SLCF Community Grants Program

The Seeley Lake Community Foundation (SLCF) offers the SLCF Community Grant Programs to support local initiatives that enhance the quality of life in Seeley Lake, MT. The foundation prioritizes projects in education, arts, community development, natural resources, and basic human needs. Eligible organizations must be tax-exempt and serve the community directly. The SLCF values proposals with broad community impact and strong partnerships, making it an ideal opportunity for collaborative projects.

The Seeley Lake Community Foundation helps local groups fund important community projects. In this capacity, the SLCF strives to be a community resource and catalyst for innovative approaches to improving the quality of life in Seeley Lake, MT.
Education
Projects and efforts that seek to close the achievement gap among students.
Projects that foster creativity and experiential learning in the classroom.
Projects that promote literacy and life-long learning.
Collaborative projects with other teachers, non-profit organizations (such as museums, libraries, theater
companies, human service agencies, etc.) and business-education entities.
Arts & Culture
Projects that broaden, deepen, and diversify the public’s awareness of and engagement in local arts and
cultural activities. Projects that increase the creation and performance of art forms that reflect the diversity and cultural
Projects that offer children and youth experiences in the arts.
Projects that seek to increase the venues for art exhibition and performances.
Collaborative projects with other non-profit organizations, government agencies, and business entities.
Community Development
Projects that help strengthen our economy and build financial stability for our community.
Projects that work to unify and build community support and capacity to improve the quality of life for all
members of the community. Projects that create or retain jobs in our community.
Projects that support affordable housing initiatives in the community.
Projects that promote and recognize citizen volunteerism. Projects that promote the physical development of a town center and hub for activities.
Collaborative projects with other non-profit organizations, government agencies, and business entities.
Natural Resources & Conservation
Projects that promote positive stewardship of our timber, water and other natural resources.
Projects that recognize and protect the unique ecological setting of the Seeley Lake region.
Projects that provide opportunities in environmental education and conservation.
Projects that promote open space and greater recreational opportunities.
Collaborative projects with other non-profit organizations or government agencies to ensure sustainability
of the regions natural resources.
Basic Human Needs
Projects that help low-income and disadvantaged children and adults meet basic needs for food, clothing,
and emergency and permanent housing. Projects that address family violence.
Projects that expand opportunities for persons with disabilities
Projects that initiate or strengthen services for recovery from illness or substance abuse.
Collaborative projects with other non-profit organizations (such as community medical services, hospitals,
government agencies, human service agencies, etc.) to provide dependable, basic services to community members.
The Seeley Lake Community Foundation will consider requests for special projects, ongoing programs, and one-time capital projects.
What generally has a better chance of being funded:

• Proposals with broad community impact, or that touch more than one of our 5 focus areas,
• Projects that will use these grant dollars to leverage other sources of funding
• Community partnerships

Eligibility

Applicant organization must be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or an
exempt governmental unit, hospital, educational institution, etc.. If applicant organization is not tax-exempt, it must be sponsored, in writing, by a tax-exempt organization.Tax-exempt status must exist at time of application.
Applicant organization must be located in and/or provide services that directly benefit the community of
Seeley Lake, Montana.

Ineligibility

As a general practice, the SLCF will not consider the following types of requests:
To benefit specific individuals.Grants to endowment funds.Loans, debt retirement, or to replace operational deficits.Contributions to organizations whose policy or practice discriminates against race, ethnic origin, sex,
religion, or sexual orientation when employing staff or providing services.Contributions to sectarian or religious organizations whose principal activity is for the benefit of their own
members or adherents. Please note, funding for staff time/salaries is typically not provided.