Foundations & Grantmakers in Montana
887 grantmakers in Montana reported grants on their latest 990s. The 344 that made at least 5 grants gave $299.0M. The largest by giving are Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation, National Forest Foundation and Whitefish Community Foundation Inc. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Montana grants
Foundation giving in Montana at a glance
Active grantmakers
887
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$299.0M
from the 344 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$15K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$57K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Montana by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation | Missoula | $50.0M | 547 |
| 2 | National Forest Foundation | Missoula | $17.4M | 168 |
| 3 | Whitefish Community Foundation Inc | Whitefish | $16.4M | 195 |
| 4 | Gianforte Family Charitable Trust | Bozeman | $12.1M | 256 |
| 5 | Central Montana Foundation | Lewistown | $9.8M | 36 |
| 6 | Wild Sheep Foundation | Bozeman | $9.0M | 62 |
| 7 | Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Inc | Missoula | $8.4M | 112 |
| 8 | Montana Community Foundation Inc | Helena | $7.7M | 316 |
| 9 | Rob and Terry Ryan Foundation (MONTANA) INC | Hamilton | $6.8M | 6 |
| 10 | Headwaters Health Foundation | Missoula | $6.3M | 131 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 7 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 43 · 20%
- Health 33 · 15%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 29 · 14%
- Environment & Animals 26 · 12%
- Human Services 14 · 7%
- Religion Related 11 · 5%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (44% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Montana
- Whitefish Community Foundation Inc $16.4M · 195 grants
- Montana Community Foundation Inc $7.7M · 316 grants
- Park County Community Foundation $3.1M · 81 grants
- One Valley Community Foundation $2.3M · 54 grants
- Yellowstone Club Community Foundation $2.3M · 42 grants
- Red Lodge Area Community Foundation $343K · 27 grants
- Billings Community Foundation $320K · 21 grants
- Seeley Lake Community Foundation $175K · 15 grants
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Most open to new grantees in Montana
Foundations based in Montana whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Greater Montana Foundation | 73% (16) | 22 in 2025 | $14K |
| 2 | Climate Conservation DBA Center for Large Landscape Conservation | 71% (20) | 28 in 2025 | $20K |
| 3 | Ruby E Hanson Scholarship Trust | 70% (14) | 20 in 2025 | $1K |
| 4 | Roundup for Safety Inc | 67% (14) | 21 in 2025 | $9K |
| 5 | The PRBB Foundation | 64% (14) | 22 in 2025 | $12K |
| 6 | Park County Community Foundation | 63% (51) | 81 in 2024 | $40K |
| 7 | Central Montana Foundation | 61% (22) | 36 in 2024 | $299K |
| 8 | Wild Sheep Foundation | 58% (36) | 62 in 2025 | $36K |
| 9 | Treacy Foundation | 57% (57) | 100 in 2025 | $21K |
| 10 | B E a Family Inc | 55% (11) | 20 in 2024 | $18K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing all 994 foundations and grantmakers in Montana
Montana State University Foundation Inc
Bozeman, MT
Assets
$529.1M
Grants
1
Total Given
$73.1M
Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation
Missoula, MT
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
547
Total Given
$50.0M
The University of Montana Foundation
Missoula, MT
Assets
$459.1M
Grants
1
Total Given
$43.0M
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Inc Group Return
Missoula, MT
Assets
—
Grants
1
Total Given
$25.2M
Montana Food Bank Network Inc
Missoula, MT
Assets
$23.5M
Grants
52
Total Given
$18.4M
SCL Health - Montana
Billings, MT
Assets
$1.0B
Grants
19
Total Given
$18.1M
National Forest Foundation
Missoula, MT
Assets
$96.2M
Grants
168
Total Given
$17.4M
Salish Kootenai College Foundation Inc
Pablo, MT
Assets
—
Grants
2
Total Given
$16.7M
Whitefish Community Foundation Inc
Whitefish, MT
Assets
$88.7M
Grants
195
Total Given
$16.4M
Yellowstone Forever
Bozeman, MT
Assets
$81.9M
Grants
2
Total Given
$12.5M
Gianforte Family Charitable Trust
Bozeman, MT
Assets
$231.1M
Grants
256
Total Given
$12.1M
Billings Clinic Foundation
Billings, MT
Assets
$161.2M
Grants
3
Total Given
$11.9M
Central Montana Foundation
Lewistown, MT
Assets
$66.7M
Grants
36
Total Given
$9.8M
Wild Sheep Foundation
Bozeman, MT
Assets
$8.0M
Grants
62
Total Given
$9.0M
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Inc
Missoula, MT
Assets
$151.5M
Grants
112
Total Given
$8.4M
Montana Community Foundation Inc
Helena, MT
Assets
$215.5M
Grants
316
Total Given
$7.7M
A Better Big Sky
Missoula, MT
Assets
$1.9M
Grants
15
Total Given
$7.0M
Rob and Terry Ryan Foundation (MONTANA) INC
Hamilton, MT
Assets
—
Grants
6
Total Given
$6.8M
Holy Rosary Healthcare Foundation Inc
Miles City, MT
Assets
$8.7M
Grants
2
Total Given
$6.3M
Headwaters Health Foundation
Missoula, MT
Assets
$127.5M
Grants
131
Total Given
$6.3M
Bruno and Evelyne Betti Foundation
Billings, MT
Assets
—
Grants
13
Total Given
$6.0M
Western Organization of Resource Councils Education Project
Billings, MT
Assets
$7.2M
Grants
27
Total Given
$5.8M
Tykeson Family Charitable Trust
Ovando, MT
Assets
$102.2M
Grants
85
Total Given
$5.6M
St Peter's Health Foundation
Helena, MT
Assets
$36.0M
Grants
1
Total Given
$5.5M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in Montana
What are the largest foundations in Montana?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation ($50.0M across 547 grants), National Forest Foundation ($17.4M) and Whitefish Community Foundation Inc ($16.4M). Together the top 10 account for 48% of the $299.0M given by the 344 grantmakers in Montana that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in Montana?
The typical grant is about $15K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $57K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in Montana?
Yes. We found 8 community foundations in Montana with grant activity. The largest by giving are Whitefish Community Foundation Inc, Montana Community Foundation Inc and Park County Community Foundation. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Montana foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in Montana from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.