Working for a cause

State's nonprofit sector continues to grow

The Daily Inter Lake

Helping a neighbor, whether with a barn raising or a branding, is a long-cherished Montana tradition. Modern helpers wishing to donate their time and money have any number of causes from which to choose, as the state's nonprofit sector continues to grow.

Nonprofit organizations employ nearly 7 percent of the state's total workforce. In 2002, the most recent year for which data is available, 128 Flathead County nonprofit groups had more than $25,000 in annual gross revenue, meaning they had to file reports with the Internal Revenue Service. Countless other groups didn't have to file but still impacted the county's economy - and its people.

It's what Ned Cooney, program director for the Nonprofit Development Partnership, calls the "double bottom line." Nonprofit organizations strive to use their funds wisely but also have to consider their impacts on the community.

"We don't ever want to be all about the money," he said. "We're here for the long haul. We want to be able to make important contributions for a better Montana and a better society."

Cooney worked with nonprofit groups in California before moving to the Flathead in 2004. Since becoming involved with the Nonprofit Development Partnership, which serves as a consulting resource for nonprofit organizations, he has been impressed with Montanans' ability to accomplish what they set out to do.

"The boards of directors that I've worked with tend to be much more roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-it-done because of the lack of resources most organizations face," he said.

Cooney said he also appreciates the community's support for its nonprofit groups.

"It always depends on what people have to give, but my gut feeling is that people are very generous to a variety of different kinds of causes," he said.

Lori Botkin, executive director of the Flathead Food Bank, hopes the valley's dependably charitable spirit displays itself in a big way over the next week.

Every year, the food bank distributes 450 turkeys at Thanksgiving and another 450 at Christmas. Typically at this time - a week before the scheduled distribution date - the pantry's freezers hold a couple hundred birds. As of Thursday morning, Botkin had received four.

"Right now we're way behind, and I don't understand why," she said. "I just don't know if we're off to a slow start, or if I'm just panicking this year."

Turkeys notwithstanding, the valley's attitude toward the food bank is overwhelmingly supportive overall, she said.

"It's absolutely wonderful. They support us 150 percent," she said.

The food bank is open all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays and feeds about 125 families each day, Botkin said. There is always enough food for those who need it.

"We haven't had to have people go without," she said. "They come through for us."

NANCY DAVIS has lived all over the West and says she is impressed by the way the Flathead Valley comes through for its numerous nonprofit organizations.

"I have never been involved in a community that's so connected and so generous. It's really remarkable," she said.

Davis is a board member for the Flathead Community Fund, a nonprofit group that just received its tax-exempt status from the IRS. Last year, the foundation distributed about $2,000 in unsolicited funds. On Dec. 1, it will distribute $9,500 in 45 $100 gifts and five $1,000 gifts.

Board member Muffie Thomson said the foundation divided the money among the key components of philanthropic giving.

"We tried to split it up between different areas in the community, whether it was human needs, basic needs, arts, education, environmental," Thomson said.

"What's neat about a community foundation is relatively less wealthy people like you and me can will their houses and personal assets to a thing like the Flathead Community Foundation," Cooney said. "It allows a community, like the Flathead in this case, to have an impact over the life of the money. What's so great about it is no matter what the personal interest is, the organization can ultimately provide funding for it and put some juice behind it."

Organizations such as the Flathead Community Foundation have a broad reach and can influence a number of causes within the community.

The Whitefish Community Foundation, established in 2000 with the goal raising $10 million in charitable gifts and bequests by 2010, handed out $174,264 in grants to Whitefish area nonprofit groups at its annual awards ceremony in October. The foundation has awarded a total of $366,364 in grants so far this year, and $1,637,963 since it began six years ago.

OTHER NONPROFITS, such as Evergreen Community Partners, are created to meet a specific need.

The goal of the organization is to make the roads in Evergreen safer for kids when they're walking to and from school, President Darla Harmon said. There is no sidewalk or trail between the elementary and junior high schools, so children walk in the street.

Flathead County has no funding for pedestrian or bike paths, so forming a group was really the only way to solve the problem, Harmon said. Most of the eight board members are parents with school-age children, but a few are simply concerned community members.

"Even though they didn't have kids, they didn't want to see them squished along the side of the road," she said.

The group formed in June 2005 and received its tax-exempt status at the end of October. Cooney helped the board come up with a fundraising plan. The goal was to raise $56,000 by the following spring. To date, they have raised nearly $60,000 and expect the paths to be built next summer.

"We applied for every grant that was available, basically," Harmon said. "We sent out letters to companies in the area, as well as individuals in the area, and told them what we were trying to accomplish. That alone raised about $7,000, which is amazing."

The "influx of new wealth" has helped nonprofit groups meet their needs, Cooney said. But while many newcomers are eager to help, others moved to the area to escape the level of involvement they experienced in other communities.

"The challenge there is it's not always easy to engage these new residents, be they rich or poor, in the life of the community," he said.

Nonprofit groups in many areas struggle to recruit volunteers from newcomers and longtime residents alike. The Flathead Food Bank may have enough food to take care of people, but finding volunteers to work is often a challenge, Botkin said.

At the moment, though, her most pressing concern is getting enough turkeys for the Thanksgiving distribution on Nov. 20.

"I'm really praying that they're going to come through for us," she said. "I'm waiting for that doorbell to ring."

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com