July 2024

Dear WFM Friends and Supporters,

Over the weekend, the Women’s Foundation of Montana made the drive to White Sulfur Springs for the Red Ants Pants Music Festival and helped provide some fun and educational activities at the kids’ tent. We are so grateful that we got to participate in such a beloved Montana tradition!

As a statewide organization, we love to see where all the kiddos who attend the festival come from. Kids from across the state (and a few from Idaho and Colorado) tell us about their towns, study the ant farms we provide, and put their artistic skills on display. The fun we have at the kids' tent captures the essence of what the Women's Foundation of Montana strives to achieve—a sense of belonging, support, and empowerment for all members of our community.

The Red Ants Pants Foundation is a valued partner of WFM, and we are proud to have provided grants to support their Girls Leadership Program for several years. The Red Ants Pants Foundation Girls Leadership Program is designed to inspire hope for MT youth, develop pride in rural communities, and foster strength and courage in leadership. The Girls Leadership Program builds highly competent and confident leaders, cultivated specifically to build upon the strength of girls from rural Montana, including the sovereign tribal nations within Montana.

The application for the 2024/25 Girls Leadership Program is now open. If you know a girl entering her junior year of high school who is a Montana resident - inclusive of the sovereign tribal nations within Montana, please encourage her to apply today! More info on the Girls Leadership Program & application info here.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication. Together, we are building a brighter future for girls in Montana.

Sincerely,

Kylie Gursky
Director, WFM
kylie@mtcf.org

P.S. August’s Ignite will include the full list of 2024 WFM Grantees. 

Montana Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence

GRANTEE HIGHLIGHT: INSPIRE. ENGAGE. MOBILIZE!

Montana Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence (MCADSV) is a statewide coalition of individuals and organizations working together to uproot violence and oppression in order to end domestic and sexual violence in Montana.

Coalitions and support organizations are essential to the nonprofit sector. They bring funding to other nonprofits, connect organizations to one another, disseminate vital information, foster communication, and mobilize organizations for advocacy. MCADSV plays a vital and often unseen role in Montana.

FOSTER COLLABORATION:

MCADSV prioritizes authentic relationship-building, empowers local programs, and creates a unified front. Through shared resources, skill-building, and strategic advocacy, the coalition promotes a culture of collaboration that maximizes impact. Victim services organizations benefit from working together through increased impact, resource sharing, unified advocacy, holistic support, enhanced visibility, capacity building, strategic planning, improved outreach, innovation, and mutual support.

MOBILIZE FOR ADVOCACY:

The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund provides federal support to state and local programs that assist victims of crime. VOCA grants have decreased in small amounts over the last several years and in 2023, Montana programs faced a 40-50% cut in services, disproportionately affecting rural victim services programs. Cuts would make programs unsustainable, causing many to shut their doors.

MCADSV engaged their membership organizations including Domestic and Sexual Violence Services of Carbon County (DSVS) and jumped into action to address this financial threat to serving survivors in Montana. DSVS Co-Director, Jenn Battles, spoke about the value of the Coalition this way, “One of the Coalition’s most important roles is to alert our organizations to proposed policy changes that affect survivors and assist us in developing strategies we can execute together to respond – their work amplifies our message and our missions in legislative spaces.”

With MCADSV’s expertise and leadership, domestic and sexual violence organizations from across Montana, including DSVS, knew to focus their precious time and resources during the 2023 Montana State Legislature on helping legislators correct their assumptions that victim services are fully funded and will always be available to those in need. MCADSV and their members made a compelling case to their representatives and secured $4 million in one-time-only funding from the state, primarily working with women legislators serving on the Senate Finance and Claims and House Appropriations Budget Committee. Montana is one of a handful of states that does not permanently allocate a portion of their state budget to supporting survivors. MCADSV will work to renew funding to support survivors during the 2025 legislative session

Read the 2023 Impact Report here.

In Case You Missed It

The Status of Women in Montana: Advancing Policy for Economic Equity Report. This report serves as a vital resource for policymakers, advocates, and community members, driving evidence-based solutions to address the challenges and opportunities facing women in our state.

WFM is a powerful force for philanthropy in Montana because of your support. WFM grantees lead the way in creating strong communities that work for women and girls.

Learn more about WFM grantees here and see our 2023 funding summary.

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