BILLINGS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Let your good work begin with us Billings Community Foundation proudly presents The 2016 Annual Awards Dinner June 8, 2016 Rocky Mountain College Prescott Hall 5:30 pm Cocktail Reception 6:15 pm Buffet Dinner 7:00 pm Presentation of Awards BillingsCommunityFoundation.org
Event Sponsors Eide Bailly Joy Culver Jim Foley & Cindy Walter Holiday Station Stores Val Jeffries Mark & Teresa Darnielle-Morse Ralph & Tancy Spence Obert & Ginny Undem Community Sponsors 1
Board of Directors Teresa Darnielle-Morse President & VP/Planned Giving RBC Wealth Management Don Roberts Vice President Retired Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon Val Jeffries Treasurer Regional Director of Operations, Holiday Station Stores Obert Undem President/Planned Giving Retired Attorney, Bank President & Director of Planned Giving at Rocky Mountain College Joy Culver Director CPA - Eide Bailly LLP Jim Foley Director Principal Foley Group LLC Jack Nickels Director Realtor and Consultant Ralph Spence Director Spence Accounts Inc & Spence Properties LP Don Allen Director CPA Retired Advisory Board Bill Milton Sarie Mackay Lynda Moss Lisa Reid Perry Melanie Schwarz Colleen Weast 2
Thanks to generous donors and established endowment funds, Billings Community Foundation is able to grant money to area nonprofits each year. This year, 57 applications for funding were received. After much thoughtful consideration, BCF selected 27 deserving organizations to receive grant awards. Seventeen of these grants are funded from the Matthews-Dousman Memorial Endowment held by Montana Community Foundation in partnership with the Billings Community Foundation; two grants are funded by the Clocktower Inn Animal Fund; two by the Billings Community Foundation Endowment Fund; three by the Tom & Amo Wilkins Endowment Fund; and three by the Gary Armstrong Donor Advised Fund. The Matthews-Dousman Memorial Endowment in partnership with the In 1999, a bequest from Judith Dousman Matthews laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the Billings Community Foundation. Today, earnings from Judith s gift are integral in funding our granting program. Following are the recipients of this year s grants from the Matthews-Dousman Memorial Endowment Fund of the Montana Community Foundation: Education Rocky Mountain College Institute for Peace Studies This grant will assist the Cultural Diversity Outreach Program, which provides outreach education to over 70 classrooms per year. Presentations provide young students with a broad range of cultural diversity education, which greatly diminishes cultural barriers and prejudices in our youth. Wise Wonders Children s Museum This grant will assist the Family Scholarship Program for low-income children, which will provide a culture of hands-on, interactive museum learning. The mission of the program is to inspire young Montanans to pursue higher education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 3
Our Montana This grant will assist the Back to the Future with Lewis and Clark: Technology Then & Now project. This provides over 750 area 7th grade students with hands-on learning opportunities in the areas of history, communications, medicine, mapping/surveying, flora/fauna, food, weather, and bison. Billings Library Foundation This grant will assist the First Chapter Society Fill the Gap Project. This campaign focuses on the importance of early childhood literacy through interaction with books and the spoken word and provides resources for those who need libraries the most. Pompeys Pillar This grant will assist the Teacher Tote Education Program, which provides in-class and out-of-class learning tools in the form of teacher tote bags for at-risk and low-income students. These bags provide complete lesson plans and activities for teachers and volunteers to promote learning about local history, cultural heritage, and natural resources. Human Welfare Make-A-Wish Montana This grant will assist in funding the wish of a Yellowstone County child with a life-threatening medical condition. The granting of this wish will enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley This grant will assist the Wrap Around and Break the Cycle of Poverty project. This program strives to break the homelessness cycle by giving parents the tools they need to live independently and teach their children the skills needed to thrive in society. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Yellowstone County This grant will assist the lunch buddies program, which provides one-on-one mentoring services to at-risk youth. The program is in partnership with Rocky Mountain College and serves youth at Highland Elementary. 4
Arts & Culture Billings Symphony This grant will assist the Bach to Books project in partnership with the Billings Public Library. The project brings live music performances to the children s summer reading program. It provides a diverse audience with the opportunity to experience symphony music in a meaningful environment. School District 2 This grant will assist the Senior High School Save our Murals Project and Book to restore and preserve 110 murals. These local treasures grace the walls of Senior High School and broaden the awareness of the importance of public art in our schools. Cultural Partners This grant will be utilized as part of the 50% required match for the William Bingham Foundation Grant to assist funding for the High Plains BookFest. The 2016 BookFest theme is The Writers Community and showcases how established authors have nurtured young and novice writers. Billings Studio Theater This grant will assist in providing secure storage of seasonal maintenance items. When complete, the project will lessen off-site storage costs amd provide critical snow removal equipment, which will greatly increase safety for theater patrons, staff, and actors. Natural Resources & Conservation Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Foundation This grant will fund Students for Stewardship in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. This project provides a unique summer work experience for young people in the Billings area and promotes stewardship of wilderness areas while providing a personal connection to these important lands. 5
Economic Development Living Water This grant will support the Life Works Program, which helps individuals re-entering the community from incarceration. This includes finding employment, gaining dignity, self-worth, and other skills needed for integration back into the community. Harvest Church Car Care Ministry This grant will assist the Car Care Ministry program that provides car repairs and donates vehicles to low-income individuals. This provides transportation to work and other critical appointments, allowing individuals to improve their lives and become productive citizens. Dress for Success Billings This grant will assist the Dress for Success Shoe Project. This program provides non-slip work shoes, enabling women from challenging circumstances to get back to work and have a second chance to return their life to normal. 6
The Clocktower Inn Animal Fund Four years ago, Steve Wahrlich, owner of the Best Western Clocktower Inn, established a donor advised fund with BCF. The Clocktower Inn Animal Fund supports and promotes domestic pets in need, such as homeless and rescued pets and feral dogs and cats. Thanks to Steve and his generous donations, the Clocktower Inn Animal Fund is able to support two organizations this year: Animal Welfare Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter This grant will assist with a variety of animal care services for those not able to pay standard veterinary rates. The program includes spay/neuter clinics, medical care, vaccinations, and critical medical care. These programs greatly assist in lowering the number of unwanted and stray animals in our community. Beartooth Humane Alliance This grant will assist in providing pet food to Carbon County food banks in Red Lodge, Joliet, and Bridger. The program allows pets of low-income families to receive proper nutrition. 7
The Tom & Amo Wilkins Endowment The Tom and Amo Wilkins Endowment is to be used for capital funding of building projects that benefit the general public in the city of Billings. Each year, BCF is honored to award grants to one or more nonprofit organizations. This year, three organizations are receiving funding from the Wilkins Endowment: Bricks & Mortar Projects Yellowstone River Parks Association (YRPA) This grant will assist in the construction of the Shiloh Pond Project on 17 acres of land in west Billings. YRPA improves public open spaces for the enjoyment and use of the community and has a tremendous history of significant open spaces and trails. Billings Preservation Society/Moss Mansion This grant will assist in the reconstruction of the deteriorating west entry porch at the Moss Mansion. The Moss Mansion House Museum provides a unique example of the history of early Billings and one of its most influential families. The museum provides extensive educational programs to Billings youth, a superb venue for private events, and extensive economic benefits to Billings by bringing thousands of tourists per year to our town. Friendship House of Christian Service This grant will assist in updating old play equipment in order to provide a safe alternative to dangerous, unsupervised public playgrounds in low-income areas. Friendship House of Christian Service provides a holistic approach to all types of learning and safety for south side youth. 8
Gary Armstrong Endowment Fund The Gary Armstrong Endowment is to be used for various projects that benefit from the BCF grant program. Each year, BCF is honored to award grants to one or more nonprofit organizations. This year, three organizations are receiving funding from the Gary Armstrong Endowment: Chase Hawks Memorial Association (CHMA) This grant will assist with the design and application process for the CHMA Specialty License Plate. Through this program, CHMA estimates it will raise over $42,000 in the first five years that the license plate is available to the public. Last year, CHMA provided financial assistance to 116 families in medical, financial, or disaster-related crisis situations statewide; over 63% were in Yellowstone County. Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society This grant will assist the Osprey Nest Monitoring Project. This is a collaborative effort with several organizations, businesses, and local citizens that assists in monitoring the health of the Osprey and also removes bailing twine from birds, lessening mortality rates. In addition, the project educates the public on the health of the Yellowstone River ecosystem and has developed meaningful working relationships with several Montana utility companies. Billings Community Foundation This grant will assist the Billings Community Foundation with their annual grant program. Since 2007, the Billings Community Foundation has awarded a total of $137,146 in grants to over 60 nonprofits in the greater Billings Region. 9
The Billings Community Foundation Endowment Endowment Marketing Support CASA of Yellowstone County This grant will assist with a brochure that explains the benefits available to CASA s endowment donors. CASA recruits, trains, and supports volunteers to provide a voice for every abused and neglected child in Yellowstone County. Big Sky Senior Services This grant will assist with print and webrelated items in support of Big Sky Senior Services endowment. Big Sky Senior Services assists over 225 seniors each month so they can remain living independently and safely in their homes. 10
Lifetime Endowment Donors $75,000 & Above - Billings Region Visionary Cynthia Foster $10,000 to $24,999 - Billings Region Patron Spence Family Foundation $5,000 to $9,999 - Billings Region Sponsor Gene & Joy Culver $1,000 to $4,999 - Billings Region Promoter Bill & Karin Lucas Mark & Teresa Darnielle-Morse $1 to $999 - Billings Region Booster First Interstate Bank Sara Becker Jason & Kathryn Maehl Joseph & Suzanne McKiernan Jack Nickels Ray & Beverly Sandness Obert & Virginia Undem Colleen Weast Weast Partnership, LLP Tom & Carolyn Yampradit 11
How To Contribute Send contributions to: Billings Community Foundation P.O. Box 1255, Billings, MT 59103 Visit us online at: www.billingscommunityfoundation.org Questions? Phone: 406-839-3334 billingscommunityfoundation@gmail.com The Billings Community Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are deductible to the maximum extent allowable for federal income tax purposes. 12