With support from First Interstate Bank, Montana Community Foundation (MCF) is proud to announce the grant program, ReImagine What Is Possible. As one of the twenty-five communities who participated in the Reimagining Rural Virtual Gathering, Chinook is eligible to apply for the MCF grant. The application process opened on October 16.

The purpose of the grant program is to support projects, programs, or initiatives that result from ideas learned during the Reimagining Rural Virtual Gathering (RR2). Grants, which must be made to a 501c3 nonprofit or the local MSU Extension Office, are intended to fund one or more “big easy win” project(s) inspired by participation in RR2.

From its pool of at least $20,000, MCF will award individual grants ranging from $500 to $2,000, depending on the number of communities that meet the minimum requirements. Although only one application per community will be accepted, an application can contain more than one project.

To be eligible, the participating community must have shared in all three sessions of RR2. If a community was unable to join in live RR2 sessions due to COVID-19 restrictions on gathering, they can maintain eligibility for the grant by having participating community members view the recorded sessions.

Because more community partners will typically imply increased community buy-in, projects that involve a local community foundation in some way will receive higher priority for funding. In addition to the project’s description, applications must explain how the funding request is connected to what was learned in RR2.

Ideally, grant funds are expended within six months of being awarded; however, exceptions are allowed if more time is needed to finalize projects. In their grant reports, recipients will be asked to complete a simple retelling of how the grant was used, who was involved, and how the project(s) benefited the participants and/or the community. Grant reports are requested within three months following the project’s completion.

According to MSU Extension Agent, Juli Snedigar, Chinook will be submitting a grant application once the small committee meets to collaborate on the project they wish to submit.

Other communities eligible to participate and in the field of competition for grants are Joliet, Broadus (Powder River County), Seeley Lake, Livingston, Forsyth, Shelby, Ekalaka, Roundup, Harlowton, Malta, Superior (Mineral County), Columbus, Deer Lodge, Townsend, Conrad, Glendive, Baker, Laurel, Lewistown, Thompson Falls, Hays – Fort Belknap, Poplar, Anaconda, and Havre.