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Giving Together: Charitable giving for 25 years

| January 26, 2025 12:00 AM

It has been said that a lot of good ideas start on a napkin. There were more than a few napkins involved when we began meeting at the Buffalo Cafe over 25 years ago to discuss creating a community foundation to raise charitable funds for local nonprofit programs and projects. Joining us at that table so many years ago were the late Connie Heckathorn and Dave Stewart. We were a diverse group of community members who shared a love for our little town and wanted to improve the quality of life for everyone living here.

In those early days, we faced some skepticism from some of the very nonprofits we set out to help. They worried that the community could not afford to support yet another nonprofit. Our job was to show the nonprofits that we weren’t there to compete for a slice of the pie; we were there to make the pie bigger. We set a lofty goal for ourselves to grant $10 million dollars within 10 years. We pulled out our personal checkbooks to award the very first grants, and our Community Grant Program was born.

Today, as we reflect on the 25th anniversary of Whitefish Community Foundation, we are humbled by the more than 10,000 donors who have made it possible for us to grant over $100 million since 2000! These grants have championed health and education initiatives, addressed critical issues such as hunger and homelessness, and protected our wildlife and surrounding landscapes. The pie continues to grow, supporting nonprofits throughout the Flathead Valley. One of the foundation’s most popular grant programs, the Great Fish Community Challenge, has raised over $35 million for nonprofits in Kalispell, Columbia Falls, Bigfork, Creston, Hungry Horse, and Whitefish. 

Whitefish Community Foundation kicked off this milestone year by announcing $370,000 in Major Community Project Grants to support several nonprofits that are tackling some of our valley’s most pressing needs. Thanks to the Circle of Giving donors who make an annual gift of $5,000 or more to support the foundation’s grant programs, we were able to award $145,000 to Samaritan House for the construction of affordable housing units for low-income veterans and families in Kalispell. We also awarded $70,000 to the Alano Club of Kalispell to expand meeting space for those recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. And we awarded $155,000 to the Columbia Falls Kids Foundation for the development of a new home for the Boys & Girls Club of Glacier Country, Land to Hand, Ruis Wrestling Academy and other nonprofits serving youth in the north end of the valley. Additional Major Community Project grants will be announced later in the year.

How far we’ve come since those first grants that were written from our own checkbooks! As Whitefish Community Foundation lays the groundwork to meet the needs of the Flathead Valley for another 25 years, we encourage everyone living here to get involved in the ways that are most meaningful to you. Perhaps this is the year your family opens a Donor Advised Fund or joins the Circle of Giving. Maybe you will make a first-time gift through the Great Fish Community Challenge, or the local nonprofit you serve will apply for a grant. Or perhaps you will simply decide to learn more about the many ways Whitefish Community Foundation brings together donors and nonprofits to improve the quality of life for everyone in the valley. 

As the Flathead Valley’s home for charitable giving for 25 years, Whitefish Community Foundation offers an opportunity for all of us to make a positive difference. We hope you will join us!

John Kramer, Mike Jenson, Rox (formerly Rogers) Hicks, Connie Heckathorn and Dave Stewart founded Whitefish Community Foundation in 2000 to help local nonprofits excel at their missions. To learn more about how you can get involved with the Foundation, contact President/CEO Alan Davis at alan@whitefishcommunityfoundation.org or (406) 863-1781.