Moonlight Community Foundation
Moonlight Community Foundation is based in Big Sky, Montana, and is a public charity that serves as the charitable arm of the Moonlight Community. It supports initiatives for youth education, conservation, and underserved needs benefiting the Big Sky community.
Moonlight Community Foundation at a glance
In short: Moonlight Community Foundation gave $945K across 36 grants in 2026 (avg $26K), mostly in Montana. 34% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $945,269
- Grants made (2026)
- 36
- Average grant
- $26,257
- Median grant
- $13,500
- Total assets
- $1,732,650
- New grantees (estimate)
- 34% first-time grantees (12 of 35, 2026)
- Primary geography
- Montana (100% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Moonlight Community Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Eligible applicants must be public charities with tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3). Applications should propose a new project or program, or an expansion or continued support of a proven one, with high impact and a transformative effect. The project must operate within the Big Sky Community region and serve people living there. Capital projects require the applicant to own the property or have at least five years remaining on its lease. The full grant must generally be used within 12 months. Applications are submitted online. Grantees sign a contract and submit a one-page progress report; the website specifies a midterm report within six months of receiving funds.
- Review Cycle
- The foundation runs spring and fall grant cycles, with stated deadlines of April 15 and October 15.
- Deadline
- The foundation runs spring and fall grant cycles, with stated deadlines of April 15 and October 15.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 161013, Big Sky, MT 59716
Phone: (406) 552-2960
Website: https://moonlightcommunityfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Moonlight Community Foundation
Who Moonlight Community Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Big Sky School Parent Teacher Organization ($114K). Together the top 10 received $669K.
Grant Size Distribution
129 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 113 grants of 129 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s grant criteria require funded projects to operate within the Big Sky Community geographic region and serve people who live there. The 2026 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to recipients in Montana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Moonlight Community Foundation open to new grantees?
34%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 12 of 35 grantees (34%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $37K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $25K repeat.
- Giving grew 38% from 2023 to 2026. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2026). 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 2019 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $255K (2019) to $945K (2026). In 2026 it made 36 grants totaling $945K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Big Sky School Parent Teacher Organization Gallatin Gateway, MT | Big Sky PTO Cost of Living Allowance | $113,800 |
| Wellness in Action Big Sky, MT | Affordable Counseling Program | $100,000 |
| Big Sky Community Organization Big Sky, MT | Camp Big Sky Capacity / Community Connection | $96,320 |
| Big Sky Community Housing Trust Big Sky, MT | Rent Local Incentive Program | $80,000 |
| Morningstar Learning Center Big Sky, MT | Sustainable Childcare Operations | $70,000 |
| Big Sky Rotary Foundation Big Sky, MT | Big Sky Bandage and Community Support Group Funding | $47,500 |
| Big Sky Community Food Bank Big Sky, MT | Workforce food security & social services / hrdc transportation / emergency supplemental | $46,660 |
| Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization (Sno) Big Sky, MT | Energy efficiency & conservation / community composting / one less car | $40,140 |
| Be Well Big Sky Big Sky, MT | Building Org. Infrastructure / Navigator Network | $40,000 |
| Gallatin River Task Force Big Sky, MT | Gallatin River Restoration / Education & Outreach | $35,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Moonlight Community Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $1,732,650 | $1,569,271 | $1,244,920 | $945,269 | 36 | $70,748 |
| 2024 | $1,258,655 | $1,063,697 | $959,374 | $767,200 | 25 | $38,941 |
| 2023 | $1,128,981 | $1,008,036 | $851,367 | $685,341 | 25 | $-1,538 |
| 2022 | $969,242 | $912,063 | $710,210 | $587,134 | 26 | $-553 |
| 2021 | $770,167 | $833,417 | $487,254 | $319,436 | 17 | $-1,845 |
| 2020 | $418,753 | $589,669 | $470,733 | $358,467 | 18 | $1,508 |
| 2019 | $283,431 | $410,889 | $298,067 | $254,813 | 22 | $8,351 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to support initiatives for youth education, conservation, and underserved needs benefiting the Big Sky community. Its website describes its funding as supporting programs and initiatives in those areas.
Its 2026 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supports. Wellness In Action describes its mission as providing a network of mental and behavioral health resources to people who live or work in Big Sky. Big Sky Community Housing Trust says it works to increase housing availability for the local workforce and economy. Morningstar Learning Center describes its work as providing reliable childcare, early education, and supportive resources for young children and families. Gallatin River Task Force says its mission is to protect and restore the Gallatin River and inspire stewardship.
Grantmaking
The 2026 filing reports 36 grants totaling $945,269. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $113,800, with a median of $13,500. The largest awards included $113,800 to Big Sky School Parent Teacher Organization for a cost-of-living allowance; $100,000 to Wellness In Action for an affordable counseling program; $96,320 to Big Sky Community Organization for Camp Big Sky capacity and community connection; and $80,000 to Big Sky Community Housing Trust for its Rent Local incentive program.
Other 2026 awards included $70,000 to Morningstar Learning Center for sustainable childcare operations, $46,660 to Big Sky Community Food Bank for workforce food security and related services, and $35,000 to Gallatin River Task Force for river restoration, education, and outreach. The 2025 annual report says the foundation distributed $1,000,396 that year and supported 39 organizations and 51 initiatives.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Bob Rhea as board chair; Lynn Kelley and Liz Kelly as vice chairs; Jerry Hood as treasurer; and Jill Nelson as secretary. Directors listed are Ania Bulis, Kevin Germain, Julie Peinado, Erik Morrison, and Heather Morris. The foundation’s website identifies Anna Shipley as executive director.
Moonlight Community Foundation is led by Anna Shipley, Executive Director on every filing since 2022; none of the 13 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Anna Shipley
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$51K (2022) → $0 (2026)
Bob Rhea
Board Chair
Director → Board Vice Chair, 2022
Board Vice Chair → Board Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ania Bulis
Director
Vice Chairperson → Board Vice Chair, 2020
Board Vice Chair → Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heather Morris
Director
Chairperson → Board Chair, 2020
Board Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Peinado
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Germain
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erik Morrison
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Greg Wagner
Director
New on the 2026 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Shearson
Director
New on the 2026 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jerry Hood
Treasurer
Director → Board Treasurer, 2021
Board Treasurer → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Liz Kelly
Vice Chair
Director → Board Secretary, 2022
Board Secretary → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jill Nelson
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2026
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lynn Kelley
Vice Chair
Director → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2026
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Katharine Stowe (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: John Geisler (2019–2021) — Board Secretary
- Former: Amy Smith (2019–2020) — Board Treasurer
- Former: Larry Landry (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2023 filing was $64K, to Anna Shipley (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Moonlight Community Foundation
How much does Moonlight Community Foundation give each year?
Moonlight Community Foundation gave $945K across 36 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990.
What is Moonlight Community Foundation's typical grant size?
Moonlight Community Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $13,500, and its average grant was $26,257, across 36 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Moonlight Community Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Moonlight Community Foundation give grants?
Moonlight Community Foundation gives mostly in Montana: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Bozeman, MT (17 grants), Big Sky, MT (14 grants) and Gallatin Gateway, MT (3 grants).
Does Moonlight Community Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 36 grants with a stated purpose on Moonlight Community Foundation's 2026 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Moonlight Community Foundation's largest grantees?
Moonlight Community Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Big Sky School Parent Teacher Organization ($113,800), Wellness in Action ($100,000) and Big Sky Community Organization ($96,320), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Moonlight Community Foundation?
Moonlight Community Foundation reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.6M.
What does Moonlight Community Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to support initiatives for youth education, conservation, and underserved needs benefiting the Big Sky community. Its website describes its funding as supporting programs and initiatives in those areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Moonlight Community Foundation?
Eligible applicants must be public charities with tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3). Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Moonlight Community Foundation's EIN?
Moonlight Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 80-0941705. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2026.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 30, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 26, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS July 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Moonlight Community Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Moonlight Community Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/moonlight-community-foundation-morg_bc1bb614d61947dc9478150f19bcd3d0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_800941705_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Moonlight Community Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/moonlight-community-foundation-morg_bc1bb614d61947dc9478150f19bcd3d0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Moonlight Community Foundation'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.
Moonlight Community Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?