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8/18/2025
Community foundation brings collaborative proposal for housing needs
The Helena Area Community Foundation is seeking the city’s financial support to create a new program for local nonprofits aimed at addressing Helena’s housing needs through funding education and collaboration.
The city commission set aside $100,000 in 2023 specifically to fund projects focusing on solutions to Helena’s homeless crisis. Since then, attempts from area organizations to tap those funds, either for emergency shelters or program support, have been unsuccessful due to infrastructure challenges, lack of staffing or other money issues.
The Helena Area Community Foundation, HACF, has now chosen a different approach to address the city’s housing needs by supporting how nonprofits work together and find adequate funding.
“ If [an] emergency shelter in Helena was something that could have been fixed with a $100,000, we would have done it already,” HACF executive director Emily Frazier told Montana Free Press.
Instead, Frazier developed a pilot program to bring together a cohort of local housing nonprofits and promote collaborations in finding ways to change housing.
Several organizations in the Helena area provide housing support, shelters or street outreach programs. Frazier hopes this project, tentatively known as “Collective Capacity,” will act as a foundation to break down barriers between these groups to best address housing needs.
“ It’s a wicked problem,” Frazier said. “And by that I mean it has a huge number of players. They’re all impacting the same systems, whether they’re aware of it or not, and the players in that space sometimes have competing interests.”
The pilot project would also help find financial support at a time when some organizations are unsure how their programs will continue, considering recent reductions in federal funding.
Furthermore, Frazier said that this project will provide opportunities for community members, business owners and other stakeholders to join the conversation in problem-solving or donating.
Frazier presented the proposal to the city commission last week, asking to use the city’s $100,000 as a starting point to get the cohort project off the ground.
While the commission presentation was informational, city commissioners expressed their interest in the project.
No action was taken during last week’s meeting, and the commission is expected to continue the discussion later.
Public Notice
The Greater Helena Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is seeking public input for its draft Unified Work Planning Program. The program outlines proposed work, cost estimates and staff commitments associated with local transportation projects and needs within the Helena area. Once the planning program is finalized, it will be sent to federal transportation agencies for endorsement. The public can view the plan on the Be Heard Helena website. Comments will be accepted until Wednesday, Aug. 27.
5 Things to Know in Helena
The city commission last week continued discussing whether to fly a Pride flag at the City-County Building. Commissioner Melinda Reed asked City Manager Tim Burton for an update from a previous meeting, during which Burton said the city would need to reach out to Lewis and Clark County, since the building is shared. Burton added that county officials said they wanted to fly only the state and U.S. flags. Reed then asked to add the topic to a future city agenda and to invite county officials for a further discussion, which commissioners Andy Shirtliff and Emily Dean supported.
Last week, the Helena School Board of Trustees approved its budget for the new school year, which includes funding to bring back music, P.E. and paraeducation positions and programs. The programs were consolidated last year after the district cut several teaching positions to address its budget deficit.
The National Endowment for the Arts awarded a $20,000 grant to the Lewis & Clark Library to fund its “Big Read” initiative, a program that highlights a book and author through community engagement. Library staff announced last week that Lewis & Clark Library was one of 62 grant recipients that the NEA funded. The library has chosen “Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law” by Mary Roach for this year’s book and will hold discussions, workshops and a film screening in October. Additionally, the library will host the author on Thursday, Oct. 30, at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. Contact the Lewis & Clark Library at (406) 447-1690 or visit its website for additional information on the Big Read events.
Local nonprofits received about $1,000 each from proceeds raised by the annual Heart of Helena Art Show and Auction this spring, according to event organizers. Funds from the auction were split between eight area organizations: Family Promise, Helena Food Share, Friendship Center, God’s Love, Head Start, YWCA, Good Samaritan and Intermountain Children’s Home.
The Holter Museum of Art released its annual report detailing the museum’s artist and engagement activity, expenses and revenues. The museum saw about 12,900 visitors and 27 total art exhibitions. Museum staff taught over 700 people who participated in weekly art classes, while over 1,500 students joined art activities throughout the last school year. The museum also reported about $720,00 in income, of which nearly $247,000 came from donations and fundraising.
Might Be Fun
The Montana Club, 24 W. Sixth Ave., in partnership with GET LOST Travel, will host the creator of Strawberry Shortcake, Muriel Fahrion, for a meet-and-greet tea party. The event will be Saturday, Aug. 30, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased here.
