all about Montana’s future

Orientation to Montana’s Community Foundation

Sector

Cathy Cooney, Program Director

Learning Objectives

What is a Community Foundation? 

What does the Community Foundation sector look like in Montana?

What resources are available to help your community foundation?

What is a Community Foundation supposed to do?

Introductions

Your name

The name of your community foundation

Your service area

Why did you decide to become a CF board member/volunteer/staff member?

What is a Community Foundation?

Philanthropic savings account

Vehicle for donors to leave a legacy

A leadership organization

Community Foundations in Montana

76 CFs in Montana, with more in development

45 “affiliated” with MCF, 10 with Central MT Foundation.

Nationally, Community Foundations are the fastest growing sector of philanthropy.

Montana’s Community Foundations

Resources for Community Foundations

CFs in Montana Google Group-networking, advice, informationCommunity Foundations Council for MontanaPhilanthropy Northwest (philanthropynw.org)Council on Foundation (cof.org) professional development, National Standards programMontana Nonprofit Association (mtnonprofit.org)

Why are CFs so important?MT is a “philanthropic divide” state.

Government funding is plummeting.

Montana is still exporting assets.

Legacy giving is a fraction of total charitable giving.

The Three Roles of a CF

Asset Development

Grantmaking & Project Funding

Leadership

#1 Asset Development

Intergenerational Transfer of Wealth

Biggest intergenerational transfer of wealth happening now!

Our goal: Keep assets in Montana, specifically 5% for local endowments.

2011 TOW study at mtcf.org

Recommended Asset Development Strategies

Attract gifts of income

Attract gifts of assets

Build relationships with Financial Advisors

Success Stories

Sizable Bequests/Major Gifts: Beacon CF, Broadwater CF, Missoula CF, Roberts CF, Valley County CF

Future Bequests/Major Gifts: Greater Polson CF, Wibaux Endowment Foundation

Planned Gifts: Flathead CF,

Lewis & Clark CF, Red Lodge Area

CF, Seeley Lake CF, Whitefish CF

Share your story

What type of asset development strategies does your CF use?

What new activities do you want to try?

What is working? What isn’t working?

Time to Stretch & Move!

#2 Grant Making and Project Support

Grantmaking for CFs

The Biggest Questions:

What is the value-added for donors to give charitable support through us??

What is the difference between individuals giving a gift to charity and a CF giving a grant

to a charity?

Recommended Grantmaking Strategies

Investigate community needs. Look at the data!

Go beyond just responding to competitive grant proposals. Where are the needs, opportunities?

Experiment with new approaches.

Grant initiatives?

Long-term projects?

NP Capacity building?

Success Stories

Data-Driven grantmaking: Park County Community Foundation

Project Funding: Seeley Lake CF, CF for a Better Bigfork, Missoula Community Foundation

Share your story

What type of grantmaking is your CF doing?

What new approaches do you want to try?

What is working? What isn’t working?

#3 Leadership

Examples of LeadershipNonprofit Capacity Building

Fundraising Campaigns

Community visioning, planning sessions

Project work with multiple partners

Fiscal Sponsorships

Success Stories

Missoula CF/Seeley Lake CF-Norman McLean Trail

Greater Polson CF-Envision Polson Project

Red Lodge Area CF-Reviving the Red Lodge Area Economic Development Corporation, C3 nonprofit capacity building

Share your story

1. What type of leadership activities is your CF doing?

2. What new activities do you want to try?

3. What is working? What isn’t working?

What concerns, questions have we not addressed today?

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Questions?

Peggy Owens, Coordinator

Community Foundations Council for MT

220-2464, peggymowens@gmail.com

Cathy Cooney, Program Director

Montana Community Foundation

441-4954, ccooney@mtcf.org