The Greater Montana Foundation
The Greater Montana Foundation is a private foundation based in Helena, Montana. Founded in 1958 by broadcaster Ed Craney, it supports communication benefiting Montanans, with an emphasis on electronic media and issues important to present and future generations.
The Greater Montana Foundation at a glance
In short: The Greater Montana Foundation gave $372K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in Montana. 68% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $372,250
- +3.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- +10.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,920
- -5.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $8,287,641
- -0.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 68% first-time grantees (15 of 22, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Montana (84% 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 The Greater Montana Foundation
- How to Apply
For general grants, applicants are instructed to discuss their project and eligibility with the Grants Manager before starting an application, then submit the online application with the required budget template and…
For general grants, applicants are instructed to discuss their project and eligibility with the Grants Manager before starting an application, then submit the online application with the required budget template and supporting materials. The website says the 2026 round is closed and the 2027 round is expected to open in February 2027. Commercial grant applications may be submitted at any time for qualifying time-sensitive projects.
- Review Cycle
- The 2025 general-grant deadline listed on the foundation’s filing was April 1, 2025, a past deadline. The foundation’s website says the 2026 round is closed; it does not specify a deadline for the 2027 round.
- Deadline
- The 2025 general-grant deadline listed on the foundation’s filing was April 1, 2025, a past deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Charlene Porsild Executive Director
Mailing address: 1750 N Washington St, Helena, MT 59601
Phone: (406) 698-8623
Website: https://greatermontana.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Greater Montana Foundation
Who The Greater Montana Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Montana Broadcasters Association ($45K). Together the top 10 received $276K.
Grant Size Distribution
102 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 101 grants of 102 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated mission centers on issues important to Montanans, and its general-grant criteria usually exclude projects focused on issues outside Montana. In 2025, 84% of grant dollars went to recipients in Montana, 9% to California recipients, and 7% to recipients in Washington, D.C.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Greater Montana Foundation open to new grantees?
68%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 22 grantees (68%) 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 $14K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $23K repeat.
- 23% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $277K (2020) to $372K (2025). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $372K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Montana Broadcasters Association Clancy, MT | Eb Awards for Excellence in Commercial Broadcasting. | $45,000 |
| Montana PBS Bozeman, MT | For continued support of the friends of Montana pbs program fund. | $35,000 |
| From the Heart Productions Oxnard, CA | Support for the production of the film "healing under the big sky" about equine therapy in Montana and continued support for the production of "the Montana sessions" next season of episodes. | $33,000 |
| Maps Media Institute Hamilton, MT | Continued Support for Maps Media Institute. | $25,000 |
| Maps Fort Belknap Hamilton, MT | Continued support for operating the maps media institute-fort belknap program. | $25,000 |
| University of Montana Foundation Missoula, MT | Continued program support in various radio, online, and streaming programming. | $25,000 |
| National Geographic Society Washington, DC | Support for the production of the film "the grizzly among us" focused on grizzly bears in Montana and the issues surrounding them. | $25,000 |
| University of Montana School of Journalism Missoula, MT | In continued support for various student productions and internships. | $23,250 |
| Montana Free Press Helena, MT | For broadcast expansion providing support for Montana free press journalism. | $20,000 |
| Benchmark Wrestling Augusta, MT | Support for production of the film "benmarck" about a wrestling journey. | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Greater Montana Foundation?
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 | $8,287,641 | $546,602 | $546,234 | $372,250 | 22 | $487,853 | $478,221 | $470,080 |
| 2024 | $8,305,828 | $596,921 | $497,636 | $359,737 | 20 | $452,237 | $531,522 | $445,985 |
| 2023 | $8,226,003 | $444,764 | $470,751 | $344,500 | 22 | $423,632 | $381,645 | $410,250 |
| 2022 | $8,198,465 | $347,597 | $472,054 | $348,300 | 20 | $412,297 | $287,840 | $396,999 |
| 2021 | $8,465,029 | $1,049,851 | $436,853 | $327,135 | 18 | $377,310 | $845,566 | $451,284 |
| 2020 | $8,049,813 | $467,950 | $376,210 | $277,261 | 17 | — | $413,645 | $374,311 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Greater Montana Foundation reported a distributable amount of $470K 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
The foundation’s mission is to benefit the people of Montana by encouraging communication, especially through electronic media, on issues, trends, and values important to present and future generations of Montanans. Its website describes general-grant formats including educational films, documentaries, podcasts, and mini-series. It welcomes projects addressing priorities identified in a statewide media habits survey: inflation and cost of living, health care, jobs and the economy, the environment, and government spending and taxes.
The foundation says it generally does not fund fiction films, fundraising videos, marketing campaigns, projects focused on issues outside Montana, or political advocacy projects unless all sides of an issue are considered. It also usually does not fund staff salaries, equipment, general operating expenses, marketing or advertising, or indirect and facilities-administration costs. Applicants must be nonprofits or tax-exempt organizations; individuals may apply through a tax-exempt fiscal sponsor, which would manage any awarded funds.
The 2025 grants illustrate the kinds of organizations and projects supported. For example, the Montana Broadcasters Association describes its mission as promoting local, free over-the-air broadcasting and supporting Montana’s broadcasting industry. MAPS Media Institute says it empowers and prepares Montana’s next generation through professional media arts instruction, community engagement, and mentoring. Montana Free Press describes its mission as producing in-depth public service journalism about state and community issues relevant to Montanans.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $372,250. Awards ranged from $3,000 to $45,000, with a median grant of $12,500. The largest awards included $45,000 to the Montana Broadcasters Association for its EB Awards for Excellence in Commercial Broadcasting; $35,000 to Montana PBS for continued support of its Friends of Montana PBS program fund; and $33,000 to From the Heart Productions for film production support. Other notable awards included $25,000 each to MAPS Media Institute, MAPS Fort Belknap, the University of Montana Foundation, and the National Geographic Society.
The foundation has a separate commercial grant category for commercial broadcasters proposing time-sensitive news or public affairs programming on an urgent and critical issue. These proposals may be submitted at any time and are considered case by case. The foundation requires funded programs to be made available upon request to Montana media outlets, schools, and libraries. For general grants, it says projects should normally be completed within 12 months, and no matching funds are required. Its application instructions call for contacting the Grants Manager before applying and submitting the foundation’s budget template as part of the application.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2025 filing lists Brody Craney, Ronald Davis, Darlene Craney, Rob McDonald, Jim Senst, Bob Hermes, and Monty Wallis as trustees; Edwin Johnson as vice chairman; Mick Robinson as treasurer; and Mary Willmarth as secretary. The filing lists Charlene Porsild as executive director for grant-application inquiries.
The Greater Montana Foundation is led by Bruce Whittenberg, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 1 of 15 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Bruce Whittenberg
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
$26K (2022) → $7K (2025)
Charlene Porsild
Executive Director
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linda Gray
Chairman
Trustee → Chairman, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brody Craney
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Darlene Craney
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Senst
Trustee
Vice Chairman → Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leo Berry
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Monty Wallis
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rob McDonald
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronald Davis
Trustee
Chairman → Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sydni Tangaro
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bob Hermes
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edwin Johnson
Vice Chairman
Trustee → Vice Chairman, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Willmarth
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mick Robinson
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Sidney O'Malley Armstrong (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Fred Flanders (2020) — Treasurer
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 $7K, to Bruce Whittenberg (Executive Director (Prior)).
Frequently asked questions about The Greater Montana Foundation
How much does The Greater Montana Foundation give each year?
The Greater Montana Foundation gave $372K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $360K across 20 grants.
What is The Greater Montana Foundation's typical grant size?
The Greater Montana Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,500, and its average grant was $16,920, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Greater Montana Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does The Greater Montana Foundation give grants?
The Greater Montana Foundation gives mostly in Montana: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (9%) and District of Columbia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Missoula, MT (5 grants), Billings, MT (4 grants), Hamilton, MT (2 grants) and Bozeman, MT (2 grants).
Does The Greater Montana Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 5% of The Greater Montana Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Greater Montana Foundation's largest grantees?
The Greater Montana Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Montana Broadcasters Association ($45,000), Montana PBS ($35,000) and From the Heart Productions ($33,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Greater Montana Foundation?
The Greater Montana Foundation reported $8.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $488K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $470K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Greater Montana Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to benefit the people of Montana by encouraging communication, especially through electronic media, on issues, trends, and values important to present and future generations of Montanans. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Greater Montana Foundation?
For general grants, applicants are instructed to discuss their project and eligibility with the Grants Manager before starting an application, then submit the online application with the required budget template and… Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Greater Montana Foundation's EIN?
The Greater Montana Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-6009847. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 July 2, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Greater Montana Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Greater Montana Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-greater-montana-foundation-morg_f41abc33b4024f88a0954f547305bd01
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_816009847_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Greater Montana Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-greater-montana-foundation-morg_f41abc33b4024f88a0954f547305bd01},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 The Greater Montana 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.
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