For immediate release: January 25, 2022
Bridget Wilkinson, President and CEO of One Valley Community Foundation
406-587-6262
bridget@onevalley.org
Whitney Bermes, Gallatin County Communications Coordinator
406-595-8963
whitney.bermes@gallatin.mt.gov
The Gallatin County Commission voted today to provide $500,000 of the county’s COVID-19 relief funds to the One Valley Community Foundation to support nonprofits across Gallatin County that have been impacted by the pandemic. Since 1998, the One Valley Community Foundation has invested and managed distinct funds on behalf of generous philanthropists and community organizations, with total assets having grown to $54 million.
One Valley will use this funding to provide grants to nonprofit organizations across Gallatin County to ensure their ongoing resiliency and efficacy as employers and providers of economic and social services and programing to our communities.
“One Valley’s familiarity with small nonprofits and their valuable connections in our community will help us provide these vital funds to organizations that are struggling,” said Gallatin County Commissioner Scott MacFarlane. “As a commission we just don’t know what small organizations need this boost in funding and One Valley will be a valuable partner in helping us with that.”
The COVID-19 pandemic elevated community need for services provided by these organizations while at the same time created and exposed weaknesses in organizational resilience in times of crisis. These grants will help bolster organizational resilience among these crucial employers and service providers.
“We’re honored to partner with Gallatin County to help allocate these critical resources for nonprofit organizations throughout Gallatin County,” said Bridget Wilkinson, President and CEO of the One Valley Community Foundation. “The nonprofit sector plays a critical role in addressing the ongoing needs of Gallatin County residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has put a strain on these organizations and this funding will help bolster those nonprofits who have increasing demands on their services in the last two years.”
One Valley Community Foundation will leverage it’s grantmaking expertise to co-create a grant allocation process with Gallatin County. Grant guidelines and an application will be made available to any registered nonprofit organization in Gallatin County on its website and will be advertised widely. Eligible applications will be reviewed by a diverse committee with final award decisions made by the County Commission. The intention is to make these funds available to aid in the economic recovery of our nonprofit sector as soon as possible.
“We want to be a conduit of resources for the region and our hope is to get these dollars out the door and into our local nonprofits as soon as possible through a thoughtful and transparent process,” said Wilkinson.
Gallatin County is receiving $22 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The Gallatin County Commission is in the process of deciding on what to do with these critical dollars. Portions of the $22 million have been allocated to help pay for the county’s pandemic response. The allocation to the One Valley Community Foundation is the third commitment to an outside agency to date. The commission has also provided $2 million to Gallatin College Montana State University to help grow the local and regional workforce in high-demand industries and $309,000 to the Greater Gallatin United Way to stabilize and staff its afterschool program known as kidsLINK.
Commissioners continue to work with nonprofits, local governments, and businesses across Gallatin County to allocate other funds to help with four program areas they have prioritized: housing, mental health, economic recovery, and water and sewer projects.
About One Valley Community Foundation
One Valley Community Foundation’s mission is to connect people who care to causes that matter to build a better community. Through philanthropic services, strategic investments, and community leadership, One Valley Community Foundation helps people support the causes they care about, now and for generations to come. The Community Foundation serves the areas of Bozeman, Big Sky, Belgrade, Manhattan, Churchill, Three Forks, West Yellowstone and the rural areas in between. Since its inception in 1998, the Foundation has galvanized more than $8.6 million for 200+ local nonprofit organizations.
Photos provided by One Valley Community Foundation
