Idaho and Montana Grant Program

The Idaho and Montana Grant Program, managed by the Steele-Reese Foundation, focuses on supporting rural communities through educational, health, conservation, and arts initiatives. Grants are available exclusively to federally tax-exempt organizations serving these areas. The Foundation prioritizes projects that directly benefit low-income and underrepresented populations, emphasizing sustainable community development. Interested applicants should ensure their projects align with the Foundation's criteria, as only select proposals will be funded.

To track the number of LOIs received to date, log on to your account and click the Apply section. You must complete the online LOI form, and submit it for your inquiry to be considered. We recommend that you save your work frequently while completing an LOI on our grant portal.
The Steele-Reese Foundation is a charitable trust committed to supporting rural communities and the tax-exempt entities that serve them in Idaho, Montana, in the Native nations that share the geography, and in Appalachian Kentucky. Since its inception, the Foundation has maintained a focus on the unique challenges of rural living and on helping people build healthy, successful, and sustainable communities.
We support Rural Education, Rural Human/Social Services, Rural Conservation and Preservation, Rural Health, and Rural Arts and Humanities projects. Applications from organizations operating outside of the Foundation's regional or programming areas are not eligible for funding. Please check back periodically for the latest updates about the Foundation's priorities and application policies.
In its Idaho and Montana Grant Program, The Steele-Reese Foundation makes grants only to federally tax-exempt entities for work in rural Idaho and Montana communities, and in Native nations with whom we share this geography.
Rural Education
In both the Appalachian Kentucky and Idaho and Montana Grant Programs, the Foundation focuses on early childhood to Grade 12 education programming. Examples include funding for supplemental programs in early childhood education settings; elementary, middle, and high school programs that improve outcomes for students; support of literacy programs and out-of-school-time services; and charter schools and other model school programs that provide quality educational options for students and families. The Foundation does not accept applications to directly fund higher education, though we will consider early childhood to Grade 12 programs operated by colleges or universities or state or local education districts.
The Foundation considers education projects that demonstrate a comprehensive level of engagement with participants that result in clear and measurable outcomes. We are not able to fund those projects with single or limited interactions with students or those whose primary outcome is to raise awareness or introduce a concept.
The Foundation also supports a small college scholarship program only for graduates of high schools in Lemhi and Custer Counties, Idaho.
Rural Human/Social Services
In the Idaho and Montana Grant Program, the Foundation considers programs in support of low-income and under-represented populations, including elders, homeless individuals, people living with disabilities, young children, disadvantaged or disconnected older youth, young people or adults involved in the criminal justice system, and survivors of abuse or domestic violence. Programming within this area also includes support to local libraries, fire-protection services, and local food banks.
Rural Conservation and Preservation
In the Idaho and Montana Grant Program, the Foundation considers land, water, and wildlife conservation; historic preservation and restoration projects; and ecosystem protection programs. All conservation or environmental programs must be locally focused on rural communities or landscapes.
National organizations are eligible for support only if all Steele-Reese Foundation funds will be employed directly in projects located in the geographical areas served by the Foundation and if the coordinating entity can demonstrate substantial connections to the people and organizations in these areas.
Rural Health
In the Idaho and Montana Grant Program, the Foundation considers services in preventive health programs; medical clinics; small hospitals; EMS and ambulance units; family-planning programs, and hospices. The Foundation is not able to support major equipment purchases for rural medical facilities.
Rural Arts and Humanities
In the Idaho and Montana Grant Program, the Foundation considers local arts programs, and the broader support of creative arts activities and efforts to maintain the rich histories of the Foundation’s funding geographies.
Capital Improvements and Campaigns
In all program areas, the Foundation makes a limited number of grants for capital improvements, fixtures, and remodeling, retrofitting, and building new structures. In projects involving the building of a new facility or other large-scale capital endeavors, we typically make these grants only during the closing phases when a substantial portion of the required funds are already in hand.
Funding
The minimum grant awarded by the Foundation is $5,000. We rarely make grants of up to $50,000 for a single year or make multi-year grants.

Eligibility

Criteria - The criteria that follow relate to each of the program areas listed above and offer guidance to prospective applicants. Proposed projects should: Serve rural areas;Help people to help themselves;Be modest and direct in aim;Be narrow in function;Be based on experience;Demonstrate community financial, in-kind, or other support;Be essential, rather than merely desirable; andYield a direct and measurable, rather than a remote, benefit to people .Be conducted by competent, practical organizations and managers and demonstrate strong leadership capacity at both the organizational and program level. The Foundation considers requests from 501(c) 3 organizations and from governmental entities or agencies such as schools, fire departments, and libraries.The Foundation will only consider requests that benefit rural communities in Idaho, Montana, and in Native nations with whom we share this geography.

Ineligibility

No grants are made to individuals or to organizations that have not been recognized as federally tax-exempt by the Internal Revenue Service.The Foundation does not accept applications to directly fund higher education, though we will consider early childhood to Grade 12 programs run by colleges or universities or state or local education districts. Applications from organizations operating outside of these regional or program areas are not eligible for funding consideration.We will not consider requests for work benefiting urban or suburban areas, or those more rural areas immediately adjacent, or in close proximity, to an urbanized area. In Idaho, urban areas include the Boise-Nampa Metropolitan Statistical Area, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Coeur d’Alene, Twin Falls, Lewiston, Post Falls, Rexburg, Moscow, and their suburbs. In Montana, urban areas include Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Bozeman, Butte, Helena, Kalispell, and their suburbsThe Foundation will not consider proposals for support of projects to assist with any of the following:

• Endowment funds
• Emergencies
• Community funds and charity drives
• Conferences and workshops or their related travel
• Documentaries
• Efforts to influence elections directly or indirectly
• Planning, research, experimental, or untested projects
• Athletic or academic competitions, or related travel
• Summer camps
• Efforts to promulgate religious or political beliefs or agendas