Montana Employment Labor and Training Grants

This funding opportunity supports conservation-focused educational initiatives for youth in Montana, providing resources for schools, educators, and community groups to promote environmental awareness and stewardship.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local taxing districts and governments affected by the closure of the Colstrip power plants, helping them maintain essential services and mitigate tax revenue losses.

This program provides financial support to enrolled members of Montana's federally recognized tribes to start or grow small businesses that enhance the tribal tourism economy in the state.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations and public institutions in Montana for innovative community projects that promote humanities themes through storytelling, discussions, and public engagement.

The First Nations’ Young Natural Resource Professionals Cohort is a 12-month enrichment opportunity designed to enhance the knowledge and networks of young natural resource professionals in the Northern Great Plains. This program directly aligns with the First Nations Development Institute's mission to support Native American communities, particularly in areas of natural resource management and tribal sovereignty. The grant, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, aims to foster professional development and community-led conservation efforts within tribal lands. The primary beneficiaries of this program are 15 early-career natural resource professionals, aged 18-30, who are tribally-affiliated and employed by tribal natural resource and/or environmental departments in Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The program's impact goals are to develop professional, leadership, and technical skills among these individuals, enabling them to effectively employ tribal and community conservation priorities. The cohort prioritizes a deeper understanding of traditional stewardship practices, specialized project management training, and the ability to communicate the importance of upholding tribal sovereignty, cultural grounding, and connection to ancestral lands in resource management. Participants will gain access to a $5,000 stipend for their hosting Tribe, travel support for professional development, a $50,000 tribal grant to lead a conservation-focused project, and a supportive network with mentorship opportunities. Expected outcomes include participants gaining a deeper understanding of traditional stewardship practices, receiving specialized training in project management, and becoming adept at communicating the importance of tribal sovereignty and cultural connection in resource management. Measurable results will be demonstrated through the completion of conservation-focused projects and the sustained professional growth of the cohort members within their tribal communities. The project period runs from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025.

This funding opportunity supports projects that improve habitats and migration routes for big game species in the western U.S., targeting conservation organizations, state and tribal agencies, and community groups involved in wildlife management.

This program provides funding to Montana communities to develop sustainable tourism initiatives that enhance local economies while preserving their unique character and culture.

This grant provides funding to support projects that improve mental health services and treatment for individuals with serious mental illness in Montana, focusing on prevention, crisis intervention, and transitional support.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations that assist migrant and seasonal farmworkers with employment services, training, and housing solutions.

The Humanities Montana Film + Video grant program is a competitive initiative designed to foster the development, production, and distribution of documentary films and series. These projects must engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways, aligning with Humanities Montana's mission to deepen public understanding of significant humanities questions. The program supports projects grounded in humanities scholarship, requiring a thoughtful, balanced, and analytical approach to subjects, while also demonstrating the potential to attract a broad general audience. The primary beneficiaries of this program are media producers collaborating with scholars, as well as the general public who will consume the resulting film and video content. The impact goals are to enhance public understanding of humanities themes, foster analytical thinking, and engage communities and cultures represented in the project content. The program aims to support projects that not only present diverse perspectives but also involve humanities scholars in all aspects, from research and script development to production and post-production. The grant prioritizes projects that focus on clearly defined humanities themes, build on sound humanities scholarship, and actively engage the general public in learning through appealing and accessible formats. Funding is categorized into three stages: Stage One for research and script development (up to $8,000), Stage Two for production (up to $10,000), and Stage Three for post-production and public distribution (up to $10,000). Each stage has specific prerequisites and expected deliverables, ensuring a structured progression of projects. Expected outcomes include the creation of completed scripts or detailed treatments in Stage One, rough cuts of films or videos in Stage Two, and fully distributed projects with public programming, outreach, and evaluation plans in Stage Three. Humanities Montana's strategic priority is to support major projects that may require multiyear support and significant stages of research, development, and production. The theory of change is that by funding high-quality, humanities-focused documentary films, they can effectively reach and engage broad audiences, thereby deepening public understanding and appreciation of the humanities.

This grant provides funding to agricultural professionals and organizations in the Western U.S. to implement educational and demonstration projects that promote the adoption of sustainable farming practices based on previous research findings.

The Community Investment Program (CIP) was created by the Montana Community Foundation in partnership with Grid United to support communities in Rosebud, Custer, and Fallon County. These areas are affected by Grid United’s North Plains Connector, a significant transmission line project. CIP aims to fund innovative projects that enhance the quality of life and strengthen community ties in Eastern Montana. The program is dedicated to supporting broad-impact initiatives that address community issues, leverage other support, encourage community involvement, offer creative problem-solving, respond to changing needs, and promote economic and community development.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations that assist migrant and seasonal farmworkers, focusing on enhancing job training, education, employment services, housing stability, and youth development initiatives.

The Blaine County Community Foundation Fund, established at the Montana Community Foundation (MCF) by Warren Ross in 1997, is offering grants to benefit communities and residents of Blaine County. The grant cycle runs from August 15 to November 15. The grants range in size from $500 to $2,000 and must be used for projects benefiting communities or residents in Blaine County. Eligible applicants must be either a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or an exempt governmental unit. The grantee organization does not need to be based in Blaine County. Only one application is allowed per organization. Eligible projects must provide a direct benefit to local residents, be sustainable, and address important, unmet needs. Ineligible projects include conferences, workshops, planning, research, untested projects, and partisan or sectarian activities. The grant requests are reviewed by the Blaine County Community Grantmaking Committee, and incomplete applications will not be considered. For additional help or inquiries, contact Taylor Crowl, Program Officer, Local Community Foundations, at 406-603-4913 or [email protected]. The application can be accessed at https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=mtcommunity.

This funding opportunity supports individuals and nonprofit organizations in Montana working on research and education projects that conserve wildlife habitats, particularly for nongame species like birds and invertebrates.

This funding opportunity provides $50,000 over two years to nonprofit organizations and tribal agencies in under-resourced rural and reservation communities of the Mountain West, focusing on grassroots organizing for social justice initiatives.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations that support affordable housing, economic resilience, financial health, homeownership, and small business development for low- and moderate-income communities across 26 states.

This grant provides financial support to individuals, nonprofits, and local entities in Colstrip, Montana, to foster economic development and assist those affected by the decline of coal-based industries.

This program provides funding for innovative projects that improve quality of life and strengthen communities in Rosebud, Custer, and Fallon County, Montana, specifically for eligible nonprofits and government entities.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations in communities served by Union Pacific to support projects that enhance community safety, workforce development, and overall community vitality.