Women's Giving Circle of Missoula County

Give Together | Decide Together | Benefit Together

2025 Steering Committee: Dawn Payne, Chair; Melisse Hunter, Chair-Elect & Marketing; Veronica Kenney, Process; Katie Vaughan, Events; Hannah Zuraff, Membership; Diane Adami, Jamie McConnell, Molly Stockdale, Lindsay Story, Katjana Stutzer, Kathy Witkowsky

What is the Women's Giving Circle?

The Women’s Giving Circle of Missoula County empowers women and non-binary people to be leaders in philanthropy and inspires collaborative giving to create positive change in our community. Every member, whether they give $10 per month or $1,000, has the opportunity to learn about community needs, hear how nonprofit organizations address those needs, and make decisions on how to give collective funds for maximum community impact. Our voices, too often muted in traditional philanthropy, are amplified by working together, so we can invest collective dollars for change.  The WGC of Missoula County is a program of the Missoula Community Foundation.

Mission: Inspiring collaborative giving to strengthen our community

Vision: A community where all gifts have value, all members have voices, and all Missoula County benefits.

Values: Community: We believe that a community, working together, can achieve great things. Equity: We promote equity through collaboration, consensus-building, and creating an environment where all are welcome. Opportunity: We create opportunity by supporting projects and organizations that empower people.

The Women’s Giving Circle of Missoula County pools its membership dollars and makes a substantial annual grant and two smaller unrestricted gifts to local nonprofit organizations. Since it’s inception in 2018, the WGC has granted $81,000 to the community. The membership votes in early Spring to determine the grant focus.

2025 grant focus: TBA

Apply for a Grant

Grant Application Opens July 15th

Requirements

501(c)(3) or fiscally sponsored

Primarily serve Missoula County

Not received WGC $ past two years

Grant Schedule

July 15: Application Opens

August 30: Application Closes

September 30: Finalists Announced

November 15: Grant Award Announced

Reach Out

[email protected]

406.926.2846

PO Box 8806 | Missoula MT | 59807

Past Grant Recipients

View all Past Recipients

Summer Social

Info & RSVP

Educational Panel

Info & RSVP

Finalist Presentation

Info & RSPV

The Women’s Giving Circle hosts three member gatherings each grant cycle, and some special events as well. At the Summer Social in June, the new grant focus is discussed and the previous year’s grant recipient makes a brief presentation. The circle learns more about their chosen grant focus during an Educational Panel Discussion, which is held in late summer. The Finalist Presentation is held in the fall. The three finalists discuss their work and impact in a brief presentation to the membership ahead of their final vote.

These events are open to prospective members and the public.

Grant Focus Round 1

OPEN

Grant Focus Round 2

CLOSED

Final Vote

CLOSED

The WGC welcomes new members and aims to be inclusive and accessible to anyone interested in leveraging their gifts for the greater good.

An annual membership fee of $120, $60 for students, is encouraged. Some are able to give more, some less.

Memberships are renewed in February of each year. This allows all members to vote on the grant focus and participate in the full range of benefits during the grant cycle. But you may join at ANY time during the year. If you join before voting closes in November, you will be eligible to vote in the current grant cycle. If you join after voting closes in November, your membership dollars will be applied to the next year’s grant cycle.