Red Ants Pants Foundation Community Grant Program

The Red Ants Pants Foundation Community Grant Program supports projects that enrich rural communities in Montana. Grants are awarded to organizations and individuals aligned with the Foundation's mission, focusing on leadership for women, preservation of family farms, and community development. Eligible applicants must demonstrate community support and the potential for significant local impact. With over $190,000 granted in the past cycles, this initiative fosters collaboration and growth in small towns, ensuring that rural voices are heard and valued.

Each year, with proceeds from the Red Ants Pants Music Festival, the Red Ants Pants Foundation awards grants to organizations and individuals whose projects further our mission. Our granting is focused on projects that align with our mission pillar of enriching and promoting rural communities. Now having completed our eleventh grant cycle, the Red Ants Pants Foundation has granted over $190,000 to well over 100 entities across nearly every corner of Montana.
​Eligible individuals or organizations must have a mission and values in alignment with the Foundation and demonstrate that the grant award will be used in a way that furthers the mission and values of the Red Ants Pants Foundation.
The Mission of the Red Ants Pants Foundation:

• To develop and expand leadership roles for women.To preserve and support working family farms and ranches.To enrich and promote rural communities.
• The Values of the Red Ants Pants Foundation:

To recognize and cultivate a strong work ethic.To encourage and build self-reliance, especially for women.To educate the public on the importance of maintaining traditional work skills.To provide opportunities for people with different perspectives to connect, build bridges, and discover common ground.
Priority Area - Enrich and promote rural communities
Proposed projects should:
Primarily serve rural areas in the state of Montana Demonstrate community support via financial or in-kind donations, matches, volunteers, partnerships etcBe spearheaded by competent individuals and/or organizations that demonstrate strong leadership capacity and the ability to leverage resourcesDemonstrate an impact on the quality of life through tangible effects on the local community
Examples include but are not limited to:
Community educational resources such as libraries, museumsCommunity gatherings or eventsPublic gathering spaces - bring back the dance halls!Community cultural education sessions, gatherings, or organizations Training for local leaders Agricultural or civic organizations with programs or resources that support rural areasOther projects that are important in your community

Eligibility

Applications are open to nonprofit organizations, LLC or businesses, and in some cases, individuals. Eligible individuals or organizations must be seeking funds for a project that aligns with the mission and values of the Red Ants Pants Foundation and demonstrate that the grant award will be used in a way that furthers the mission and values of the Red Ants Pants Foundation. The Red Ants Pants Foundation will consider grants for capital improvements for existing or building new structures. However due to the limited funds, grants for capital projects are generally only made when a substantial portion of the required funds is already in hand.Funds The Foundation will consider applications for general operating funds, as well as specific projects

Ineligibility

The Foundation will not fund political organizations, events or candidates. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.