$10,000 Incentive grants awarded throughout the Great Fish Challenge 1,300+ Gifts were made by donors through the Great Fish Challenge 32 100 Number of days to give in the first Great Fish Challenge g i v i n g t o g e t h e r IMPACT2015 by the NUMBERS... Number of participating charities in the inaugural year of the Great Fish Challenge $7,982 Maximum match amount in the Great Fish Challenge 53% Percentage match on the first $15,000 raised by participating nonprofits $209,000+ Amount of matching grants awarded Newsletter of the Whitefish Community Foundation November 2015 No. VIII. Giving Together Creates Impact! There is not a better tagline than this to describe the Community Foundation s work in 2015. The Foundation has had a record year in grant making to local nonprofits through several grant programs. The success of the Community Foundation s work is thanks to you, our donors who want to impact our community for the better. $1,000,000+ Raised through the Great Fish Challenge to help charities benefit our community
A Great Fish Thank You! Whitefish Legacy Partners would like to thank the Whitefish Community Foundation for creating such a successful fundraiser that the whole community rallied behind, benefitting so many of our local non-profits, and in only the first year! Through the Great Fish Community Challenge, WLP exceeded our major donor goals for the year, and just as importantly, we succeeded in growing our support base and raised 26% of our annual budget through Challenge. ~Heidi Van Everen, Executive Director, Whitefish Legacy Partners We are so thankful to Whitefish Community Foundation and our community for supporting CASA for Kids in the Great Fish Community Challenge. We raised well beyond what we had anticipated, which will mean more children being served by our advocates. Thank you! ~ Alicia Scofield, Development Director, CASA For Kids "The Great Fish campaign was a tremendous milestone for our literary journal and the events we host. The Whitefish Community Foundation team pushed us to be better fundraisers and helped us spread the word about our mission. This campaign motivated our editors and we were thrilled to push past our $15,000 goal and receive the additional grant. Frankly, this is the first time we ve had a budget to do better planning with and it gives me hope that we can transition into a business model that is increasingly sustainable." ~Brian Schott, founding editor of Whitefish Review G I V I N G T O G E T H E R C R E A T E S I M P A C T!
$42,625 Amount awarded to sports and recreation groups promoting healthy lifestyles Number of grants awarded out of a record 91 applications 76 $34,186 Amount awarded to benefit education programs 24% 12% more grant NUMBERS $250,000+ Awarded through the 2015 Community Grant Program 15th Annual Community Grant Awards $6,000 Maximum amount awarded to a charity through the Community Grant Program 64% Percent of grants awarded to Whitefish based charities Percent of grants awarded to charities outside the Whitefish area providing a service to Whitefish Percent of grants awarded to charities outside of Whitefish providing services not available in Whitefish $103,575 Amount awarded to benefit health and human services programs $30,030 $10,500 Granted to conservation and environment programs Amount awarded to enrich our lives through the arts in Whitefish
COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM - ANIMALS AND WILDLIFE: $11,000 AWARDED Flathead Shelter Friends: Purchase two surgical lights for new surgery room Flathead Spay and Neuter Task Force: Purchase pulse/oximeter monitors and humane traps for feral cats Humane Society of NW Montana: Medical care for abandoned animals KittyMOM s Rescue Organization: Support to rescue stray and homeless cats Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center: Purchase a blood lead analyzer WAG - Hugh Rogers WAG Dog Park: Improve the north field of the dog park ARTS AND CULTURE: $30,030 AWARDED Alpine Theatre Project: Purchase LED lighting for productions Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation: Scholarships for Whitefish students Glacier Symphony and Chorale: Support concerts in Whitefish Groovetrail: Support the Gift of Music Program in senior centers Hockaday Museum of Art: Art education outreach in Whitefish schools North Valley Music School: Support the Acoustic Jam Program Whitefish Review: Support for literary events Whitefish Performing Arts Center: Purchase communications technology Whitefish Theatre Company: Purchase an interactive SMART board COMMUNITY BUILDING: $10,975 AWARDED Columbia Falls Community Market: SNAP Program support Whitefish Community Center: Support current and expanding programs Whitefish Library Association: Purchase audio books and DVDs Whitefish Winter Carnival (WWC): Funding for Winter Carnival float CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENT: $10,500 AWARDED Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation: Youth in wilderness projects Family Forestry Expo: Purchase 1,400 student workbooks Flathead Audubon Society: Support conservation education program Flathead Land Trust: Conservation needs in Whitefish area Whitefish Lake Institute: Research support on Mysis shrimp EDUCATION: $34,186 AWARDED Children s House Montessori: Scholarship support for families in need Farming for the Future Academy: Summer camps for children with autism FVCC Foundation: Build an outdoor welding classroom at Whitefish High School Glacier Institute: Provide programs to underprivileged youth GIGL Childcare and Preschool: Purchase educational teaching materials Olney - Bissell School #58: Replace aging laptops in classrooms Whitefish Community School: Create educational and interactive play area Whitefish School District Grants - Whitefish Middle School Band Program: Purchase a marimba Whitefish High School Chemistry Department: Supplies for glass program Whitefish High School Freeflow Program: Purchase raft and waders for student research Young Entrepreneurs Academy: Scholarship support G I V I N G T O G E T H E R C R E A T E S I M P A C T!
2015 a record year! HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: $103,575 AWARDED A Ray of Hope: Repair foundation of the homeless shelter Backpack Assistance Program (BAP): Support weekly and holiday food bag program for students in need CASA for Kids: Support for training 20 court appointed advocates Center for Restorative Youth Justice: Expand services for at-risk youth City of Whitefish Parks and Recreation: Scholarships for summer day camp Child Bridge: Train families for foster or adoptive families Community Action Partnership: Support emergency revolving loan fund Flathead Youth Home: Purchase bicycles for student transportation/exercise Habitat for Humanity: Support for affordable housing program Human Therapy on Horseback: Fund therapy riding sessions Intermountain: Support for children who are victims of trauma Lighthouse Christian Home: Fund program for people with disabilities Montana Food Bank Network: Purchase food for weekly food bag program for students in need in Whitefish School District NC Foundation: Support for Student Assistance Program in Whitefish schools North Valley Food Bank: Increase class offering to encourage healthy diets Nourish the Flathead (Farm Hands): Fund SNAP2 and senior coupons Salvation Army: Provide hot meals, laundry, showers, and food assistance Samaritan House: Replace flooring in entry to shelter Shepherd s Hand Free Clinic: Support for clinic s medical and dental services Tamarack Grief Resource Center: Expand and improve grief resources Violence Free Crisis Line /Abbie Shelter: Fund education on domestic violence in the community Whitefish Rotary Charitable Fund: Holiday program for families in need Whitefish School District: Support student snack program for children in need Whitefish Veterans Support Team: Host retreats for injured veterans SPORTS AND RECREATION: $42,625 AWARDED Big Mountain Ski Patrol: Support for youth avalanche course Casting for Recovery: Fly fishing retreat for women with breast cancer Columbia Falls - Whitefish Swim Teams: Purchase training equipment DREAM Adaptive Recreation: Fund adaptive sports program Flathead Fat Tires: Transportation of underserved youth to bike clinics Flathead Nordic Backcountry Patrol: Training for backcountry ski rescue Flathead Rapids Soccer Club: Provide a secure storage container Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation: Purchase wireless timing equipment Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center: Public avalanche awareness Gateway to Glacier Trail: Construction of a welcome kiosk on the trail Glacier Hockey Association: Purchase new team jerseys Glacier Nordic Club: Replace worn equipment for youth ski program Riding On Insulin: Ski and snowboard camp for children with type 1 diabetes Special Olympics Montana: Assist with costs of the Whitefish Winter Games The WAVE: Providing low or no cost memberships to those in financial need Whitefish Figure Skating Club: Enhance Learn to Skate program Whitefish Legacy Partners: Expand bike patrol and junior bike patrol
SPECIAL AWARDS Each year the Foundation recognizes organizations that have provided a tremendous service to the community and these awards recognize individuals that have left significant gifts to the endowment fund to benefit our community now and in the future. Each of the three special awards comes with an additional grant which was increased this year to $2,500. The 2015 Doris Schumm Community Spirit Award was presented to the Whitefish-Columbia Falls Swim Teams. This nonprofit organization makes it possible to use one coach for two swim teams. Separately, each team was too small to sustain a coach, but by combining they are able to train, compete, and travel as two teams displaying excellent team work. The 2015 Great Fish Award was presented to the Glacier Nordic Club for their work to establish a Welcome Center at the Nordic Course on the Whitefish Golf Course. The Welcome Center will be a place for education and recreation, and will continue to foster a strong Nordic community for visitors and locals to enjoy during the long winter months. The 2015 Russ and Mary Jane Street Community Spirit Award recognizes a new organization that provides retreats for injured veterans of war. The Whitefish Veterans Support Team provides physically and mentally challenging summer and winter retreats to help boost the spirit of injured veterans and encourage new beginnings. G I V I N G T O G E T H E R C R E A T E S I M P A C T!
MAJOR COMMUNITY PROJECT WHITEFISH THEATRE COMPANY The Whitefish Community Foundation awarded a Major Community Project Grant of $25,000 to the Whitefish Theatre Company s Act Two Capital Campaign. This is the 12 th Major Grant funded through the Community Foundation s program that started in 2010, and the second time it has been awarded to a Whitefish Theatre Company project. The funding will help the Theatre Company finish raising the $1.25 Million campaign goal and meet the matching challenge it was awarded from the MJ Murdock Charitable Trust. The Community Foundation recognizes how hard the Board and staff of the Whitefish Theatre Company have worked to raise the funding for the O Shaughnessy Center s expansion and the important role of the Center in our community. It is an honor to help them finish this campaign. ~David Dittman, Board Chair of the Whitefish Community Foundation
YEAR-END TAX PLANNING The Whitefish Community Foundation is a resource for donors and financial advisors on how to use the Montana Charitable Endowment Tax Credit to your advantage while helping nonprofits build sustainable funding through permanent endowment funds. Could you use a credit against your state income tax bill? Call us to see if this is right for your situation. We will keep you updated on the status of the IRA Charitable Rollover provision. Congress has yet to pass the extension of the rollover provision but it looks very promising. We know how busy your holidays get and we will send notice on this through our E-Newsletter as soon as we receive confirmation on the extension. Email the Community Foundation to sign up or visit our website at The rollover provision states that IRA owners over age 70½ may transfer up to $100,000 each year directly from the IRA custodian to qualified charities. While you cannot yet direct your rollover to a donor-advised fund, you can put it in a designated fund, contribute it to an endowment fund, or the Community Grant Fund. Board of Directors: David Dittman, Board Chair Ken Wessels, Vice-Chair Linda Maetzold, Treasurer Betsy Bayne John Collins Judah Gersh Mike Jenson John Kramer Lori Miller Monica Pastor Tom Quinn Karen Rosenberg Jamie Shennan Kristin Tabor Ardy Whisler Advisory Council: Carol Atkinson Harry Brown Janice Case Ian Collins Connie Heckathorn Bill Howard Dana McGowan Doug Reed Misty Scurlock Richard Solberg Boots Warrick Virginia Weldon John Witt Staff: Linda Engh-Grady, President Daria Perez, Vice President Linda Hobbs, Special Projects P.O. Box 1060, Whitefish, Montana 59937 406-863-1781 contact@whitefishcommunityfoundation.org