Red Lodge Area Community Foundation

What Red Lodge Area Community Foundation does

Red Lodge Area Community Foundation (RLACF) is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 2004 and headquartered in Red Lodge, Montana. It serves Carbon County, MT, operating as the central philanthropic and civic-infrastructure hub for approximately 60-67 local nonprofits, donors, and community members. Its work is organized around four program pillars: Connected Youth (youth development, internships, early childhood education funding), Robust Arts & Culture (arts grants, Roosevelt Center venue), Resilient Community (CART public transit, historic rehabilitation grants, workforce housing), and Thriving Nonprofits (back-office services, meeting center, fiscal sponsorships, training).

The foundation's flagship asset is the annual Fun Run for Charities, held each Labor Day Weekend, which in 2025 raised a record $470,566 for 63 Carbon County charities and has generated over $4.2 million cumulatively since inception. RLACF also administers federally funded programs — including a $653,750 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant from the National Park Service (2023) and CART county-wide transit service under FTA/Montana DOT oversight — and operates shared infrastructure including a $100/year Nonprofit Shared Services Center, a community calendar, a job board, and the Roosevelt Center performing arts venue. Technology is limited to standard third-party tools (RunSignUp, Constant Contact, PayPal) on a WordPress site; no proprietary AI/ML systems are in use.

Revenue is generated through donations (individual, corporate, recurring memberships), federal/state grants, event fundraising, $100 annual membership fees for shared services, voluntary CART ride donations, and endowment contributions (bequests, gift annuities, QCDs). The 13-person staff is led by Executive Director Tracy Timmons, with Development Director Abby Edwards and Fun Run Coordinator Laura McHugh. RLACF operates without a parent organization and is governed by an independent board.

Name

Red Lodge Area Community Foundation

Legal name

Red Lodge Area Community Foundation

Website

https://rlacf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Red Lodge Area Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation serving Carbon County, Montana through youth programs, public transit, historic preservation grants, arts/culture funding, and an annual Fun Run that has raised over $4.2 million for 60+ local charities since 2004.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Grantmaking programs
• Public transit services
• Nonprofit support services
• Youth development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Red Lodge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The foundation relies on donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. Donation channels include one-time gifts, recurring memberships, endowment contributions, and targeted fund donations (e.g., Early Childhood Grant Fund, Green Fund, Senior Ark). The foundation also receives donations through its website via e-transfer platforms.
2. Federal and State Grants: The foundation receives federal grant funding, including a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant from the National Park Service ($653,750 total pool). Grants are regranted to community projects and also support foundation operations.
3. Event Fundraising (Fun Run): The annual Fun Run for Charities is a major fundraising event held on Labor Day Weekend. In 2025, it raised a record $470,566 for 63 Carbon County charities. Each charity receives 100% of donations raised through the event, amplified by the Sally Martin Match Fund. The foundation also earns sponsorship revenue from the event.
4. Membership and Back Office Services: The foundation charges a $100 annual membership fee for using Nonprofit Shared Services Center meeting rooms. Participating Fun Run charities receive a complimentary membership.
5. Endowment Giving: The foundation accepts endowment gifts including bequests, charitable gift annuities, retained life estates, stocks and securities, qualified charitable distributions (QCD), and personal property donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Red Lodge Area Community Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community foundation that mobilizes philanthropy across Carbon County, Montana through four program pillars: Connected Youth, Robust Arts & Culture, Resilient Community, and Thriving Nonprofits. It provides grantmaking, a flagship annual Fun Run for Charities fundraising event (raising $470,566 in 2025 for 63 local charities), CART county-wide public transit service, the Carbon County Historic Rehabilitation Grant Program, a Nonprofit Shared Services Center with meeting rooms, and targeted grant funds for early childhood, youth enrichment, arts education, and senior services.

Product overview

Red Lodge Area Community Foundation operates as a Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization offering a portfolio of community programs rather than a traditional product. The foundation's offerings center around four program pillars: Connected Youth (youth development, internships, early childhood), Robust Arts & Culture (arts funding, Roosevelt Center venue), Resilient Community (CART transportation, historic rehabilitation grants, workforce housing), and Thriving Nonprofits (back office services, meeting center, nonprofit training). Key programs include the annual Fun Run for Charities (major fundraising event raising over $4.2M to date), CART public transit service, and various grant programs. The foundation also provides operational support through a shared services center, community calendar, and job board.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fun Run for Charities
• CART - Carbon County Area Ride and Transit

Quantifiable outcome

• More than $4.2 million raised for nonprofits to date through the Fun Run program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Roosevelt CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation operates and supports the Roosevelt Center, a historic building being revitalized into arts, culture, performance, conference, and community gathering space. RLACF has invested in restoring Harper Recital Hall and supports ongoing operations of the center.
• Red Lodge Lions ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lions Club partners with the foundation for the annual Fun Run event, grilling and serving free burgers to over 900 participants and 300 volunteers on race day. This is a long-standing community partnership supporting the foundation's flagship event.
• Montana State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CCHR grant program requires that properties be listed in the National Register of Historic Places or determined eligible by SHPO. SHPO will hold and monitor preservation covenants/easements on awarded properties.
• Red Lodge Pizza Co.minorOthersThe Red Lodge Business Alliance meets at Red Lodge Pizza Co., and the foundation coordinates community events in partnership with local businesses that serve as venues and sponsors.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Montana Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation serving Montana communities. Directly comparable as a community grantmaker; operates at much larger scale across the state while RLACF is single-county.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: National nonprofit that funds historic preservation grants and operates the National Trust Community Investment Corporation. Comparable to RLACF's CCHR historic rehabilitation pass-through grantmaking function.
• Idaho Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation with regional offices across Idaho serving rural counties. Comparable as a multi-regional community grantmaking platform operating in a rural Western state context.

Direct peers

• Bozeman Area Community Foundation: Comparable Montana-based community foundation offering grantmaking, donor advised funds, and nonprofit support services. Closest comparable in terms of model and rural/small-town Montana context.
• Whitefish Community Foundation: Montana mountain-town community foundation serving the Flathead Valley with grantmaking and community programs. Comparable in geography, scale, and donor-supported community model.
• Park County Community Foundation (Wyoming): Wyoming-based community foundation serving Park County with grantmaking, scholarships, and community programs. Comparable as a rural single-county community foundation in the Greater Rockies region.

Regional players

• Yellowstone Forever: Nonprofit education and fundraising arm of Yellowstone National Park, based in the Greater Yellowstone region. Comparable as a regional philanthropy and event-based fundraising organization anchored to a specific geography.

Others

• Council on Foundations: National membership association for philanthropic organizations including community foundations. Comparable as the industry body that supports community foundation operations, compliance, and best practices.

Emerging players

• Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation: Local Carbon County nonprofit focused on wilderness stewardship and Trailhead Ambassador programs. Comparable as a small, locally-embedded nonprofit benefiting from RLACF's Fun Run platform.
• Greater Gallatin United Way: Regional nonprofit aggregator running workplace giving campaigns and regranting to local charities in Montana. Comparable as a community fundraising intermediary distributing funds to multiple nonprofits.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RedLodgeACF

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Red Lodge Area Community Foundation