The Whitefish Community Foundation awarded more than $122,000 to 35 local nonprofit organizations at this year’s Community Grant Awards Ceremony, held May 18 at the Whitefish Lake Lodge.
Since it was established in 2000, the foundation’s Community Grant Program has awarded more than $1.5 million in funding to local nonprofits.
Three special awards accompanied by a $2,500 grant were presented at the beginning of the evening: Project Whitefish Kids received the Doris Schumm Community Spirit Award for their work to build a new playground and pavilion at the Smith Fields Sports Complex; Whitefish Lake Institute received the Russ and Mary Jane Street Community Service Award for their dedication to protecting Whitefish Lake from aquatic invasive species; and Halt Cancer at X, a program of Montana Equestrian Events received the Jean Howard Memorial Award to continue their work supporting cancer outreach and research.
The Community Grant Program was previously the major granting program of Whitefish Community Foundation. In 2016, the Community Grant Program was redesigned to complement the Great Fish Community Challenge, which has raised more than $2.5 million in two years to benefit local charitable organizations.
“There is still a need for the Community Grant Program to help fund important charitable projects that are not part of the Great Fish Challenge,” said Linda Engh-Grady, President of Whitefish Community Foundation. “The Great Fish Challenge is currently limited in the number of nonprofits that can participate. The Community Grant program provided grants ranging from $500 to $4,000 and is a source of support for small projects or nonprofits, as well as new nonprofits that do not fit the larger Great Fish Challenge campaign structure.”
The Whitefish Community Foundation Grants Committee is reviewing 53 applications from nonprofits interested in participating in the 2017 Great Fish Challenge. The Foundation will increase the Challenge to benefit 45 nonprofits this year.
The Whitefish Community Foundation is dedicated to fostering philanthropy, building endowments and helping donors and nonprofits benefit our community.
For more information about the Community Foundation, visit www.whitefishcommunityfoundation.org or call 406-863-1781.