Signal Peak Community Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker HELENA, MT EIN: 45-2708352 Website

Signal Peak Community Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) foundation established in 2011 and based in Helena, Montana. The foundation is funded exclusively by Signal Peak Energy, an underground coal mining operation located in Roundup, Montana. The foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of Signal Peak Energy's commitment to community development.

Key facts about Signal Peak Community Foundation

EIN: 45-2708352
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $236,168
Grants made (2024): 21
Average grant: $11,246
Median grant: $5,000
Primary geography: Montana (95% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
How to apply: The foundation operates two funding rounds annually with application deadlines of April 15 and September 15.

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Signal Peak Community Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Signal Peak Community Foundation's 21 itemized 2024 grants were Montana (95%). The most frequent recipient cities were Roundup, MT (6 grants), Melstone, MT (3 grants) and Billings, MT (2 grants). None of its 21 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships Paid Directly to College." (4 grants).

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$236K

+3.6% YoY

Grant Count

+10.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$11K

-6.2% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's grantmaking emphasizes:

Infrastructure-related projects
Projects where the sponsoring organization covers part of the project costs
Locally-focused spending
Avoidance of operating costs or personnel funding

Recent grant activity demonstrates support across diverse areas including scholarships, fire department equipment, sports field improvements, wildfire response, and meal programs for low-income children.

Grantmaking

The foundation operates two funding rounds annually with application deadlines of April 15 and September 15. Applicants are expected to attend board meetings to answer questions about their applications. Grant awards are announced following the application deadlines.

Review Cycle

of April 15 and September 15. Applicants are expected to attend board meetings to answer questions about their applications. Grant awards are announced following the application deadlines.

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Signal Peak Community Foundation exclusively funds projects in Musselshell County, Montana. The foundation prioritizes grant funds to be spent locally when possible.

Grant Distribution by State

Montana $224K (95%)

Wyoming $7K (3%)

North Dakota $3K (1%)

Massachusetts $2K (1%)

Oklahoma $1K (0%)

Share of all 21 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

Colorado Iowa Idaho Massachusetts Maryland Montana North Dakota Oklahoma Wyoming

Cities

RoundupMelstoneButteBillingsHelenaBozemanChestertownChestnut HillAlvaHavreMusselshellShepherdSheridanWintersetCoeur DaleneDenverKalispellLaramieLavinaLewistown

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $1,746,170
Total Revenue: $476,954
Total Expenses: $237,590
Total Liabilities: $0
Total Giving: $236,168

The foundation maintains no employees and operates with volunteer leadership.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	—	—	—
Revenue	—	—	—
Expenses	—	—	—
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	—	—	—
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

88 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Musselshell County ($60,573), City of Roundup ($34,519), Town of Melstone ($26,469).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
MUSSELSHELL COUNTY ROUNDUP, MT	DES, UTV, LAW ENFORCEMENT BULLETPROOF VESTS	$60,573
CITY OF ROUNDUP ROUNDUP, MT	SECURITY CAMERAS, MURAL AND LIGHTS	$34,519
TOWN OF MELSTONE MELSTONE, MT	GRANT FOR PARK RENOVATIONS	$26,469
MELSTONE PUBLIC SCHOOLS MELSTONE, MT	TECHNOLOGY GRANT	$17,842
MONTANA TECH OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA BUTTE, MT	KOMBOL, KOMBOL AND OLSON SCHOLARSHIPS	$15,500
MUSSELSHELL GOLDEN VALLEY 4-H COUNCIL ROUNDUP, MT	TO FUND CONSTRUCTION OF LIVESTOCK SHOW RING AND INITIAL SITE WORK FOR NEW 4-H BUILDING.	$14,759
MELSTONE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT MELSTONE, MT	FURNACE PURCHASE	$14,722
ROUNDUP MARKET ROUNDUP, MT	TRAILER	$12,750
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY - NORTHERN HAVRE, MT	BILDEN SCHOLARSHIP	$7,000
ROUNDUP BASEBALL INC ROUNDUP, MT	CHALKER, FIELD GROOMER	$5,456

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Charles Denowh serves in an administration role with the foundation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
ALAN OLSON	VICE CHAIRMAN	1	—
CHAD SEALEY	CHAIRMAN	1	—
SUE OLSON	SECRETARY/TREASURER	1	—
SANDRA JONES	DIRECTOR	1	—
TOM HOUGEN	DIRECTOR	1	—
PARKER PHIPPS	DIRECTOR	1	—

Contact Information

Phone: (406) 323-4500

Email: [email protected]

Website: signalpeakfoundation.org

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Signal Peak Community Foundation fund?

The mission of Signal Peak Community Foundation is to provide funding for projects aimed at building a stronger community in Musselshell County. The foundation welcomes applications from charitable and non-profit organizations for both one-time and ongoing projects. The foundation's grantmaking emphasizes: • Infrastructure-related projects • Projects where the sponsoring organization covers part of the project costs • Locally-focused spending • Avoidance of operating costs or personnel funding …

How do I apply for a grant from Signal Peak Community Foundation?

**Application Process:** The foundation operates two funding rounds annually with application deadlines of April 15 and September 15. Applicants are expected to attend board meetings to answer questions about their applications. Grant awards are announced following the application deadlines. **Grant Activity:** Recent grants include: • Melstone Volunteer Fire Department: $14,722 (furnace purchase) • Roundup Baseball: $5,456 (field equipment) • Montana State University Billings Foundation: $2,50…

Where does Signal Peak Community Foundation make grants?

Signal Peak Community Foundation exclusively funds projects in Musselshell County, Montana. The foundation prioritizes grant funds to be spent locally when possible.

What size grants does Signal Peak Community Foundation award?

In 2024, Signal Peak Community Foundation awarded 21 grants totaling $236K — an average of about $11K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is Signal Peak Community Foundation's EIN?

Signal Peak Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-2708352. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.