Montana Community Development Grants

This program provides urgent financial assistance to local governments and districts for critical repairs to renewable resource infrastructure, such as dams and water systems, to prevent significant damage or legal issues.

This grant provides funding to community organizations and agencies in Missoula County for projects that create or improve public recreation facilities, enhancing outdoor recreational opportunities for residents.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations and public entities in Seeley Lake, Montana, to implement projects that improve the community's social, cultural, economic, and environmental wellbeing.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations in Montana that empower women and girls through direct services, leadership development, and policy advocacy, particularly in rural, tribal, and urban Indian communities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to state transportation departments in rural U.S. states for the replacement and rehabilitation of multiple highway bridges to improve safety and efficiency.

This grant provides matching funds to rural communities in Montana for strategic planning projects that promote economic growth and resilience.

AgWest Farm Credit's New Producer Grant Program supports new agricultural producers who have two years or less of operational experience or plan to start their operation within two years of applying. The grant aims to alleviate the challenge of lacking start-up funds, celebrating the ingenuity and passion of new producers. Successful applicants will receive a one-time $15,000 grant to support their operation's growth. The grant focuses on applicants within AgWest Farm Credit’s territory who are not current lending customers and are U.S. citizens or lawful residents.

The Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Program (RRGL) is designed to support the conservation, management, development, and preservation of Montana's renewable resources. The program offers funding primarily for public facility projects like water, wastewater, and solid waste development, as well as projects related to irrigation rehabilitation, dam repair, and forest enhancement. Eligible applicants are divisions of state government, tribal governments, and other local political subdivisions, with funding available in the form of grants or loans for feasibility studies, construction plans, and implementation efforts.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations and government entities in the Great Falls region to support community improvement projects in areas such as education, culture, and civic development.

This grant provides financial support to LGBTQ+-owned and allied restaurants, cafes, and bars to help them thrive and recover in their communities.

This grant provides $100,000 over two years to grassroots organizations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming that focus on building community power and leadership among diverse groups, with a priority for those led by BIPOC and working in rural or reservation areas.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to tribal governments, nonprofits, and educational institutions for solar energy projects that enhance energy independence and benefit low-to-moderate income communities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for organizations to deliver specialized services to victims of crime, ensuring their unique needs are met across diverse communities.

The Social Justice Fund Northwest (SJF) has announced its 2025 Mountain West Organizing Grant, a two-year funding opportunity focused on grassroots organizing in under-resourced regions of the Mountain West. SJF, known for advancing collective liberation through community-led grantmaking, supports movements for racial, economic, and gender justice across a five-state region including Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. Historically, a disproportionate amount of SJF’s funding has gone to urban hubs like Seattle and Portland. This new cycle emphasizes equitable redistribution of resources toward rural and reservation communities, particularly those in Idaho, Montana, Oregon (Mountain West region), and Wyoming. The grant provides $25,000 per year for two years, totaling $50,000 per awarded organization. The funding supports community organizing efforts aimed at building grassroots power. Eligible projects may include public advocacy, base-building, coalition-building, local and state-level policy work, gender-based violence prevention, immigration justice, anti-hate organizing, equitable access to housing and healthcare, labor or farmworker organizing, and more. SJF clarifies that the listed focus areas are not exhaustive, encouraging a broad range of grassroots organizing work that aligns with their framework. Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations, tribal agencies, or fiscally sponsored projects working within SJF’s community organizing model. Applicants must be operating in the target Mountain West states. Additional priority is given to groups with annual budgets under $500,000, those led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)—defined as having at least 51% BIPOC leadership—and organizations working in rural areas, small towns, or reservation communities as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Applications for the 2025 cycle opened on July 10, 2025, and will close on August 14, 2025. An optional informational session will be held on Monday, July 28, 2025, from 5:00–6:30 p.m. Mountain Time (4:00–5:30 p.m. Pacific Time). Interested applicants are encouraged to register for the session through the SJF website. Grant award notifications will be announced in October 2025. SJF accepts applications through their online Grants Portal. Questions regarding eligibility or application procedures should be directed to the Grantmaking & Impact team at Grants@SocialJusticeFund.org. It is advised that applicants contact SJF well before the deadline if clarification is needed, noting that SJF offices are closed on Fridays. All prospective applicants are encouraged to subscribe to the SJF newsletter and follow the funder on social media for updates and additional funding opportunities.

The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation strives to better the human condition by supporting programs and services that give people the tools to enhance the quality of their lives and to benefit society as a whole. The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation funds direct service non-profit organizations to improve the quality of people’s lives by providing them with the tools they need to succeed. Since its inception in 1988, the Foundation has funded programs around Montana and in the areas in which the Washington Companies operate. When making a grant decision, we examine each organization’s financial stability, staffing and facility capacity, and relevant partnerships. Additionally, we assess the capability of an organization to sustain a program into the future and their ability to show measurable impact on the population they serve. Finally, funding is guided toward organizations that support low income, rural, and underserved populations through one of our four main focus areas: Education, Health and Human Services, Arts and Culture, and Community Service.

This program provides funding to individuals, schools, cooperatives, and community organizations in Montana to support projects that enhance agricultural education, improve local food systems, and promote sustainable farming practices.

The Otto Bremer Trust (OBT) is implementing new grantmaking approaches to effectively invest in people, places, and opportunities in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. The new model includes Strategic Grants and Community Responsive Fund grants. Strategic Grants are awarded directly by OBT to organizations with at least $500,000 in expenses from the previous year, aligning with OBT's objectives. Community Responsive Fund grants are managed by intermediary partners, focusing on organizations with less than $500,000 in expenses.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions for initiatives that improve earthquake safety and awareness across multiple states or nationally.

This funding opportunity provides $5,000 in unrestricted support to emerging organizations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, or Wyoming that are focused on community organizing and align with social justice values.

This grant provides financial support to Indigenous communities in Montana for search efforts to locate missing loved ones, addressing the urgent crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.