Because it is February the month of love and Valentine’s Day, the GPCF would like to celebrate our love for our area non-profits. Polson’s non-profit sector adds tremendous value to our community’s well-being. It has for years. Think North Lake County Library, Boys and Girls Club of Flathead Reservation, Mission Valley Aquatics, FLIC, Mission Valley Animal Shelter, Polson Loaves & Fish Food Pantry, Mission Valley Live, Miracle of America Museum, Helping Hands, Ninepipes Museum, Flathead Lakers and others. Recognizing the importance of these, and other, organizations, GPCF has added an annual program of Trust-Based Grants. (TBGs)
Trust-based grants go to organizations with which the Greater Polson Community has worked for years: organizations that are important to our community, have earned our community’s trust, and deserve support for general operations. Trust based applications are by invitation only. Organizations receiving trust based funding may still apply for annual project grants. The application process and reporting for TBGs is kept simple. Our ‘trust’ reflects confidence in an organization’s board, management, and programs.
This process requires GPCF grant committee members to interact with non-profit organizations regularly, to learn, and to keep in touch with community needs. Our purpose is to “partner with” and encourage, organizations in serving Polson’s well-being. GPCF has made 28 Trust based grants since we began this process in 2020 for a total of $81,000.
We expect to renew TBGs annually, on application, for deserving non-profits. As our experience and awareness of needs grows, we hope (with community support) to invite other organizations to apply for trust-based grants, as well as to increase support for project grants.
We thank the many donors making possible grants totaling over a million dollars over the past decade. We are particularly grateful that the endowment legacy left by John Cowan enabled GPCF to nearly double the amount granted in 2021 and in future years. We know benefits realized through the generosity of our donors depend on the hard work of non-profit volunteers and their employees. To both donors and our non-profits we owe deep gratitude.
If you want to learn more about how the Greater Polson Community Foundation supports our local non-profits or projects, visit the website at www.greaterpolsoncommunityfoundation.org or call the GPCF at (406) 883-4723.
