Central Montana Foundation

What Central Montana Foundation does

Central Montana Foundation (CMF) is a Lewistown, Montana-based 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 1984 by a group of local businessmen, making it the oldest community foundation in Montana. It provides a consolidated philanthropic platform for Central Montana, serving local non-profit organizations seeking grants for healthcare, education, civic, recreational, and cultural projects; Central Montana students pursuing post-secondary education; and tax-exempt or short-term-campaign organizations needing a charitable-giving conduit. Its core products are Major Grants ($5,000+ annual awards decided at the May Annual Meeting), Permanent Endowments (minimum $2,500 to establish, principal preserved in perpetuity), Pass-through Accounts ($2,500 minimum, returned upon closure), Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), Scholarships channeled through nearly 80 scholarship endowments, and Rural Community Endowments operated across 11 rural committees.

Underlying operations are anchored in a fund-management portfolio exceeding $60 million in assets under management as of December 2024, supported by a professional investment committee and a donor portal (cmf.fcsuite.com/erp). CMF holds more than 300 funds in total, including 15 unrestricted permanent endowments, the 11 rural community endowments (Denton, Garfield County, Grass Range, Hobson, Judith Basin, Judith Gap, Moore, Petroleum County, Roy, Wheatland County, and Winifred), and roughly 80 scholarship endowments. Activity is run from a single office at 224 W. Main St., Suite 407, Lewistown, MT, under Executive Director Carrie Mantooth, with the Mildred Bryte Estate providing annual funding to the rural endowment network and a co-published quarterly Roundup newsletter with Medical Center Foundation used as the primary community-engagement channel.

The business model combines (i) endowment investment income derived from dividends and proportional payouts on pooled investments, governed by a Permanent Endowment Spending Policy, with (ii) administrative fees of 0.25% charged to account holders on permanent endowments and pass-through funds. Each year CMF typically disburses upwards of $200,000 to local organizations and more than $600,000 in scholarships. There is no evidence of equity funding, M&A activity, or technology platform expansion; growth in the business is driven by net contributions and investment returns rather than commercial sales.

Name

Central Montana Foundation

Legal name

Central Montana Foundation

Website

https://centralmontanafoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Central Montana Foundation is a Lewistown, Montana-based 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 1984 that manages $60M+ across 300+ funds, channeling annual grants and over $600,000 in scholarships to local non-profits, students, and rural community endowment committees in Central Montana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAB

Community Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYBPAGAKAK

Education Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYEDADAHAC

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Endowment management
• Grant administration
• Scholarship programs
• Donor advised funds

Headquarters

HQ city

Lewistown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Endowment Investment Income: Dividends and income earned from pooled investments are paid proportionally to all permanent endowments. CMF's Permanent Endowment Spending Policy provides annual allocation to the Spendable balance while preserving principal.
2. Administrative Fees: CMF charges a 0.25% administrative fee to account holders for permanent endowment and pass-through fund management services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Central Montana Foundation is a community foundation that manages donor contributions through permanent endowments, pass-through accounts, and donor advised funds under its 501(c)(3) umbrella. It administers annual major grants ($5,000+) to local non-profits and nearly 80 scholarship endowments for Central Montana students, while supporting 11 rural community endowment committees across the region.

Product overview

Central Montana Foundation offers a unified set of philanthropic services for the Central Montana area. The core offerings include Major Grants (annual $5,000+ awards), Permanent Endowments (long-term investment funds), Pass-through Accounts (short-term charitable vehicles), Donor Advised Funds (flexible giving accounts), Scholarships (totaling $600,000+ annually), and Rural Community Endowments (11 rural committee-based grant programs). These services work together to provide donors with tax-deductible giving mechanisms while supporting local organizations in healthcare, education, civic, recreational, and cultural sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Grants $200,000+ annually to local organizations
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Medical Center FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint publication of the quarterly Roundup newsletter with Medical Center Foundation, distributing community news and foundation updates to stakeholders.
• Sherry & Eric Silberhorn DAFminorOthersDonor Advised Fund holders who have contributed to the foundation and utilize its DAF services for philanthropic giving.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Whitefish Community Foundation: Local Montana community foundation serving the Flathead Valley with grants, scholarships, and endowment management. Comparable to CMF as a small, regionally focused community foundation with similar product offerings and rural operating model.
• Montana Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation in Montana offering grants, scholarships, donor advised funds, and endowment services. Directly comparable to CMF as a Montana-based community foundation with overlapping products (DAFs, scholarships, pass-through funds) and a similar target donor base.
• Greater Toledo Community Foundation: Mid-sized community foundation offering grants, scholarships, donor advised funds, and endowment management in a regional market. Comparable to CMF as a structurally similar community foundation of comparable scale, providing a relevant out-of-state benchmark for governance and product mix.
• Billings Community Foundation: Community foundation in Billings, Montana that manages charitable funds, scholarships, and competitive grant programs for the local region. Comparable to CMF as a Montana community foundation offering DAFs, endowments, and scholarships with a similar rural-Mountain West donor base.
• Yellowstone Community Foundation: Montana-based community foundation serving the Yellowstone region with permanent endowments, donor advised funds, and competitive grants. Directly comparable to CMF in scope of services and Montana-based nonprofit status.

Broad incumbents

• Schwab Charitable: Major national DAF sponsor affiliated with Charles Schwab, providing donor advised fund accounts with integrated investment and grantmaking tools. Comparable to CMF's DAF product line at much greater scale, representing a competitive threat for affluent Central Montana donors.
• Fidelity Charitable: Largest national donor-advised fund sponsor in the U.S., offering investment options, low fees, and an online platform for donors. Competes with CMF's DAF program for major donors who may prefer national-scale convenience over a regional foundation relationship.
• National Philanthropic Trust: Independent national DAF sponsor managing over $20B in charitable assets for donors across the U.S. Comparable to CMF in the DAF product category, but operates nationally and at far greater scale.
• Foundation Source: Commercial provider of administrative services for private foundations and donor advised funds, serving ultra-high-net-worth families. Comparable to CMF's endowment management and DAF services but targets substantially larger individual foundations.
• American Endowment Foundation: National donor-advised fund sponsor offering low-cost DAF accounts to donors across the U.S. Comparable to CMF's DAF product line as an alternative vehicle for charitable giving, competing on fees and convenience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Central-Montana-Foundation-436272799789722

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Central Montana Foundation