Grant FAQ

We fund tax-exempt public charities (as qualified by the IRS) and fiscally sponsored organizations that align with our mission, vision, and values.  

Our funding focuses on nonprofits working alongside families most impacted by health disparities within the Flathead Nation and Montana’s 15 westernmost counties: Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Flathead, Granite, Jefferson, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Madison, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli, Sanders, Silver Bow, and Powell. 

We define ‘families most impacted by health disparities’ as those with children (0-18) living below 200% of the federal poverty level, Indigenous, Black, and other communities of color, and families with children with disabilities or who identify as LGBTQ+. 

In addition to the eligibility requirements above: 

• GO! Grantees must serve a majority of constituents outside Western Montana’s urban centers of Missoula, Kalispell, Butte and Helena. 
• Hospitals and community foundations are eligible only if they act as a fiscal sponsor for an aligned organization or are the sole provider of mission-aligned services in their region.
• We generally do not fund intermediary organizations, professional associations, or university programs (including extension offices). 
• With the exception of schools, we generally do not fund organizations with operating budgets over $1 million. 
• We are unable to fund organizations that encourage participation in religious teachings to access their services.

At Headwaters Foundation, we envision a Western Montana where everyone – especially those facing the greatest barriers, can live healthy lives. While this vision encompasses diverse solutions, some activities fall outside our funding scope. We currently do not fund: 

• Individuals 
• Endowments 
• Capital campaigns 
• Event sponsorships (but GO! Grants may cover fundraising/event expenses) 
• Direct lobbying 
• Debt retirement, operating deficits or after-the-fact support 
• Basic biomedical research, drug therapies, or devices 
• Public, private or parochial education institutions or their foundations, except for programs aligning with our priorities that are not standard educational services 
• Organizations or projects that unlawfully discriminate in employment, services, or program delivery based on age, sex, religion, race, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status, military or veteran status, pregnancy, or genetic information 
• Activities or organizations inconsistent with Headwaters Foundation’s mission, vision, values or Strategic Framework. 

Our GO! Grants Program is currently paused as we transition to a new strategic framework and refresh our grantmaking system. We look forward to re-opening the application in April 2025 – please check back then! 

Our grantmaking is currently paused until April 2025 as we transition to a new strategic framework and refresh our grantmaking system. In the meantime, if you believe your work aligns with the goals of the Family Power Fund, we’d love to hear from you! 

Email us at [email protected] with a brief description of your work and how it connects to our focus areas. If we see alignment, we’ll reach out to schedule a conversation. 

Through this partnership, our team works directly with Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council to identify health priorities and support aligned programs and projects. As this work is guided by the Tribe’s leadership, the program is not open to inquiries. 

At Headwaters, we are dedicated to building partnerships with our grantees that uphold transparency and open lines of communication.

Throughout the grant cycle, we have conversations with grantees to understand their goals and priorities and how those might change to adapt to the environment they are operating in, learn about the challenges grantees face in their work, and understand whether and how Headwaters can provide additional support, such as connections to other partners, technical experts, or capacity-building services.

At the end of the grant term, Headwaters will connect with grantees to reflect on what they have learned over the grant period. These learnings may be shared in story format or through a final conversation.

Learn more about grant reporting expectations here.