HELENA AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Name

HELENA AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Legal name

Helena Area Community Foundation

Website

https://helenaareacommunityfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Charitable endowment giving
• Nonprofit grant making
• Donor advised funds
• Fiscal sponsorship services

Headquarters

HQ city

Helena

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: HACF accepts donations of cash, publicly traded securities, closely held stock, interest in limited partnerships, life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and private foundation assets. They facilitate online donations and recurring monthly donations.
2. Endowment Giving: HACF maintains a permanent endowment for future grant-making. The endowment's earnings are earmarked for grantmaking and operational costs while the principal remains untouched and growing. Montana residents can receive the Montana Qualified Endowment Tax Credit up to $15,000 for individuals, $30,000 for couples, or 20% tax credit for qualified businesses (up to $15,000 annually).
3. Government Grants and Partnerships: HACF receives grant funding from the City of Helena and Lewis and Clark County to distribute to local nonprofits through combined grant cycles. In 2025, total grant funding was $67,750 ($25,000 HACF, $23,750 County, $19,000 City).
4. Now and Forever Campaign: A five-year pledge program where annual contributions transition from supporting general operations to supporting HACF's permanent endowment. At the end of five years, half of the total gift supports the annual operating fund (Now) and half supports the permanent endowment (Forever).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Helena Area Community Foundation operates as a regional community foundation that pools charitable donations, manages a permanent endowment, and distributes annual grants to local nonprofits serving the greater Helena area. It also facilitates complex charitable giving vehicles, runs the Greater Helena Gives annual fundraiser, and coordinates capacity-building networks for nonprofit leaders.

Product overview

Helena Area Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a centralized charitable foundation serving the greater Helena area. The foundation's portfolio consists of philanthropic programs and services rather than technology products. Core offerings include Greater Helena Gives (a 24-hour online fundraising platform), grant-making programs funded by HACF in partnership with the City of Helena and Lewis and Clark County, the Now and Forever Campaign (endowment giving), and the Collective Capacity Cohort: Unhoused Helena (capacity building initiative). Additional programs include the Spirit of Philanthropy Award, Legacy Planning events, Grant Writing Workshop, Fiscal Sponsorship Services, and two professional networks for nonprofit leaders (HNEN and HDR). The foundation does not offer a technology platform or software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Greater Helena Gives A 24-hour online fundraising platform hosted by HACF enabling donors to support multiple local nonprofits in a single event with monetary prize incentives awarded throughout the day.
• Collective Capacity Cohort: Unhoused Helena A capacity-building initiative supporting and strengthening Helena-area nonprofits serving unhoused neighbors through organizational readiness support, leadership development, systems thinking, and fundraising strategy.
• Grant Making Programs Annual grant programs awarding funds to local nonprofits in the Helena area, including combined grant cycles funded by HACF, the City of Helena, and Lewis and Clark County.
• Now and Forever Campaign A five-year pledge program where donor contributions transition from supporting general operations to supporting HACF's permanent endowment, with half of the total gift supporting the annual operating fund and half supporting the permanent endowment.
• Fiscal Sponsorship Services Fiscal sponsorship opportunities allowing community-focused projects to benefit from HACF's tax-exempt status to facilitate fundraising and grant-seeking efforts, with funds designated solely for sponsored projects.
• Legacy Planning with Marsha Goetting Educational presentations on estate planning topics including wills, asset distribution, and charitable giving strategies to help individuals plan wisely and give meaningfully for the future.
• Grant Writing Workshop Educational workshops providing grant writing guidance and resources for local nonprofits seeking funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• $305,166 raised through Greater Helena Gives 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of HelenacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership for combined grant cycles. City of Helena contributes funding to HACF's annual grant-making. In 2025, the City contributed $19,000 to the combined grant cycle supporting local nonprofits.
• Lewis and Clark CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership for combined grant cycles. Lewis and Clark County contributes funding to HACF's annual grant-making. In 2025, the County contributed $23,750 to the combined grant cycle supporting local nonprofits.
• Montana Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCF is the administrative partner that manages HACF's endowment assets. MCF was established in the late 1980s and worked to create and nurture local community foundations across Montana, including HACF which started under MCF's umbrella in 1994.
• Threshold of Life Memorial for Organ DonationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHACF provides fiscal sponsorship for this memorial project. The memorial, approved by Montana legislature (House Bill 585), will be a permanent monument on the Capitol Grounds honoring organ donors. Goal is to raise $500,000 from private funds.
• Helena Nonprofit Executive Network (HNEN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork coordinated by HACF providing monthly forums for Helena area nonprofit executive leaders. No membership fees. Features facilitated programs on nonprofit issues with occasional roundtable gatherings.
• Helena Development Roundtable (HDR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram created by Big Sky Institute for the Advancement of Nonprofits (BSI) and coordinated by HACF. Informal network of development directors, fundraising staff, and board members meeting for no-cost seminars on fundraising skills.
• City of HelenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for Collective Capacity Cohort: Unhoused Helena initiative. In October 2025, the City approved funding for HACF to launch this housing nonprofit capacity building program.
• Greater Helena GivescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHACF hosts this annual 24-hour online fundraiser supporting local nonprofits. Grown from 54 nonprofits and $40,000 in 2015 to 117 nonprofits and $305,166 in 2025. Includes prize incentives for participating organizations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Whitefish Community Foundation: Another Montana-based local community foundation with a permanent endowment, local grant cycles, and donor services—highly comparable structure and rural footprint.
• Yellowstone Community Foundation: Billings-based community foundation serving south-central Montana. Closely comparable operating model—local grantmaking, donor funds, combined government partnerships—scaled to a similar regional footprint.
• The Dayton Foundation: Mid-size regional community foundation with combined grant cycles, endowment management, and donor-advised services—useful benchmark for HACF's potential growth path as a comparable mid-sized community foundation.
• Ravalli County Community Foundation: Small rural Montana community foundation affiliated with the Montana Community Foundation umbrella. Directly comparable in scale, rural geography, and mission-driven local grantmaking.
• Missoula Community Foundation: Western Montana community foundation with nearly identical structure: permanent endowment, local grant cycles, donor-advised services, and capacity-building programs serving a single metro region.
• Montana Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation that spawned HACF in 1994 and currently manages HACF's endowment assets. Operates the same community foundation model across Montana and is the most directly comparable peer by structure and mission.

Others

• National Center for Family Philanthropy: Membership organization serving family and small foundations with education and resources. Provides the broader ecosystem context in which small community foundations like HACF operate and seek guidance.

Broad incumbents

• Community Foundations of Canada: National network of Canadian community foundations using the same local-foundation model as HACF. Useful reference for sector trends, peer benchmarks, and capacity-building frameworks applicable to small foundations.
• Council on Foundations: National membership association for philanthropies including community foundations. Not a direct competitor but the dominant industry body that shapes policy, standards, and peer learning HACF participates in.
• Fidelity Charitable: Largest U.S. donor-advised fund sponsor. Competes with HACF for donor dollars, particularly on simplicity, online UX, and tax efficiency; relevant for understanding giving-vehicle substitution risk.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/helenaareacommunityfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/helenaareacommunityfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helena-area-community-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

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 HELENA AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION