RED LODGE AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

The Foundation focuses on community engagement and development in four primary focus areas:

1. Connected Youth Purpose Statement: Create a community that offers concrete support and opportunity for families, youth, and children to reach their potential as contributing members of society.
2. Resilient Community Purpose Statement: Building strong connections for a supportive community where all can thrive. Working together to strengthen the health of the community by listening and responding to needs focused on Community Mental Health, Transportation, Housing, Connection to Resources, and Age Friendly Initiatives.
3. Robust Arts & Culture Purpose Statement: Catalyze the development of the Red Lodge Area as a destination for arts, culture, and conferences.
4. Thriving Nonprofits Purpose Statement: We assist in development of a thriving nonprofit sector by connecting organizations of all capacities to education, technology, professional services, financial assistance, and volunteers.

Connecting people and building community by identifying community needs, engaging people to gather information through diverse perspectives, create viable strategies and solutions, engage the needed resources, and implement the strategies to create the desired community assets.

All of are goals are worked on and achieved through strategic collaboration -we never go at anything alone. From the beginning, when a community member see a need, to inviting diverse stakeholders to the table for discussion, to project planning and execution we focus on how can we achieve our goals together.

In addition to our collaborative approach, we ensure we are not duplicating the efforts of existing organizations, leverage donations and income always to maximize impact, and utilize dedicated and engaged volunteers.

RESILIENT COMMUNITY & RESPONSIVE LEADERSHIP
1. Created and established a workforce housing approach that includes the partnership of Helena Habitat for Humanity, Montana Land Trust, and the Foundation to build homes that remain affordable in the long term.
2. Operating the first county wide transit system to provide no cost rides for people.
3. Provide grants to Seniors with episodic needs so that they can age in their place of choice.

ROBUST ARTS, CULTURE, & ENVIRONMENT
1. Revitalizing a main street 1920's historic school building into a fully operational arts, culture, performance, conference, and education center.

CONNECTED YOUTH
1. Provide child care and early childhood supplemental grants for working class families that don't qualify for government services and can't afford the full cost of these services.
2. Connect high school youth with volunteer opportunities to connect them to their community, build their skills for the future, and connect them to meaningful opportunities.
3. Provide grants to youth who could not otherwise participate in activities of interest to them.

THRIVING NONPROFITS
1. Operate the annual Fun Run for Charities that supports over 55 charities to generate needed operational funds to meet their missions.
2. Operate the Nonprofit Shared Services Center that provides no cost meeting rooms, technical services, and use of equipment that can be shared between the charities.