Rural Grants
The Rural Grant program is split into two funding opportunities: Micro Grants, with awards between $100 and $500, and Impact Grants, with awards over $500 and up to $4,000. Micro Grants are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, while the Impact Grants are open once annually.
Micro Grant
Accepting applications
Missoula County is accepting competitive grant applications from 501(c)3 not-for-profit organizations, schools, special districts, community councils, citizen groups, and individuals for community-driven projects that enhance the quality of life in the rural areas of Missoula County. The Micro Grant is designed to support community projects that can be completed within 90 days and are requesting between $100 and $500 in grant funds. Projects must meet a demonstrated need or demand, be a community benefit and have community support (see application guidelines for details).
- Grant awards range from a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $500.
- Project must be located in Missoula County, outside of the City of Missoula limits.
- Grant awards are dependent on available funds. No guarantees are made that applications will be funded.
- Deadline: Applications are due on the last day of the month and will be accepted monthly, until all funds have been allocated. Applications will be evaluated and decisions made by the end of the following month.
Documents
Impact Grant
Applications have closed for 2025.
- Grant awards range from a minimum of $501 to a maximum of $4,000.
- Project must be located in Missoula County, outside of the City of Missoula limits.
- Grant awards are dependent on available funds. No guarantees are made that applications will be funded.
- Deadline: Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, February 28, 2025. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
Previous Awardees
Micro Grants
- Clinton PTSA was awarded $500 to purchase bikes for the after-school bike club.
- The Blackfoot River Youth Hockey Club received $500 to purchase hockey and figure skating gear.
- The Place to Bee pollinator garden in Seeley Lake received $500 to repair and re-paint the garden bed structures.
- The Seeley Lake Community Foundation received $500 to provide a centrally located public porta-potty during the summer months.
Impact Grants
- Bonner PTA received $4,000 for the installation costs of a new playground and community park located on Bonner school grounds, which includes an updated play structure, a volleyball court, new basketball backboards and new swings.
- Football Club Frenchtown received $3,600 for upgrades to Frenchtown’s soccer fields with new goals, nets, and line markings to meet the minimum standards needed to host home games.
- The Upper Swan Valley Historical Society received $4,000 to hire a contractor to power wash and seal the deteriorating exterior logs on the Rustics of Lindbergh Lake log cabin, home to the Swan Valley Museum collections and an important gathering space in the heart of Condon.
- The Bonner Milltown History Center received $2,500 to develop an exhibit featuring a 2,700-pound vintage safe from the Bonner Mill. Since the safe is too heavy to be featured at the history center, the exhibit will be housed at the KettleHouse Brewery in Bonner.
- Building A Better Society Community Outreach group received $3,740 to host a spring community clean up and flower distribution event for Seeley Lake residents to clean up trash and debris accumulated over the winter and beautify yards along the highway.
- Swan Mission Academy Arts Athletics Resource Team received $960 to support Friday clubs for kids in Condon and will offer a new series focused on journalism and graphic design.
- Seeley Lake Elementary School received $4,000 to purchase and install climbing structures for their playground which will be used by students and the community after school and during the summer.
- Clearwater Resource Council Boat Motor received $3,559 to purchase an outboard motor and starting battery to power its boat for conducting water quality and aquatic invasive species monitoring of lakes in the Clearwater Valley.
- The Bonner Milltown Historical Center will work with a Bonner middle school teacher and his students to design and plant a native plant garden. The funding request is for interpretive signage, plants, soil and a set of books on indigenous history to be used in the classroom ($2,585 - pictured above).
- Travelers’ Rest Preservation and Historical Society will host local indigenous historians and artisans to provide interpretive demonstrations at Travelers’ Rest in Lolo from June to August ($2,600).
- Missoula Symphony received $4,000 to send musicians from the Missoula Symphony Orchestra to classrooms in Woodman School, Clinton, Lolo, Target Range and Bonner.
- The Target Range Foundation received $4,000 to install new basketball hoops at the outdoor basketball courts at Target Range School.