2016 Community Leadership Grants WHAT IS THE BOZEMAN AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION? Our Mission: To connect people who care to causes that matter to build a better community in the Bozeman area. Our Vision: A thriving and united community that invests in what makes the Bozeman area a place in which all can learn, work, create and prosper. How we work: We are nurturing a culture of giving in three ways: 1. We help nonprofit partners thrive by providing grantfunding and capacity building opportunities that promote collaboration, growth and sustainability; 2. We provide community donors with charitable giving tools and informed support to help them give more effectively to causes that matter to them today and forever; and 3. We provide educational and community engagement opportunities that support a culture of giving and provide leadership on important community issues.

The Bozeman Area Community Foundation serves Bozeman, Big Sky, Belgrade, Manhattan, Churchill, Three Forks, and the rural areas in between. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed more than $300,000 in competitive grants to 100+ local nonprofit organizations. Learn more at www.bozemanfoundation.org. GRANT OPPORTUNITY The Bozeman Area Community Foundation recognizes that it takes a community of leaders to work together to solve challenges, seize opportunities, and meet the needs of our growing valley. This year, the Foundation’s grants will be used to support organizations that are stepping up and out to lead in creative and impactful ways. Connecting people who care to causes that matter.



Organizations of all size help the Gallatin Valley thrive. And, leadership comes in many forms and exists in places you might least expect it. Leadership can involve collaboration, unlikely partnerships, risk-taking, innovation, pushing our community’s boundaries, and stepping-up in new and creative ways. And, the Foundation anticipates that the area’s nonprofits will define and celebrate leadership characteristics other than those listed here. We look forward to learning with you and from you about our community’s needs and how you are working to fill them through your leadership. Through its 2016 Leadership Grants program, the Bozeman Area Community Foundation intends to invest in organizations that are taking steps to help the Gallatin Valley thrive and to address the diversity of our growing valley’s needs. These needs span the arts to environment, education to basic needs. We will be looking for organizations that are making the Bozeman area a place in which all can learn, work, create and prosper. The Foundation will select twelve organizations to receive a $2,000 Community Leadership Grant in 2016. In addition to the $2,000 grant, as in years past, the Foundation will share the work of our grantees throughout the year. And, we will celebrate these leaders, their stories, and the impact they are having during a mid-year event about Community Leadership. THE BASICS All grant applications must be submitted using the online grant application available on the Bozeman Area Community Foundation’s website. All requests must be submitted online by January 29, 2016. Recipients are expected to expend all funds by March 31, 2017. A grant report must be submitted no later than January 15, 2017. WHAT DEFINES “COMMUNITY”? You may identify and define your community in any way that makes sense to you. It could be a geographic region like a neighborhood, town, or a community with common interests or cultural identity. The Foundation encourages applications from across our service area. Connecting people who care to causes that matter.

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WHAT COUNTS AS “COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP”? Community leadership can involve collaboration, unlikely partnerships, risk-taking, innovation, pushing our community’s boundaries, and stepping-up in new and creative ways to address our community’s needs. We anticipate that you might define leadership in other ways. We look forward to hearing how you define your leadership and the impact you are having. The Foundation appreciates that many creative solutions are required to address and meet our community’s needs. The Foundation’s Community Leadership Grants will focus on supporting solutions (big or small) that among other things demonstrate innovation, inclusivity, collaboration, and resourcefulness. And, we invite you to define other ways in which you are providing leadership to the community you serve. Do your efforts to make our community a better place to live incorporate one or more of the following qualities? • Innovation: Does your idea address a community need or opportunity in a more effective, equitable, or sustainable way than existing approaches? • Inclusivity: Does your idea include diverse stakeholders (beneficiaries of the project, volunteers, donors, etc.) in the planning and execution of your project or work? • Collaboration: Will your organization include other community members or organizations in a meaningful partnership to make your idea a reality? Will your idea succeed because you are working with organizations or community members who might not traditionally be viewed as allies? • Resourcefulness: Will your organization utilize existing community resources and assets to make your idea more impactful? • Other: Can you help us expand our community’s understanding of leadership? We invite you to define leadership in other ways. IS THIS GRANT A GOOD FIT FOR YOUR PROJECT OR ORGANIZATION? As we make funding decisions, in addition to the specifics of your proposal, we will consider whether: 1. The organization has the capacity to carry out the project, including necessary staff and/or volunteer capacity and financial stability. 2. If the project has financial requirements above and beyond our funding (we anticipate that many will), we will look at the other sources of funding you have in hand or are in the process of securing to ensure the project is financially viable.

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3. The project contributes towards the Bozeman area being a place in which all can learn, work, create and prosper.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION • We welcome grant applications that address the span of the Gallatin Valley’s needs. • The Foundation will consider proposals for operating support for organizations with an annual operating budget of less than $100,000. • Organizations with operating budgets greater than $100,000 should submit a request for project support. • Organizations located in Gallatin County will be prioritized versus organizations located outside of or primarily serving other counties. Organizations headquartered outside the county must demonstrate significant service to the area. • Applicants should be a 501(c)(3) public charity. • Organizations with religious affiliations will be considered for funding only if the project for which they seek support addresses the needs of the wider community without regard to religious beliefs. PROJECTS NOT FUNDED While the Foundation remains flexible in meeting community needs, Community Leadership Grants will not fund: • Specific individuals – including scholarships. • One-time fundraising events or fundraising campaigns. • Capital or operational debt reduction. • Any political campaign or attempts to influence legislative issues of any government body. • Organizations that discriminate based on race, color, national origin, citizenship status, creed, religion, religious affiliation, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status or any other protected status under applicable law. If an organization only serves a specific population (e.g., women or specific ethnic populations), the Foundation will consider the proposal on a case-by-case basis. DECISION PROCESS All grant applications will be reviewed by members of the Bozeman Area Community Foundation Grants Committee, which is comprised of board members, staff and community members. The Connecting people who care to causes that matter.

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Grants Committee will make recommendations to the Foundation’s Board of Directors, which has final say on all grants distributed by the Foundation. NEXT STEPS Go to www.bozemanfoundation.org to find the online application. Applications are due by January 29, 2016. Decisions will be announced by March 31, 2016. QUESTIONS? Thinking about applying? Want to talk through your idea? Have questions about our online grant application process? Contact Bridget Wilkinson at [email protected] or at 406587-6262.

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