Missoula County Distributes $1.26 Million to Controversial Grant Recipients

MISSOULA, MT — Missoula County will distribute $1.26 million to 22 organizations through two grant programs, with some of the largest awards going to groups that have overseen controversial programs or failed to address the county’s growing homelessness crisis.

The funding comes from the Community Assistance Fund, providing $895,000 to 16 organizations, and the voter-approved Substance Abuse Prevention Mill Levy, allocating $368,920 to eight programs.

Community Assistance Fund: $895,000

The largest recipients of Community Assistance Fund grants are:

• Missoula Food Bank: $118,500 total ($58,500 for Kids EmPower Packs and $60,000 for Rural Satellite Food Pantries)
• United Way: $89,850 (Housing Solutions Fund)
• YWCA Missoula: $123,704 total ($73,739 for Family Housing Center and $49,965 for Pathways Domestic Violence Shelter)
• The Salvation Army: $67,136 total ($58,495 for Winter Rental Assistance and $8,641 for Emergency Bus Tickets & Fuel)
• Community Food & Agriculture Coalition: $64,654 (Double SNAP Dollars & Montanans Who Cook)
• Hope Rescue Mission: $47,957 (Temporary Safe Outdoor Space)
• Poverello Center: $71,630 total ($45,299 for Homeless Outreach Team and $26,331 for Medical Respite Care)
• Human Resource Council: $39,120 (Interim Assistance Program)
• Health Department: $38,480 (Foster Child Health Program)
• Partnership Health Center: $34,320 (Trinity Navigation Center/Clinic)
• Garden City Harvest: $36,000 (Neighborhood Farms & Gardens)
• Crosswinds Recovery: $32,500 (Residential Support Services)
• Missoula Aging Services: $32,000 (Rural Home-Delivered Meals)
• Youth Homes: $27,196 (Dan Fox Family Care Program)
• Seeley Lake Community Foundation: $22,071 (Medical Shuttle)
• Homeword: $21,000 (Financial/Homebuyer Education)
• Mountain Home Montana: $18,882 (Supportive Housing)
• Missoula Interfaith Collaborative: $10,000 (Housing Advocate Network)

The United Way’s substantial $89,850 grant comes despite the organization’s leadership role in homelessness programs during a decade when Missoula’s homeless population has grown significantly rather than decreased.

The Poverello Center, receiving $71,630 total in county funding, has also drawn criticism for its approach to homelessness services. Despite Missoula’s Urban Camping Ordinance, the facility has allowed dozens of homeless individuals to camp in cars and tents around the Poverello Center and in surrounding neighborhoods, effectively operating as a scofflaw to city regulations designed to address public camping.

Substance Abuse Prevention Mill Levy: $368,920

The voter-approved 2008 mill levy distributed funds to eight organizations:

• Missoula Public Health: $111,000 (Substance Use Disorder Prevention Program)
• All Nations Health Center: $84,447 (Youth Program for Native American students)
• Western Montana Mental Health Center: $73,028 (Project SUCCESS school-based prevention)
• Boys & Girls Club: $25,000 (Emotional Wellness program)
• Friends of the Children – Western MT: $20,000 (professional mentoring services)
• EmpowerMT: $14,753 (Youth Leadership Pathways Program)
• Mountain Home Montana: $14,624 (Drop-in Community Education Center)
• Contingency: $11,068

EmpowerMT’s $14,753 grant supports what the organization describes as creating “safe spaces that focus on well-being, meaning, belonging, and purpose for all youth.” The organization’s website indicates its youth programs emphasize topics including “oppression,” “racial identity,” and LGBTQ+ issues for middle school and high school students.

The Community Assistance Fund traces its origins to 1877, when the Montana Legislative Assembly directed county commissions to use taxes to assist the poor through annual bids for the “care, support and maintenance of the sick, poor and infirm of the county.”

“This program is filling a vital need for the seniors living in these rural communities,” said Claire Biddick, county grants administrator, after observing a Meals on Wheels delivery route in Lolo. “As we made each delivery, it was impactful to meet the different clients and see how these fresh meals and daily interactions are something folks look forward to and rely on to allow them to age in place in their communities.”

The grants are administered through Missoula County’s Grants and Community Resources Department, which oversees several county-funded grant programs totaling $2 million distributed to 50 programs across the county.

County commissioners will finalize the grant awards as part of the fiscal year 2026 budget process.