Whitefish Community Foundation awards $130,000 grant for new music school

Whitefish Community Foundation recently awarded a $130,000 grant to North Valley Music School for the construction of a new music campus at Smith Fields in Whitefish.

NVMS is dedicated to enriching Montana communities through music education, appreciation and performance by providing musical opportunities for all. Since 2001, the nonprofit has operated out of a modest-sized home on Spokane Avenue in Whitefish. With 100 students on the waitlist for services and a growing demand for programs, the organization has outgrown its current location.

In 2022, NVMS announced a capital campaign to raise $7.5 million to build a new facility, including a $1 million operating endowment. The new 8,100-square-foot building will allow the organization to serve up to 3,000 students annually with expanded performance, group class and workshop opportunities.

“We are deeply grateful for the overwhelming support North Valley Music School has received from Whitefish Community Foundation,” NVMS Board Chairperson Christine Rossi said. “This generous donation is a tremendous boost to our fundraising efforts to build a new home for NVMS and continue transforming lives through the power of music education.”

Whitefish Community Foundation’s board of directors has been tracking the progress of the campaign and was encouraged to learn that more than 650 donors had given to the project. To help NVMS get to the $7.5 million finish line, Whitefish Community Foundation surprised the organization with a $130,000 grant, including a $50,000 Major Community Project Grant and an additional $80,000 from several donors who are part of the Foundation’s Circle of Giving.

“The new North Valley Music School will serve the entire Flathead Valley for generations to come and fill the growing need for high-quality, music education locally,” Whitefish Community Foundation President/CEO Alan Davis said. “We are happy to support the project with Circle of Giving dollars and hope other interested donors can help get the project to the finish line. Congratulations to everyone at NVMS on your hard work and determination.”

Whitefish Community Foundation’s Major Community Project Grant program is dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations complete capital projects that will have a significant and positive effect on communities in the Flathead Valley. The program was formed in 2010 and has awarded nearly $1 million to projects identified and selected by the foundation’s board of directors. Funding for the Major Community Project Grant program comes from the Circle of Giving, Whitefish Community Foundation’s core group of donors who give $5,000 or more annually to support the grant programs and mission of the foundation.

To learn more about North Valley Music School’s capital campaign, visit nvms.me. For more information about Whitefish Community Foundation, visit whitefishcommunityfoundation.org.