Missoula Community Foundation

What Missoula Community Foundation does

Missoula Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 2001 in Missoula, Montana, operating with a staff of 8 to manage charitable giving vehicles, grant programs, and community initiatives for Missoula County and western Montana. Its core product portfolio spans multiple fund types — Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs), Field of Interest Funds, Designated Funds, the Missoula Forever Fund, and Scholarship Funds — alongside grant programs including the Women's Giving Circle Grants ($15,000 primary award), LoLA Grants (Legacy of Living Art), and Capacity Building Grants ($12,000). The foundation's technology stack is entirely third-party: FCsuite for donor portal and fund administration, Submittable for grant and scholarship applications, Mailchimp for newsletters, and Calendly for scheduling. There is no proprietary technology layer.

The foundation's revenue model is donation-driven, accepting cash, stock, IRA rollovers, life insurance, and real estate from individuals, families, and businesses. It generates operating revenue through fees on fund balances and a tiered Catalyst Corner business partnership program ($1,000–$10,000 tiers). Revenue grew from $131,000 in 2016 to $1.7 million projected in 2024, reflecting both organic fundraising growth and the scaling of the Missoula Gives annual giving day (over $10.3 million raised since 2014 across 4,335 donors and 216 nonprofits in 2026). The foundation serves five primary segments: individual donors/families, local businesses, nonprofit organizations, professional service providers (attorneys, CPAs, financial advisors), and local students.

Strategically, the foundation competes on local expertise and community trust rather than technology, leveraging the Montana Endowment Tax Credit (40% state credit on planned gifts to permanent endowments) as a regulatory advantage. Signature programs include the Community Resilience Initiative with the University of Montana, Press Forward Montana (local journalism initiative), and fiscal sponsorship for emerging grassroots organizations. The foundation is governed by an independent board led by Chair Charity O'Connor and operated by Executive Director Marcy Allen.

Name

Missoula Community Foundation

Legal name

Missoula Community Foundation

Website

https://missoulacommunityfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Missoula Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation in Missoula, Montana that manages donor-advised funds, endowment funds, scholarships, and grant programs to inspire local philanthropy and strengthen the regional nonprofit sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Donor-advised funds
• Charitable endowment management
• Philanthropy advisory services
• Grantmaking programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Missoula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Charitable Contributions & Donations: The foundation receives charitable contributions from individuals, families, and businesses including cash, stock, IRA rollovers, life insurance, and real estate. These donations establish various fund types including donor-advised funds, designated funds, field of interest funds, and endowments.
2. Grant Programs: Administers grant programs including Women's Giving Circle grants ($15,000 plus $1,000 runners-up), LoLA grants (25% of fund annually), and Capacity Building grants ($12,000) for local nonprofits.
3. Fiscal Sponsorship: Provides administrative infrastructure for young projects and organizations that have not yet achieved IRS charitable status. Currently sponsors Lake Missoula Old Time and Preserve Historic Missoula.
4. Planned Giving & Endowment Management: Manages permanent endowments and planned gifts, leveraging the Montana Endowment Tax Credit (40% state tax credit for planned gifts to permanent endowments). Charges fee structure based on fund balance to cover staff time, investment fees, and foundation operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Missoula Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that manages charitable assets for individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits through donor-advised funds, endowments, and fiscal sponsorship. It administers competitive grant programs, an annual community-wide giving day, and scholarship funds for local students, channeling philanthropic capital to community needs across western Montana.

Product overview

Missoula Community Foundation operates as a community foundation offering a portfolio of charitable giving vehicles, grant programs, and community initiatives. The core products include various fund types (Donor Advised Fund, Field of Interest Fund, Designated Fund, Missoula Forever Fund, Scholarship Fund) that serve as the primary giving structures, alongside distinct grant programs (LoLA Grants, Women's Giving Circle Grants, Capacity Building Grants) and scholarship offerings (General, Diversity, and Lorilee Evans-Lynn Memorial). Supporting services include Planned Giving, the Montana Endowment Tax Credit Program, Fiscal Sponsorship, and the Missoula Gives annual giving day initiative. The Women's Giving Circle of Missoula County and Community Resilience Initiative represent signature programs that amplify community impact. The Missoula Nonprofit Directory provides a searchable database for the sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women's Giving Circle of Missoula County: A program of the Missoula Community Foundation that empowers women and non-binary people to be leaders in philanthropy and inspires collaborative giving to create positive change in the community.
• Missoula Gives
• Legacy of Living Art (LoLA) Fund

Products and services

• Donor-Advised Funds Accounts that allow individual donors and families to contribute charitable assets, receive an immediate tax deduction, and recommend grants to favorite nonprofits over time.
• Endowment Funds Permanently invested charitable funds that generate annual grantmaking income, allowing donors and families to create lasting legacies supporting causes of their choice.
• Competitive Grant Program Application-based grant funding for local nonprofits addressing community needs, with eligibility criteria and review processes managed via Submittable.
• Annual Community Giving Day A community-wide giving day that channels donations to local nonprofits through a unified platform, often with matching funds and prize incentives to amplify impact.
• Fiscal Sponsorship Service that allows emerging projects, grassroots initiatives, and unincorporated community efforts to operate under the foundation's 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, receiving back-office support and grantmaking eligibility.
• Scholarship Funds Donor-established scholarships administered by the foundation that provide financial support to local students based on field of study, merit, or community affiliation.
• Professional Advisor Program Program that equips local attorneys, accountants, and financial planners with resources and referral pathways to offer clients donor-advised funds, planned giving, and other philanthropic services through the foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• $10.3 million raised through Missoula Gives since 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting, innovative, signature and supported.

• Press Forward MontanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPress Forward Montana is an initiative co-hosted by the Missoula Community Foundation, focused on advancing local journalism and news sustainability in the state.
• University of MontanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UM as part of the Community Resilience Initiative to build inclusive workforce pathways and retain UM graduates in the Missoula community.
• Boyle, Deveny & MeyersupportingOthersCPA firm serving as the foundation's accounting and financial review partner. Located at 305 South 4th East, Suite 200, Missoula, MT.
• Good Food StoreinnovativeOthersLocal business designated as an Innovative Partner in the foundation's business partner program.
• Clearwater Credit UnioninnovativeOthersLocal credit union designated as an Innovative Partner in the foundation's business partner program.
• Boone KarlbergsupportingOthersLaw firm designated as a Supporting Partner in the foundation's business partner program.
• SubmittablesupportingTechnology or IntegrationGrant management software platform used by the foundation for accepting and processing grant and scholarship applications.
• Stockman BanksupportingOthersLocal bank designated as a Supporting Partner in the foundation's business partner program.
• INKsignatureOthersRealty firm designated as a Signature Partner in the foundation's business partner program.
• PayneWestsignatureOthersInsurance firm designated as a Signature Partner in the foundation's business partner program.
• Worden ThanesignatureOthersLaw firm designated as a Signature Partner in the foundation's business partner program.
• First Security BanksupportingOthersLocal bank designated as a Signature Partner in the foundation's business partner program.
• Lake Missoula Old TimesupportedOthersGrassroots music and dance organization receiving fiscal sponsorship from the foundation to build community through support and promotion of southern old time music and dance.
• Preserve Historic MissoulasupportedOthersNonprofit receiving fiscal sponsorship from the foundation to educate citizens on historical, architectural, and aesthetic significance of environmental heritage.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• CFLeads: National membership network of community foundation leaders focused on advancing place-based philanthropy. Functions as an industry peer and capacity-building partner for community foundations of Missoula's size.
• Council on Foundations: National nonprofit membership association serving grantmaking foundations, including community foundations. Provides peer benchmarking, policy advocacy, and sector research relevant to a small community foundation like Missoula's.

Direct peers

• Idaho Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation in neighboring Idaho administering a broad portfolio of funds, scholarships, and nonprofit grants. Highly analogous in mission and product breadth.
• Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo: Mid-sized regional community foundation operating a similar portfolio of DAFs, competitive grants, and scholarship programs. Comparable scale, governance, and product mix — useful benchmark for organizational trajectory.
• Yellowstone Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the Billings and Yellowstone County area with donor-advised funds and competitive grant cycles. Directly comparable structure and service offering to Missoula Community Foundation.
• Flathead Community Foundation: Regional Montana community foundation offering donor-advised funds, scholarships, and grants within the Flathead Valley. Comparable mission, similar product mix, and overlapping donor ecosystem.
• Montana Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation serving Montana with a comparable mix of donor-advised funds, endowments, and grant programs. Operates at a similar scale and shares overlapping donor geography with Missoula Community Foundation.

Broad incumbents

• Schwab Charitable: Major national DAF sponsor integrated with Schwab's wealth platform. Comparable donor-advised fund product but operates as a commercial incumbent rather than a place-based community foundation.
• Fidelity Charitable: Largest U.S. donor-advised fund sponsor, offering investment-oriented DAFs at national scale. Competes with Missoula Community Foundation for high-net-worth donors but lacks the local expertise and community-connection value proposition.
• National Philanthropic Trust: Independent national DAF sponsor managing billions in charitable assets. Comparable DAF and planned-giving product set, scaled nationally, with less local-community focus than a place-based foundation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/missoula-community-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Missoula Community Foundation