Technology Grants awarded to 16 nonprofits, focused on connecting community during COVID-19.
Dec. 17, 2020, Missoula, Mont. — The Missoula Community Foundation (Msla CF) recently awarded $27k in technology grants to 16 Missoula nonprofits. This year, the Msla CF tailored these grants to benefit local nonprofits in need of technology education, hardware or software so they can continue to keep our community connected during the pandemic.
These grants will help connect children for educational purposes, connect people for health reasons, and allow organizations to provide their services while reducing risk for clients and staff.
“The Missoula Community Foundation aimed to provide some relief for what we’ve all been dealing with,” said Marcy Allen, Msla CF Executive Director. “Technology has allowed us to stay connected to our jobs, healthcare, friends, family and school. We hope these grants will allow organizations to continue to provide essential services to Missoula.”
For instance, The Poverello Center received a grant to utilize a scanning system for clients accessing meals,
“Receiving the Missoula Community Foundation’s technology grant will have a tremendous impact in allowing us to more safely and efficiently serve those experiencing homelessness in our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.’ said Jesse Jaeger, Poverello Center Director of Development and Advocacy. “The guest scan card system will speed up our check-in systems for accessing food and shelter, creating better social distancing, while at the same time making our program data collection much more accurate.”
The Fourth D Club, which provides a safe place for 12 step programs to meet, received funding for a 360 conferencing camera to allow virtual attendees to feel like they are part of the in person meetings.
The Watershed Education Network received funding for their staff to get education on creating videos and materials to provide virtual curriculum to local schools.
The Msla CF had an unprecedented number of applications and decided to call on their partners to help them fund more of the grants than they could have otherwise. ATG/Cognizant, First Security Bank, United Way of Missoula County, and Sunrise Rotary all pitched in to meet this significant community need.
“This collaborative work to address community needs during the pandemic has really been a bright light for me, it says so much about our community”, said Marcy Allen Executive Director of Missoula Community Foundation.
The Missoula Community Foundation is proud to support these great organizations. To learn more about future funding opportunities and the Community Foundation, https://missoulacommunityfoundation.org/ or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Technology Grant Recipients:
- C.S. Porter Middle School
- Fourth D Inc.
- Franklin Elementary PTA
- Home Resource
- Impact Montana
- Missoula Interfaith Collaborative
- Moving Mountains Foundation
- Partnership for Children
- Poverello Center
- Recycling Works
- Soft Landing
- Tamarack Grief Resource Center
- The Greater Missoula Family YMCA
- Watershed Education Network
- Youth Homes
- YWCA Missoula
