Nye and surrounding areas. NCF is affiliated with the Montana Community Foundation, which has over 250 funds.
Since inception, NCF has made grants totalling thousands of dollars to local schools, college scholarships, fire and rescue groups and youth organizations. Grants are made from investment returns on NCF’s endowment fund at the Montana Community Foundation, as well as money from businesses and charitable institutions. Grants are also made from donations at the annual fundraising event, an ATV raffle held each July during a celebration called “Nye Goes Nuts." This free event, held at the Volunteer Fire Department in Nye, has raised over $130,000 since 2000—NCF has raffled off at least 16 ATVs and had 182 chickens chased in the fundraiser.
NCF has granted at least $91,900 in scholarship funds, $169,000 in other funds, and 48 scholarships. Grants have supported the Nye School, Nye Volunteer Fire Department, Stillwater Ranch Hands 4-H Club, Dean Community Club, the Nye School Hunger Fighters, Beartooth VFW, Nye Church, AYSO, and the Stillwater Valley Watershed Council.
Applications for both grants and scholarships are due on April 1. The foundation currently accepts donations for local community enhancement projects, community support, scholarships, and general donation purposes. However, NCF awards emergency grants at any time of the year on an as-needed basis. Contact the foundation to learn more about emergency grants.
The grant application and scholarship application forms are on the funder’s website. Acrobat Reader is required to view and print the forms. From that point, grant seekers just need to mail in one copy of the application form and supplemental materials to the foundation’s P.O. Box.
Direct general questions to the foundation staff at info@nyecommunityfoundation.org. Email is the preferred method of contact. The mailing address is P.O. Box 528, Nye, Montana 59061. There are about a dozen members on the NCF board of directors. Larry Ratliff is the director at large and can be reached at 406-328-6162.
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