Whitefish foundation doles out $345,000

The Whitefish Community Foundation set a new record in giving when it presented more than $345,000 to local nonprofit organizations at the 12th annual community grants presentation Nov. 1 at the O’Shaughnessy Center. 

Grant awards ranged from $500 to $6,000. This year, 60 grants totaling $151,000 were distributed from the Community Grants Fund, a 50 percent increase over last year. 

Funding for the Community Grants Fund comes from private donations, the annual Whitefish Duck Derby, the Summer Art Social and interest from the Foundation's growing permanent endowment fund. 

An additional $195,000 was awarded from eight of the foundation's Donor-Advised Funds, including: 

n Iron Horse Foundation Fund — $12,000 in three grants to local nonprofits, including a grant to the Whitefish CARE in support of the holiday food bag program for children.

n Whitefish Mountain Resort Fund — $22,000 in 34 grants to area nonprofits, including Intermountain Children's Home and North Valley Food Bank.

Some organizations were awarded several grants from both the Community Grants Program and the Donor-Advised Funds. In all, more than 150 grants were awarded to 88 different organizations.

North Valley Food Bank, which is working to build a new facility, received more than $42,500, some of which will go toward the building campaign. 

Whitefish School District received more than $26,000 to help fund projects in music, science, wellness, mental-health counseling and more.

The annual $1,000 Doris Schumm Community Spirit Award was given to the Whitefish Legacy Partners, a nonprofit group leading development of the Whitefish Trail. 

The Great Fish Award was presented to the Whitefish Rotary organization for its work over the past 35 years on the Magic of Christmas.

For more information about the Whitefish Community Foundation, visit the website at www.whitefishcommunityfoundation.org, or call Linda at 863-1781.