Skip to main content

GO! Grants

Building Health, Belonging and Leadership in Rural Communities

Ranch landscape with stormy clouds
kids pushing a bale of hay
A teacher teaching a music class to young kids

GO! Grants offer $8,500 in general operating funds to nonprofits promoting health, belonging and leadership for kids and families in rural communities.

With a quick turnaround and a simple application process, these grants are designed to support organizations where it’s needed most. 

Grantee Spotlights
Funds are available to organizations whose mission (not just a program, service, or project) is centered on one or more of these key areas:  
Cartoon outline of a family of 3

Family Resiliency

early childhood education and development, child welfare, family support
Cartoon salad bowl

Food

access, security, supporting healthy eating patterns
Cartoon house

Housing

quality, affordability, stability
3 Cartoon outlines of people

Social Inclusion

civic participation, discrimination, incarceration, Indigenous knowledge and culture
Cartoon side profile of a head with a brain inside

Mental Health

children’s, maternal and family

Think your organization might be a fit for a GO! Grant? Learn more:

Who is eligible to apply for a GO! Grant?

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

We focus 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. 

*Families 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+. 

Additional requirements for GO! Grantees:

  • Must primarily serve areas outside Western Montana’s urban centers of Missoula, Kalispell, Butte and Helena.
  • Must have operated for at least two years.
  • Operating budgets must be under $1 million (excluding schools).
  • Hospitals and community foundations are eligible only if they act as a fiscal sponsor for an aligned organization or are the sole provider of aligned services in their region.
  • We generally do not fund intermediary organizations, professional associations, or university programs (including extension offices).
  • We are unable to fund organizations that encourage participation in religious teachings to access services.

How do I apply for a GO! Grant?

At Headwaters Foundation, we keep grant applications simple so you can focus more on your mission and less on paperwork.

To apply for a GO! Grant:

First-time applicants: First, register in our grants portal. Once registered, complete your organization and personal profile before accessing the GO! Grant application.

Returning applicants: Organizations can apply once every 12 months. If you currently have a GO! Grant, make sure your final report or end-of-grant conversation is complete before submitting a new application. When you’re ready to reapply, log in and follow the instructions. If you need help accessing your account, email us at [email protected].

Funding decisions are typically made within two weeks of submission.

Questions?

Email us at [email protected].