We hope this funding opportunity will

further local organizations’ ability to

make an impact in our community.

Look for a Connect*Network*Learn

workshop after the new year to learn

more about the program. We will also

have more information available on our

website and in our office starting in

January.

It has been an exciting year for us. We

can now move ahead as a community foun-

dation. Not only did we officially change

our name but this name change better re-

flects our new mission.

These changes allow us

to better communicate

our purpose in the com-

munity.

Our purpose is to serve

our donors, community

non-profit organizations

and the community as a

whole. Sweet Grass

Community Foundation

(SGCF) wants to achieve

this by the programs it

provides.

As a community foundation we will

serve the community as a vehicle for giv-

ing and build a permanent resource for

current and future needs in our area.

SGCF will focus on building a commu-

nity endowment fund. An endowment

fund is an investment account established

to generate revenue that can be used for a

special purpose. The prin-

ciple amount in the en-

dowment is left in perpe-

tuity and is not disbursed

for any reason. The fund

can benefit the communi-

ty’s priority needs, or at

the request of a donor,

fund a specific organiza-

tion in the community.

Community foundations

provide effective leader-

ship in their communities,

so that charitable gifts are

used effectively. We hope to fulfill our

role as your community foundation with

our new programs, along with the current

programs we offer.

We are pleased to announce the first cy-

cle of our grant making program will begin

in 2015. This program will be an oppor-

tunity for local organizations, who qualify,

to receive funding to help them achieve

their mission.

This program entails a completed appli-

cation by the qualifying organization and

an evaluation process by our grant making

committee.

RAW DEAL RUN COMMUNITY

What a wonderful community we live in.

Our 2014 Raw Deal Run Community Fund-

raiser raised $88,454! The generosity of this

community and all of you is truly amazing.

The actual Raw Deal Run event, held in

October, was a huge success thanks to all of

our sponsors, volunteers and participants.

This was the 9th year of the event and we had

a record number of participants, with almost

300 runners and walkers for our 6-mile and

3-mile course.

People came from across the state to com-

pete for prizes of locally produced meat, do-

nated by our meat sponsors, and to enjoy the

beautiful scenery at the Raw Deal Ranch. We

wrapped up the day with a 1-mile fun run for

the kids and a fantastic chili feed.

The event continues to grow, not only in

the number of participants, but also in the

amount of money raised for local organiza-

tions. The Raw Deal Run Community Fund-

raiser is a great event celebrating the gener-

osity of our community and we look forward

to next year.

FUNDRAISER TOTOAL : $88,454!

This year, we celebrated the success of the Raw Deal Run Community

Fundraiser with the community and all 21 participating organizations. On

October 21st, we held the Raw Deal Run Celebration at the Two Rivers

Gallery. There we announced the total amount raised, what each organization

received through their fundraising efforts, and the matching funds raised by

Sweet Grass Community Foundation.

We also shared other exciting tidbits regarding the coordination of the run

and community fundraiser, such as, there being over 600 donations made and

over 300 thank-you letters sent during the six week fundraising period.

It was a fun evening where success stories were shared and new

relationships were built. Everyone enjoyed hearing how others did and

anticipation for next year’s fundraiser started to build.

As a community foundation, we hope to continue hosting events and

workshops to bring together all of the different organizations and businesses

that continue to make our community a wonderful place to live.

We would again like to thank everyone who made the Raw Deal Run

Community Fundraiser such a success! Thank you to the 37 Friends of the

Match, 22 sponsors, 9 Community Challengers and everyone who donated

during the six week fundraising period!

Helps our community stay viable for future generations by keeping assets here

and encouraging people who care to leave a legacy

Provides a ‘base of operations’ for the fiscal sponsorship program and the eight

organizations under our umbrella

Supports efficient philanthropy through the Raw Deal Run Community Fundrais-

er and for all of the organizations who participate

Allows for the distribution of funds to benefit the community

Cash and check gifts are 100% tax deductible and can be mailed to PO Box 517

or made online on our website: www.sweetgrasscf.org

Become a Community Sustainer, with a monthly gift, or Community Investor,

pledging a multi-year gift

Instead of a gift for that difficult person on your list, make a donation in their

honor

Appreciated securities allow you twice the benefit: a charitable deduction and no

capital gains tax on the appreciation

Leaving a bequest to SGCF - Please contact us for more information

Alicia was hired last January as our Development Coordinator and, soon after,

took on the Program Coordinator position as well. Her previous work with the or-

ganization allowed her to jump right back in and make an impact with the organiza-

tion.

“I have really enjoyed working with Sweet Grass Community Foundation and

seeing the boundless generosity of this community. It’s a great organization, and I

look forward to hearing all of the wonderful things they will be doing in the future

to benefit Sweet Grass County.”

Alicia and her family will be moving to Kalispell over the Thanksgiving week-

end. Alicia has been a delight to work with and she will be missed by us all. We

wish them well in their new adventures. www.facebook.com/

Sweetgrasscommunityfoundation