Foundation for Community Vitality
Foundation for Community Vitality is a private foundation based in Billings, Montana. Its 2025 filing reports 36 grants totaling $413,434, with examples supporting community operations, health-related work, cultural programming, and leadership development.
Foundation for Community Vitality at a glance
In short: Foundation for Community Vitality gave $413K across 36 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Montana. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $413,434
- +56.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 36
- +100.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,484
- -21.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $3,297,283
- +5.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (8 of 22, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Montana (92% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Foundation for Community Vitality
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 7113, Billings, MT 59103
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Foundation for Community Vitality funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was City of Lodge Grass ($111K across 7 grants). Together the top 10 received $380K.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 85 grants of 100 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that 92% of grant dollars went to Montana recipients, 8% to Wyoming recipients, and 1% to Minnesota recipients. The reported shares may not total 100% due to rounding.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Foundation for Community Vitality open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 22 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $25K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 27% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $264K (2024) to $666K (2021). In 2025 it made 36 grants totaling $413K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| City of Lodge Grass Lodge Grass, MT | Payroll - Mayor Salary | $81,088 |
| Helping Hands Food Bank Hardin, MT | Sustaining Big Horn County-Operational Support | $80,000 |
| Messengers for Health Crow Agency, MT | Development Director Position | $33,800 |
| Mountain Shadow Bozeman, MT | Certification Training for LG Investment Team | $30,018 |
| Crow Fair Pow Wow Crow Agency, MT | 2025 Crow Fair Pow Wow Staff Support Cultural Programming | $25,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy - Wyoming Lander, WY | Youth Tribal Engagement in N. Wyoming | $25,000 |
| Leadership Montana (V) Bozeman, MT | Flagship Scholarships for Indigenous Leaders | $20,200 |
| Boys & Girls Club Northern Cheyenne (LD) Lame Deer, MT | Operational - In Honor of Bruce Ennis | $20,000 |
| City of Lodge Grass Lodge Grass, MT | Black Mountain Software | $13,590 |
| Messengers for Health Crow Agency, MT | Program Assistant Position | $12,168 |
Ready to take the next step with Foundation for Community Vitality?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,297,283 | $721,844 | $555,532 | $413,434 | 36 | $540,652 | $668,969 | $550,114 |
| 2024 | $3,127,559 | $722,978 | $448,210 | $264,202 | 18 | $426,095 | $670,058 | $526,980 |
| 2023 | $2,847,088 | $716,562 | $684,675 | $519,152 | 19 | $669,500 | $663,114 | $488,848 |
| 2022 | $2,818,363 | $1,130,352 | $564,989 | $371,290 | 12 | $540,240 | $818,455 | $670,371 |
| 2021 | $2,246,999 | $1,106,036 | $848,318 | $666,355 | 15 | $822,744 | $1,047,875 | $727,855 |
| 2020 | $1,992,531 | $803,764 | $769,402 | $569,691 | 25 | — | $796,370 | $588,567 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Foundation for Community Vitality reported a distributable amount of $550K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations and activities including municipal and nonprofit operations, community health, food assistance, cultural programming, and leadership development.
Among the grantees described in their own words, Messengers for Health says it works to improve health on the Crow Indian Reservation and surrounding areas through community-based projects. Crow Fair Pow Wow says its mission is to support and promote Apsaalooke Crow cultural traditions and ceremonial practices. Leadership Wyoming describes its mission as inspiring Wyoming’s leaders through exploration and connection. Other recipients include organizations whose stated missions address rural and tribal leadership, community development, children’s learning, and food assistance.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 36 grants totaling $413,434. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $81,088, with a median of $2,500.
The largest reported grants included $81,088 to the City of Lodge Grass for the mayor’s salary and $80,000 to Helping Hands Food Bank for operational support. Other notable awards included $33,800 to Messengers for Health for a development director position, $30,018 to Mountain Shadow for certification training, and $25,000 to Crow Fair Pow Wow for staff support and cultural programming. The foundation also awarded $25,000 to The Nature Conservancy - Wyoming for youth tribal engagement in northern Wyoming and $20,200 to Leadership Montana for scholarships for Indigenous leaders.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Harvey Stewart, Michelle Sullivan, Christine Scott, and Dana Andersson as directors; James R Scott as president; and Courtney Scott as program director.
Foundation for Community Vitality is led by James R Scott, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 6 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James R Scott
President
Secretary & Treasurer → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Courtney Scott
Program Director
President → Program Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$41K (2020) → $73K (2025)
Christine Scott
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Harvey Stewart
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Sullivan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dana Andersson
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $73K, to Courtney Scott (Program Director).
Frequently asked questions about Foundation for Community Vitality
How much does Foundation for Community Vitality give each year?
Foundation for Community Vitality gave $413K across 36 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $264K across 18 grants.
What is Foundation for Community Vitality's typical grant size?
Foundation for Community Vitality's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $11,484, across 36 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Foundation for Community Vitality that year got $5K on average.
Where does Foundation for Community Vitality give grants?
Foundation for Community Vitality gives mostly in Montana: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Wyoming (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lodge Grass, MT (7 grants), Hardin, MT (6 grants), Crow Agency, MT (5 grants) and Bozeman, MT (5 grants).
Does Foundation for Community Vitality give general operating support?
Yes: 19% of Foundation for Community Vitality's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 36) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Padlock Tour Honorarium" (5 grants).
Who are Foundation for Community Vitality's largest grantees?
Foundation for Community Vitality's largest 2025 grantees include City of Lodge Grass ($111,160 across 7 grants), Helping Hands Food Bank ($80,000) and Messengers for Health ($45,968 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Foundation for Community Vitality?
Foundation for Community Vitality reported $3.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $541K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $550K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Foundation for Community Vitality fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations and activities including municipal and nonprofit operations, community health, food assistance, cultural programming, and leadership development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Foundation for Community Vitality?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Foundation for Community Vitality's EIN?
Foundation for Community Vitality's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1376323. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Foundation for Community Vitality accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Foundation for Community Vitality's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Foundation for Community Vitality funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/foundation-for-community-vitality-morg_7f7953846afa4074be2e15873aadaec5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_841376323_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Foundation for Community Vitality funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/foundation-for-community-vitality-morg_7f7953846afa4074be2e15873aadaec5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Foundation for Community Vitality's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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