Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Awards $187,500 in New Grants Serving Park and Gallatin Counties

News provided by

Jun 04, 2012, 10:44 ET

EMIGRANT, Mont., June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Fund has awarded $187,500 to nonprofit organizations serving youth and families in Park and Gallatin counties.

The grants include a $32,000 award to the Park County Community Foundation for the Shields Valley Schools to install a new gymnasium floor and a $30,000 challenge grant to the Bozeman Area Community Foundation to help hire an executive director.

"We are investing in innovative approaches to improve the lives of children and families in the communities surrounding Mountain Sky," said Tawnya Rupe, director of the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Fund. "Associates with the Ranch are honored to be supporting these partner organizations."

As part of its commitment to strengthen the nonprofit sector, the ranch fund has awarded a three-year $60,000 grant to the Montana Nonprofit Association to provide training and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations across the state.

On Tuesday, June 5, the ranch will host an event to honor the 2012 grant partners.

A full list of the 2012 grant awards is attached.

About the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Fund

The Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Fund is an affiliated fund of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. The Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Fund has contributed more than $2.4 million to local nonprofits since Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons, acquired the ranch in 2001.

Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Fund
2012 Grant Awards

Bozeman Area Community Foundation	$30,000 challenge grant to help hire an executive director.
Bozeman Schools Foundation	$6,000 for the Spark Grant Program, empowering educators to turn their ideas for innovative teaching strategies into action.
Bridger Ski Foundation	$5,000 for evaluation and marketing training to help increase Nordic skiing outreach for children.
Greater Gallatin United Way	$15,000 for the Kids LINK comprehensive after-school program.
Greater Gallatin United Way	$11,500 challenge grant to develop a Center for Early Childhood Health Services, which will expand food, nutrition and health-care services to more families with young children.
Hopa Mountain	$2,500 for the Governor's Office of Community Service ServeMontana Symposium, which recognizes and encourages volunteerism in Montana.
Hopa Mountain	$8,000 for the Teen Mentoring Service Learning Program.
Montana FFA Foundation	$8,000 for scholarships for the Washington Leadership Conference and for marketing and evaluation training for staff.
Montana Nonprofit Association	$60,000 to hire a program coordinator to increase the delivery of training and technical assistance services to Montana nonprofits.
Museum of the Rockies	$2,000 for the membership scholarship program serving Head Start families.
Park County Community Foundation	$32,000 to replace floor at the Shields Valley Schools gymnasium, which is used year-round for school and community sports programs and events.
Three Forks Youth Recreation	$2,500 to provide swimming lessons for participants of the summer Youth Recreation Program and CPR training for teachers and parents.
Western Sustainability Exchange	$5,000 for the Young Entrepreneur Sustainability Program, teaching youth the economic benefits of sustainable business practices and the importance of giving back to their communities.