Nonprofits selected for foundation’s Great Fish
Seventy Flathead Valley nonprofit organizations will participate in the eighth annual Great Fish Community Challenge hosted by Whitefish Community Foundation Aug. 4 to Sept. 16.
The Great Fish Community Challenge is a six-week charitable giving campaign in which donors can choose to give to multiple nonprofit organizations with a single transaction. At the conclusion of the campaign, Whitefish Community Foundation will award a percentage match on the first $20,000 raised by each participating organization. Nonprofits must raise at least $10,000 to be eligible for the match. The match is made possible by Whitefish Community Foundation’s Circle of Giving donors, as well as donors who designate their gift to the Great Fish Match Fund.
Nonprofits interested in participating in the 2022 Challenge applied through a comprehensive application process by the published deadline. Twenty-five nonprofits were approved for the fast-track application process based on their previous participation in the campaign, stellar performance in prior campaigns, and continuity of leadership.
Of the 70 organizations that will participate in this year’s Great Fish Community Challenge, 10 are first-time participants. The following organizations will participate in the 2022 Challenge:
Abbie Shelter, Amazing Place Music, Backpack Assistance Program, Big Brothers Big Sisters NW Montana, Bigfork Art and Cultural Center, Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of Glacier Country, CASA for Kids, Center for Restorative Youth Justice, Child Bridge, Code Girls United, Conrad Mansion Museum, Creston Firefighter's Association, DREAM Adaptive Recreation, Flathead Area Mountain Bikers, Flathead Audubon Society, Flathead County Sheriff's Posse, Flathead Food Bank, Flathead Land Trust, Flathead Rapids Youth Soccer, Flathead Valley Community College Foundation, Flathead Valley Ski Foundation, Flathead Warming Center, Flathead Youth Home, Foy's to Blacktail Trails, Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center, Gateway to Glacier Trail, Glacier Institute, Glacier National Park Conservancy, Glacier Nordic Club, Glacier Skate Academy, Glacier Symphony and Chorale, Good Grief Group, Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley, Hockaday Museum of Art, Housing Whitefish, Humane Society of Northwest Montana, Immanuel Foundation, Kalispell School District Education Foundation, Land to Hand, Lighthouse Christian Home and Services, Logan Health Foundation, Logan Health-Whitefish Foundation, Montana Conservation Corps, Montana Kayak Academy, Nate Chute Foundation, North Valley Food Bank, North Valley Music School, North West Montana Veterans Food Pantry, Northwest Montana Community Land Trust, Northwest Montana History Museum, Project Whitefish Kids, Ravenwood Outdoor Learning Center, Samaritan House, Shepherd's Hand, Sparrow's Nest of NW MT, Stumptown Art Studio, Tamarack Grief Resource Center, The Nurturing Center, Whitefish Community Center, Whitefish Community Foundation, Whitefish Dog Park, Whitefish Firefighters Association, Whitefish Lake Institute, Whitefish Legacy Partners, Whitefish Review, Whitefish School District Education Foundation, Whitefish Theatre Company, Whitefish Veterans Support Team, Wings Regional Cancer Support
Since 2015, the Great Fish Community Challenge has raised over $17 million for more than 75 local nonprofit organizations. In addition to the percentage matching grant awarded on the first $20,000 raised by each nonprofit, Whitefish Community Foundation awards thousands of dollars in incentive grants throughout the campaign.
Whitefish Community Foundation will kick off this year’s campaign with the Great Fish Launch Party on Thursday, Aug. 4 at 5:30 p.m. at Park Side Credit Union in Whitefish. Donors who make a gift of $100 or more at the Launch Party to one participating nonprofit will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of 10 $100 matching grants for their designated organization. From Aug. 4 to Sept. 16, there will be many opportunities for donors to give to the campaign and help their favorite charities earn more incentive grants.
The Great Fish Fun Run & Community Celebration is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 10, in Depot Park in Whitefish. The event will include 5K and one-mile fun runs, a tot trot, barbecue lunch, live music by David Walburn, a nonprofit fair and the presentation of awards and prizes. Registration for Great Fish Fun Run is now open at runsignup.com/great-fish-fun-run.
For more information about the Great Fish Community Challenge, visit whitefishcommunityfoundation.org/great-fish or call 406-863-1781.