$300,000 in grants awarded
The Whitefish Community Foundation set
a new record high in giving to local nonprofits Nov. 3 at the
annual grant awards presentation. More than $300,000 was awarded to
74 different organizations — up $60,000 from last year.
About 250 people were packed into the
O’Shaughnessy Center for the ceremony. Music was provided by the
Whitefish High School drumline and jazz band.
Grant awards ranged from $500 to $6,000
from the Foundation’s Community Grants Fund, a competitive grant
program. This year, 46 grants totaling $110,000 was distributed
from the Community Grants Fund. An additional $190,000 was awarded
from six of the Foundation’s Donor-Advised Funds.
Funding for the Community Grants Fund
comes from private donations, the annual Whitefish Duck Derby that
raised $45,000 for grants this year, the Summer Art Social, and
interest from the Foundation’s Permanent Endowment Fund.
Some organizations were awarded several
grants from both the Community Grants Program and the Donor-Advised
Funds. North Valley Food Bank received six grants totaling over
$23,500 while Whitefish Schools received more than $19,500 in
grants to help fund projects in music, science, wellness programs,
mental health counseling, building renovation and more. Habitat for
Humanity of the Flathead received a large grant from a
Donor-Advised Fund for $50,000. In all, more than 137 grants were
awarded.
Board president Carol Atkinson
presented the Great Fish Award to the Whitefish Community Library,
Connie Heckathorn and Joey Kositzky. The Great Fish Award
recognizes the value and service a local nonprofit and its director
and staff provide to the community. New this year, the award came
with a $1000 grant. Previous recipients were Shepherd’s Hand Free
Clinic, DREAM Adaptive, North Valley Food Bank and Whitefish
Theatre Company.
An annual award created in 2010 from
the bequest to the Foundation by Doris Schumm a long-time board
member was also awarded at the event. The Doris Schumm Community
Spirit Award, which comes with a $1,000 grant, was awarded to the
Glacier Nordic Club. Surrey Schumm presented the award to the ski
club.
For more information about the
Whitefish Community Foundation, visit the website at
www.whitefishcommunityfoudation.org or call Linda at
406-863-1781.
• Alpine Theatre Project, two new
headsets
• Children’s House Montessori School,
funding for scholarships
• DREAM Adaptive Recreation Inc.,
needed equipment acquisition
• Family Forestry Expo, print workbooks
for Expo field day
• Flathead Audubon Society, expand
Conservation education program in Whitefish
• Flathead CARE, scholarships for
Whitefish campers
• Flathead Spay and Neuter Task Force,
new surgical packs
• Glacier Nordic Club, Ski-Doo Skandic
V-800 Snowmobile/snow tires and tune-up for team van
• Glacier Symphony and Chorale, produce
and present Festival Amadeus
• Glacier Twins, American Legion
Baseball, new bus
• Great Northern Veteran’s Peace Park,
foundation gate/new signs/perimeter fence
• Hockaday Museum of Art, funding for
Museum on the Move program to outreach to middle schools
• Human Therapy on Horseback, financial
assistance to children and adults with disabilities
• Humane Society of Northwest Montana,
IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier/endowment
• Literacy Volunteers of Flathead
County, purchase books and promotional for Whitefish
• NC Foundation, Student Assistance
Program
• North Valley Food Bank, purchase food
supplies/school supplies/”Sit Down Supper Hour”/Endowment
• North Valley Music School, new
windows upstairs
• Northwest Montana Human Resources,
aid for Project Homeless Connect
• Olney-Bissell School District, five
Netpad computers
• Project Whitefish Kids, lawn mower
from Iron Horse
• Samaritan House, provide tele-medical
services so patients may speak to doctors/therapists over
distance
• Shepherd’s Hand Free Clinic,
implement chronic care program
• Stumptown Art Studio,
funding/Curriculum materials for youth art programs
• Tamarack Grief Resource Center,
stabilize and grow grief support
• The Flathead Youth Home, sponsorship
of the special activity “out & in” program
• Violence Free Crisis Line, provide
children’s services to those who witness abuse
• Whitefish Animal Group, sod
placement/obstacle course/asphalt pathway
• Whitefish 7th and 8th grade football,
five-man Oklahoma blocking chute
• Whitefish CARE, mentoring program
• The WAVE, scholarship
program/purchase a pool lift
• Whitefish Community Center, new
refrigerator for “Meals on Wheels”
• Whitefish Community Garden, electric
installation
• Whitefish Community School, new
refrigerator
• Whitefish Figure Skating Club,
funding for Holiday Ice Show
• Whitefish High School science
department, 12 advanced compound microscopes
• Whitefish Lake Institute, half the
cost of a Hydrolab DS5 Multiprobe Sonde
• Whitefish Library Association,
rebuild the library collection
• Whitefish Middle School and High
School bands, specialists for group and semi-private lessons
• Whitefish Review, community literary
events
• Whitefish Rotary Charitable Fund,
provide Christmas gifts for underprivileged children in Whitefish
School District
• Whitefish School District, quality
schools matching grant, seeking to match funds for Quality Schools
Project Grant
• Whitefish School District band
program, two timpani (23” and 32”)
• Whitefish Shines , Christmas
lighting
• Whitefish Theatre Co., outreach to
school children, senior citizens, and those with special needs.
• Whitefish Youth Soccer Association,
nets, field painting equipment, junior program.