Great Falls Area Community Foundation

Mission

To provide opportunities for visionary philanthropy to the Great Falls area by connecting people who care with causes that matter now and far into the future.

Great Falls Area Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Montana Community Foundation.

History

The Great Falls Area Community Foundation (GFACF) is the successor of the Montana Community Foundation’s C. M. Russell Region. Since the early 1990s, the C. M. Russell Region acted primarily as a re-granting organization for pass-through funds from MCF to 501c3s in a nine county area. GFACF has changed its mission and focus and now serves as a community foundation for the Great Falls area. We believe a community foundation, as a permanent source of funding, is a community’s savings account preserved in an endowment. GFACF makes grants from its distributable funds and is a way for donors to invest in the community to help them meet their charitable goals.

Upcoming Events

Nonprofit Workshops in Great Falls

Fundraising & the Art of the Ask

Featuring local nonprofit leaders and Jim Bennett

Time: 8:30 a.m.–noon
Cost: $20 - register here
Location: Alliance for Youth, 3220 11th Avenue South, Great Falls
Breakfast and refreshments provided

Join the Montana Community Foundation at Alliance for Youth to explore trends shaping charitable giving and how your organization can respond.

The morning begins with a panel of three local nonprofit leaders sharing fundraising strategies that work in Great Falls. Then, Jim Bennett will explore donor motivations and show you how to tailor your messaging and build a framework for donor preparation, cultivation, and stewardship.

About Jim Bennett

Jim is Vice President of Philanthropy at the Montana Community Foundation. Based in Havre, he brings extensive experience in relationship management, fund development, and donor stewardship. Before joining MCF, he served as a Relationship Manager at Northwest Farm Credit Services and Executive Director of the MSU Northern Alumni Foundation.

Schedule

  • 8:30 a.m. — Doors open; breakfast served
  • 9:05 a.m. — Welcome from Great Falls Area Community Foundation
  • 9:30 a.m. — Fundraising panel with three local nonprofit leaders, moderated by Thomas Risberg
  • 10 a.m. — Break
  • 10:15 a.m. — The Art of the Ask with Jim Bennett

 

Nonprofit Accounting

With Justin Campos

Time: 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Cost: $20 - register here
Location: Alliance for Youth, 3220 11th Avenue South, Great Falls
Lunch and refreshments provided

New to the nonprofit world or getting started with your organization’s finances? Learn the essentials of nonprofit bookkeeping, reporting, and legal requirements.

Justin Campos, Senior Advisor with Advisors for Change, will guide you through practices that help keep your financial records transparent, accurate, useful, and timely—so your organization can make informed decisions and focus on its mission.

About Justin Campos

Justin earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s in organizational management in accounting from the University of Great Falls. He served as Chief Financial Officer and later Chief Operating Officer at the C.M. Russell Museum before becoming a partner with Advisors for Change.

Schedule

  • Noon — Lunch served
  • 12:10 p.m. — Welcome from Great Falls Area Community Foundation
  • 12:15 p.m. — Review of nonprofit basics with Great Falls Area Community Foundation
  • 12:45 p.m. — Nonprofit accounting presentation with Justin Campos

GFACF Board

  • Sarah Cawley - Chair
  • Jonathan Mungle - Treasurer
  • Katherine Archibald
  • Greg Ferriter
  • Maggie McDaniel
  • Tracy McIntyre
  • Brian Patrick
  • Larry Phillips
  • Raymond Porter
  • Sheila Rice

Vision and Values

Vision Statement: The vision of the Great Falls Area Community Foundation is to develop sustainable resources to support projects that will help create a safe, vibrant, and livable community.

Values Statement: The Great Falls Area Community Foundation is committed to improving the community's quality of life by addressing unmet needs and fulfilling unrealized opportunities.

We value:
Generosity and believe that the GFACF is a good steward of resources that belong to the community;

All community members and treat all persons with honesty, integrity, and fairness;

Collaboration and believe we can serve as a catalyst for discussions of community needs by convening philanthropy workshops and presentations.

Good Works

Because the Great Falls Area Community Foundation believes that a visioning process is fundamental to community change and growth, GFACF provides leadership opportunities and matching funding to assist in Leadership Great Falls Class projects. LGF is a comprehensive training program sponsored by the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. Its purpose is to educate and motivate existing and potential leaders by encouraging community involvement for the betterment of the community.

The VISION GREAT FALLS XPO LGF 2009 class project gathered support, participation and input from existing community programs, leaders, and residents regarding community vision. They brought together all the ideas and concepts they found and through Vision XPO provided a forum for moving the ideas beyond concepts to actions benefiting our community.

GFACF provided matching funds for the Leadership Great Falls project to fund My Student in Need, a local charity that works with teachers to make sure school children have their needs for school supplies, clothing, and other items fulfilled.

Another grant was to the Upper Missouri River Heritage Area Planning Corporation for matching funds to complete the feasibility study for the Heritage Area, which would promote economic development and tourism in Central Montana.

The GFACF has provided grants to local nonprofits to improve our community and support the arts, culture, human needs, economic development, and education.

Support Great Falls Area Community Foundation

Donate now

Contributions can be mailed to:

Great Falls Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1896, Great Falls, MT 59403

Download GFACF Giving Book