Women’s Foundation of Montana
/OVERVIEW: This funder supports projects in Montana that prioritize systems change and economic empowerment for women and girls in the state. It accepts letters of intent during annual grant cycles.
IP TAKE: This funder prioritizes STEAM education for girls and career training for women. Grants are modest and stay within the state.
PROFILE: The Women’s Foundation of Montana (WFM) seeks to advance economic independence for Montana women and “to increase the number of women in leadership by supporting leadership programs, as well as hosting [its] own PowerHouse Montana initiative in support of women’s leadership and entrepreneurship.” This foundation was established in 1999 with a $500,000 challenge grant from the Chambers Family Fund to the Montana Community Foundation. A $1 million permanent endowment for WFM was established in 2005 from matching funds.
The foundation supports projects that directly boost the ability of women and girls to become successful economically. Areas of interest include financial literacy, business ownership, career planning for high school students, computer robotics workshops, vocational training and wage negotiation programs. All funding benefits Montana women and girls.
In a 16-year period, WFM awarded $729,531 in grants and supported dozens of local organizations. WFN gave about $83,000 in grants in one recent year. It regularly supports systems change efforts like public policies, political participation and increasing women’s leadership skills. The funder also has a strong interest in STEM education and career training. Equal pay for women, financial education for women and getting Montana women into leadership positions are also interests. The foundation’s PowerHouse Montana initiative connects women with resources and mentors and providing organizations and companies with a source of Montana women for leadership consideration.
Recent grants range between $500 and $12,000 each. The typical range is $1,000 to $10,000. Find a list of past grantees in each year here. WFM does not support capital campaigns for building projects, scholarships, business loans, or endowment campaigns. The annual grant cycle typically opens in April. It accepts letters of intent by email, and select applicants are invited to submit full proposals.
The foundation has an advisory committee composed of Montana women who handle grantmaking duties. Learn more about each of these members on the Our Team page of the funder’s website.
News, events, and recent blog posts are published on the homepage.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
