What Hopa Mountain does

Hopa Mountain is a Bozeman, Montana-based 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2004 that invests in rural and tribal citizen leaders working to improve education, ecological health, and economic development across the Northern Rockies and Great Plains regions. The organization operates a portfolio of eight distinct programs: Indigenous Scholars of Promise and Scholars of Promise (college preparation for Native American high schoolers and foster/homeless teens respectively), Medical Mentorship Program (in partnership with WWAMI), Native Science Fellows (with Salish Kootenai College and Blackfeet Community College), Strengthening the Circle (Native nonprofit capacity building), Local Food for Local Families (food hub network), Community Leadership Programs (workshops on nonprofit management), StoryMakers/HealthMakers (early childhood literacy), and Citizen Leaders (community engagement).

The organization has no technology platform or proprietary software product; its core offering is human-capital development delivered through in-person retreats, workshops, summits, and Zoom-based virtual sessions. Programs are delivered at no cost to participants. The business model is grant- and donation-funded: revenue streams include individual donations and a three-tier membership program (Trailhead $1-249, Switchback $249-500, Summit $500+), foundation grants from 11+ named private funders (Northwest Area Foundation, Schmidt Family Foundation, NoVo Foundation, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Kalliopeia Foundation, and others), and federal support (USDA). The organization also distributes small program grants to food pantries (up to $5,000), food producers (up to $500), and farmers/ranchers (up to $1,000).

Hopa Mountain operates with 1-10 employees and runs ongoing programming including summer college prep retreats at MSU-Bozeman, Local Food Summits, Strengthening the Circle gatherings, and Community Innovation Guide downloads. The Strengthening the Circle Funders Group connects approximately 80 philanthropic foundation leaders to Native-led nonprofits across the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Northern Rockies. The organization's customer base is distributed across individual community members, Native-led nonprofits, at-risk youth, food system stakeholders, and rural citizen leaders, with no single dominant customer segment.

Name

Hopa Mountain

Legal name

Hopa Mountain

Website

https://hopamountain.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hopa Mountain is a Bozeman, Montana-based 501c3 nonprofit that invests in rural and tribal citizen leaders across the Northern Rockies and Great Plains through college prep, Native nonprofit capacity building, food system development, and community leadership programs, funded by foundation grants and individual donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC)

Keywords

• Community leadership development
• Nonprofit capacity building
• College preparation programs
• Rural community development
• Food system development

Headquarters

HQ city

Bozeman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Memberships: Hopa Mountain generates revenue through individual donations at various membership levels (Trailhead Contributing Member $1-249, Switchback Supporting Member $249-500, Summit Sustaining Member $500+). Monthly e-newsletter, event invitations, and special event priority access are provided to members.
2. Foundation and Grant Funding: The organization receives support from private foundations including Northwest Area Foundation, O.P. and W.E. Edwards Foundation, Schmidt Family Foundation, Wayfarer Foundation, NoVo Foundation, Oro y Plata Foundation, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Steele-Reese Foundation, Headwaters Foundation, Kalliopeia Foundation, and others.
3. Program Grants: Hopa Mountain distributes grants to food pantries (up to $5,000), food producers (up to $500), and provides native seed grants (up to $1,000) to farmers and ranchers in eastern Montana.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hopa Mountain invests in rural and tribal citizen leaders by delivering a portfolio of free community programs spanning college preparation for underserved youth, mentorship for underrepresented pre-medical students, capacity building for Native-led nonprofits, local food system development, and community leadership training. Its offerings include Indigenous Scholars of Promise, Scholars of Promise, the Medical Mentorship Program (with WWAMI), Strengthening the Circle, Local Food for Local Families, Community Leadership Programs, StoryMakers, Native Science Fellows, and the Citizen Leaders initiative. Programs are delivered through in-person retreats and workshops across Montana, the Dakotas, and Minnesota, supplemented by virtual Zoom sessions and supported by direct grants to food pantries, producers, and farmers.

Product overview

Hopa Mountain operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of community programs focused on education, economic development, and food systems in rural and tribal communities. The organization provides eight distinct program areas: Indigenous Scholars of Promise and Scholars of Promise (college preparation for Native American students and foster/homeless teens), Medical Mentorship Program (supporting minority students entering medicine), Native Science Fellows (geosciences education), Strengthening the Circle (Native nonprofit capacity building), Local Food for Local Families (food hub network), Community Leadership Programs (nonprofit development workshops), and StoryMakers (early childhood literacy). These programs share a common framework of investing in citizen leaders through training, mentoring, and resource connection. The organization does not offer a technology platform or SaaS product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• StoryMakers: Early literacy program providing high-quality learning resources, child development information, and reading support for families.
• HealthMakers
• Scholars of Promise
• Indigenous Scholars of Promise
• Medical Mentorship Program
• Strengthening the Circle
• Local Food for Local Families
• Citizen Leaders
• Native Science Fellows

Products and services

• Indigenous Scholars of Promise College preparation program providing Native American and Latino high school juniors and seniors in Montana with training, mentoring, and support services to help them apply to colleges and universities. Participants must have a 3.0 GPA or above.
• Scholars of Promise College and vocational preparation program serving Montana's current and former foster care teens, homeless teens, and teens in kinship care, providing training, mentoring, and support to help them prepare for college.
• Medical Mentorship Program Mentorship program providing minority undergraduate students and recent graduates interested in pursuing medical careers with mentorship, MCAT test prep support, and MD/DO application assistance. Offered in partnership with the WWAMI Regional Medical Education Program.
• Strengthening the Circle Native Nonprofit Leadership Program enhancing the capacities of experienced and emerging Native-led nonprofit organizations on or near reservations. Includes four-day workshops for executive directors and Board members with follow-up training and technical assistance.
• Local Food for Local Families Innovative network supporting the development, coordination, and expansion of rural and tribal food hubs to increase access to Montana-produced agricultural products. Connects producers, food hubs, food pantries, and families.
• Community Leadership Programs Workshop series covering strategic planning, nonprofit board development, 501c3 formation, grant writing, and appreciative inquiry techniques. Available to be scheduled for communities or organizational staff and boards.
• StoryMakers Early literacy program offering high-quality learning resources, child development information, and book-sharing ideas to support children's health and literacy. Provides bookmarks, reading resources, and family engagement materials.
• Native Science Fellows Program offered cooperatively with Salish Kootenai College and Blackfeet Community College for Native American undergraduate and graduate students to participate in community-based science organizations, increasing engagement in higher education and geosciences careers.
• Citizen Leaders Community engagement initiative providing a planning framework for mobilizing local citizens to co-create projects. Includes the Community Innovation Guide developed with Imagine Chicago for organizing community meetings and designing innovative project plans.

Quantifiable outcome

• College acceptance for program participants (e.g., CSKT member Heaven Diaz-Morigeau accepted to Dartmouth College)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Food CorridorminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2025Boutique software company facilitating the Shared Kitchen Workshop 101, bringing expertise in shared-use commercial kitchen management, kitchen directory, and industry best practices.
• Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous PeoplescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the Strengthening the Circle Native Nonprofit Leadership Program, working to build capacities of experienced and emerging Native-led nonprofit organizations on or near reservations.
• Generations Indigenous WayscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the Strengthening the Circle Native Nonprofit Leadership Program, contributing to capacity building for Native-led nonprofits.
• Imagine ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperated with Imagine Chicago to develop the Community Innovation Guide planning framework for community initiatives.
• WWAMI Regional Medical Education ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho medical education program to provide mentorship, MCAT test prep, and MD/DO application support to underrepresented students.
• Mission West Community Development PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Local Food for Local Families initiative, supporting development, coordination, and expansion of rural and tribal food hubs.
• Local Food MarketplacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing online training programs and business support services for Montana's food hubs, including software demonstrations and training programs.
• Montana Food Pantry CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormed in 2023 to provide peer-to-peer training, increase purchases of local food, and create a unified voice for food pantry leaders addressing food insecurity and poverty.
• Montana Food Bank NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Local Food for Local Families initiative supporting Montana food system development.
• Livingston Food Resource CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Local Food for Local Families initiative.
• Community Food and Agriculture Coalition (CFAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Local Food for Local Families initiative.
• Western Montana Growers CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Local Food for Local Families initiative.
• Great Northern Development Corporation (GNDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Local Food for Local Families initiative.
• Helping Hands Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for the Local Food Summit being held in Hardin, Montana.
• Yellowstone Valley Food HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for the Local Food Summit.
• Plank Stewardship InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer Native Seed Grants up to $1,000 for eastern Montana farmers and ranchers to purchase local native seed for wildland revegetation.
• WolfStar PRminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Strengthening the Circle Native Nonprofit Leadership Program.
• Artemisia AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Strengthening the Circle Native Nonprofit Leadership Program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Hopa Mountain