Whitefish Community Foundation Donates $150,000 to Montana Pediatrics
The grant will go toward local mental health initiatives at the nonprofit
By Zoë Buhrmaster
A large grant from the Whitefish Community Foundation to nonprofit Montana Pediatrics will help fund a mental and behavioral health program for Flathead County children.
Montana Pediatrics provides low-cost, video-based pediatric care to children throughout the state. The organization connects youth up to 21-years-old with on-call pediatric providers available almost around the clock, regardless of ability to pay.
For the Flathead Valley, the mental health program will focus on access to mental health resources within local school systems by training teachers, administrators, school staff and youth in early intervention methods, along with using telemedicine to increase accessibility and lower costs to care.
“This grant will allow us to bring bold, innovative approaches to mental health care to children in the Flathead Valley,” said Montana Pediatrics Chief Communications Officer Kate Lufkin. “By combining traditional support with cutting-edge digital tools — shaped by youth themselves — and expanding the ability of schools and community partners to respond to mental health needs, we’re building a future where care is accessible, responsive, and truly designed around kids.”
The $150,000 grant is part of the Whitefish Community Foundation’s Kids Fund, a project by the foundation to support youth-centered programs that address health, safety, education and youth homelessness. Since 2019, the foundation has awarded over $750,000 in grants to local nonprofits including Bigfork Aces, Flathead Youth Home, CASA for Kids, Child Bridge, Boys & Girls Club of Glacier Country, Land to Hand, Nate Chute Foundation and the Center for Restorative Youth Justice.
“The mental and emotional well-being of our youth has never been more important,” Whitefish Community Foundation President/CEO Alan Davis said. “Montana Pediatrics is tackling our mental health crisis head-on by creating a youth-focused digital platform and telehealth network that will reach even the most rural Montana communities. Their work will ensure that every child—regardless of location or ability to pay—can access the mental health care they need.”