Being no stranger to the hardships accompanying Latinos, especially as a first-generation female who went to college with multiple sclerosis, Susie always knew she wanted to give back – in comes MIJA. Montana Immigrant Justice Alliance (MIJA) began about ten years ago and works with undocumented families to keep them together and give them the support they need during these times of insecurity, increased deportations, family separation, racial profiling, and hostility. Susie beamed as she described their humble beginnings stating, “MIJA means my daughter in Spanish, I myself have four daughters, so family means the world to me. Here at MIJA, we are all about family and taking care of one another”.

MIJA does most of its work with the most vulnerable populations within the LatinX community. This work takes many different forms and sometimes consists of adjusting to a certain way of life here in the United States, such as how to drive, how to work, and how specific types of work allow one to get ahead. Throughout the interview, Susie constantly stressed how blessed she was because she spoke English and is an American Citizen. She has chosen her privilege to help those around her who aren’t as fortunate. Such critical work needs funding to maintain momentum, which is why Susie is so grateful for the partnership MIJA has been able to develop and maintain with One Valley Community Foundation.

When Luis Islas (One Valley’s Director of Philanthropy) asked her, “Has support from One Valley made a difference in your community?” Susie took a long pause. Funding from One Valley has made a world of difference for MIJA and Susie, as grants awarded to MIJA have allowed her to get paid for the work that she does and make it easier for her married life. She can afford office space to provide a safe/comfortable location for people to meet with her, and for the first time, she was able to provide those who came to the US seeking asylum snow boots, snow jackets, mittens, sweaters, and more. She stressed how many people who arrive to Montana have no idea how cold it is here or have never even encountered snow before.

MIJA was recently awarded full funding from the Gallatin County Nonprofit Vitality Grant for over $29k. This money was immediately put to use as MIJA, just like other nonprofits in the valley, was also affected by the high market costs and was on the brink of losing its office space. Thanks to the full funding received, they were able to keep their office and continue their lifesaving work. When asked what she wanted donors/supporters to know about One Valley Community Foundation, she again took a pause, “I want them to know that thanks to their support of One Valley, they aren’t just helping me and my family, but they are helping everyone in need in the LatinX community. Thanks to their donations, these families are a part of this community. We are all one thanks to them”.

Moving forward, thanks to the support of One Valley’s donors and fundholders, MIJA hopes to continue its important work of keeping families together and continue to focus specifically on children. Feeding them, clothing them, and keeping them safe.

If you are interested in helping One Valley continue its important work by opening a donor advised fund, please contact our team at 406-587-6262. Or, if you’d like to support One Valley’s mission to amplify the voices of Gallatin County’s nonprofit sector, all while connecting passionate people to causes that matter, please consider making a gift here.

EJ Porth is a monthly donor to One Valley and hails from Minnesota but has been a longtime resident of Bozeman. Immediately after arriving to the Gallatin Valley, she wasted no time in getting involved and immersed in the nonprofit sector. Currently EJ serves as the Associate Director of the Gallatin Valley Land Trust and previously served as the Marketing Director and Program Director for various nonprofits. EJ has always had a passion for making a difference in her community and getting involved, which led her to One Valley Community Foundation.

EJ was drawn to the work of One Valley through her longtime friend Bridget Wilkinson (One Valley Community Foundation Executive Director) and served on the founding committee for Give Big Gallatin Valley. She immediately saw the power of philanthropy and how it was able to shift the landscape of the valley to address some of the most pressing issues at the time. She reflected to her time in the community as a young nonprofit professional and appreciated the resources and support that she needed from One Valley such as the Nonprofit Café’, educational sessions, and the social opportunities aimed at bringing together the nonprofit sector. They helped her personally grow as a leader in the sector. “One Valley builds and encourages a collaborative community for nonprofits here rather than a competitive one, and when I first moved to town it did feel competitive, the foundation has really helped shape a different narrative away from a scarcity mindset to a culture of abundance”, said EJ.

When asked if there was a certain event or trigger that prompted EJ to donate to One Valley, she sat with the question for a bit. “I don’t think it was a solicitation or a mailing that prompted my monthly gift. At the end of the day, I have personally benefited from the services, and I also care about a lot of different causes and what’s nice about giving to One Valley is that I feel like, in a way, I’m supporting all of these other causes by giving to the foundation. One Valley is the foundation of the nonprofit sector, and if the foundation is strong, then all of the nonprofits will also be stronger and more impactful”.

EJ is also a member of the Women Who Wine giving circle within One Valley and continues to admire the way that One Valley approaches philanthropy. Luis then asked EJ if there was anything she wanted supporters of One Valley to know. “I want One Valley to continue to preach the gospel of philanthropy, philanthropy is a powerful way to live your values, it’s a way to feel and be a part of a community, and it feels good to give, period. One Valley is a vehicle for the joy of giving”.

If you are interested in opening a donor advised fund at One Valley, please contact our team today at 406-587-6262. Or if you’d like to support One Valley’s mission to amplify the voices of Gallatin County’s nonprofit sector all while connecting passionate people to causes that matter, please consider making a gift here.

In 2019, community members Sas and Stuart Weber decided to open a donor-advised fund at One Valley Community Foundation to streamline their giving and to learn more about the needs of local nonprofits in Gallatin County. Setting up a donor-advised fund at One Valley provided the Weber family great tax advantages in addition to leveraging the philanthropic advising services that One Valley provides to help their family be strategic in its charitable giving.

“The grantmaking process is very easy with One Valley,” Sas Weber said. “It can all be done online, and the One Valley staff are available to talk to if help is needed. They are very knowledgeable about local nonprofits and can help you direct funds to the issues you care about.”

Opening a fund at One Valley allowed the Weber family to put resources aside for charitable giving while they took time to learn about organizations locally and across the United States that they wanted to support. At times, the Weber family learned about new organizations to support via One Valley’s extensive local knowledge and relationships with nonprofits throughout Gallatin County. Often, these relationships with organizations both large and small are built through One Valley’s nonprofit programming that bolsters the sector.

“It is important to me to work with a community foundation that is committed to growing and nurturing a healthy and thriving community,” Weber said. “One Valley supports the Gallatin Valley through trainings and grantmaking, giving circles and the Give Big initiative.”

Through their giving at One Valley, the Webers are able to make an impact on causes that they care about most while feeling the joy of giving.

“The joy I get from being able to help others through grant making with One Valley is a salve on the wounds from the daily onslaught of bad news and divisive rhetoric,” Weber said. “Giving reminds me that we are all here together and we can help each other to create a just and equitable future for everyone.”

If you are interested in opening a donor advised fund at One Valley, please contact our team today at 406-587-6262. Or if you’d like to support One Valley’s mission to amplify the voices of Gallatin County’s nonprofit sector all while connecting passionate people to causes that matter, please consider making a gift here.

On October 14, 2021, hundreds of community members in Gallatin County gathered in libraries, conference rooms, homes and online to discuss strategies for addressing housing and affordability issues. This county-wide initiative led by One Valley Community Foundation is called A Seat at the Table.

A Seat at the Table is a proven civic engagement event that inspires community members to engage in local decision making by collecting stories and data from many small group conversations around a single topic, all on the same day. At our inaugural event in 2018, 74% of participants said that housing is the most pressing need in our county. We intentionally designed A Seat at the Table 2021 to focus conversations on housing affordability and attainability for those who live, work and do business in Gallatin County.

While housing affects each one of us, the solutions are not simple. A Seat at the Table brings together people from all walks of life to share their ideas and to explore solutions based on the experiences of the people affected by housing issues every day. Diverse views are important to create, fund and achieve powerful solutions. This year, One Valley focused efforts to ensure that diverse perspectives were at the table by reducing barriers for some community members to participate in conversations by providing gas cards, translating our surveys into Spanish, going to where some community members reside by hosting tables at the Gallatin County Detention Center and hosting tables with One Valley staff members in West Yellowstone.

Communities throughout Gallatin County face challenges that include growing housing costs, a lack of housing options and an expanding gap between growing housing prices and slower wage growth. Local leaders and funders are challenged by allocating scarce resources to address the housing needs of our community members. The results of A Seat at the Table will give local government and other leaders and funders diverse, broad, and rich public input about how housing needs can be paired with ideas for local solutions.

“We’re looking for those ideas that maybe we haven’t heard or maybe haven’t even given any thought to. That’s one of the things that we’re really hoping will come out of these sessions. New ideas and maybe new solutions for a big problem,” said Gene Townsend, President of the Three Forks City Council.

One Valley Community Foundation is the nonprofit organization that identifies and addresses the priorities and concerns of Gallatin County. We believe that all successful communities have something in common – they make it possible for citizens to be engaged in identifying community challenges and solutions. It’s a thing we call “civic infrastructure” and it’s the way we can work together to create a better future. We remain committed to increasing civic participation and dialogue around community issues and opportunities with the firm belief that conversations can create new possibilities.

Learn more here