Foundation grants help Columbia Falls

The Whitefish Community Foundation held its annual Community Grant Awards on April 29 and presented $477,750 in grants and special awards to 52 nonprofit organizations representing projects and programs in Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Evergreen, Kalispell, Lakeside, Libby and Whitefish.

In addition to $372,750 in Community and Youth Sports grants and $55,000 in special awards, Whitefish Community Foundation presented a $50,000 Major Community Project Grant to Miracle League of Northwest Montana to help resurface the Flathead Valley’s only baseball field that is fully accessible to individuals with disabilities.

“We are incredibly grateful to the donors who made these grants possible and to our local nonprofits who will put these dollars to work improving lives across the Flathead Valley,” Whitefish Community Foundation President/CEO Alan Davis said.

Here’s a look at the Columbia Falls Area grant recipients:

· Abbie Shelter, $8,500 for legal aid assistance for victims of domestic abuse

· Climate Smart Glacier Country, $5,000 to develop a flood-preparedness plan for Flathead County

· Code Girls United, $8,500 to provide transportation to after-school programs

· Columbia Falls Academic Foundation, $15,000 to replace musical instruments at the junior high

· Columbia Falls Community Market, $6,500 to enhance the market experience for attendees

· DREAM Adaptive Recreation, $7,500 to purchase a program trailer

· Flathead County Search and Rescue Association, $10,000 to purchase a drone system

·Flathead Industries, $7,500 for a continuing education center

·Girls on the Run Western Montana, $8,000 to support confidence-building programs for girls

· Glacier Nordic Club, $9,000 to purchase laser rifles for the biathlon program

·Glacier Twins American Legion Baseball, $5,000 for player scholarships

·Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley, $15,000 for a framing pre-production facility

·Land to Hand, $10,000 for summer food access programs for children

· Miracle League of Northwest Montana, $5,000 for baseball programs for people with disabilities

·Northwest Montana Community Land Trust, $8,000 for a women’s affordable homeownership fund

· The Making Place, $4,500 for a community tool and craft library and hands-on education

· The Vital Ground Foundation, $8,000 for a conservation easement northeast of Columbia Falls

The foundation presented the following special awards and accompanying grants:

Flathead Land Trust Executive Director Paul Travis received the Linda Engh-Grady Award for Nonprofit Excellence and an accompanying $10,000 grant to support the organization’s land conservation efforts.

Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation received the Doris Schumm Community Spirit Award and an accompanying $5,000 grant.

Whitefish Community Foundation’s grant programs are supported by the Circle of Giving, a core group of donors who see the value in pooling their resources together for greater impact. Circle members make an annual donation of $5,000 or more to the foundation.

In celebration of Whitefish Community Foundation’s 25th anniversary, two donors have pledged an additional $250,000 to support the foundation’s grant programs if 250 people join or renew their support of the Circle of Giving in 2025. To learn more about the Circle of Giving and the foundation’s 25th anniversary initiatives, visit whitefishcommunityfoundation.org.