The Seeley Lake Community Foundation helps local groups fund important community projects. In this capacity, the SLCF strives to be a community resource and catalyst for innovative approaches to improving the quality of life in Seeley Lake, MT.
The Seeley Lake Community Foundation board of directors awards annual grants with the aim of supporting projects with broad community benefits. The SLCF Community Grant Program funds local projects in the areas of: art & culture, community & economic development, basic human needs, education, and natural resources & conservation.
The SLCF awards grants of up to $3,000 for projects to benefit the area of Seeley Lake, MT. Applications are due January 31st each year, and grant awards are usually announced by early March.
The Seeley Lake Community Foundation is a locally driven and locally supported 501c3 nonprofit that invests in the health and prosperity of the Seeley Lake community.
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A big thank you to the many people who love Seeley Lake, whose generosity makes support for these projects possible!
Want to see some highlights of what the SLCF Community Grant program has helped make happen over our first 20 years? Explore our Grantmaking Impact page. Scroll down for photos and stories from the last several years.
Funded projects
Check out our Grantmaking Impact page to see some photos and highlights of what the SLCF Community Grant program has helped make happen over the years.
2025 Community Grants Recipients
Eleven groups awarded $29,000 in SLCF Community Grants.
Eleven grant requests were funded, for a total of $29,000 awarded for 2025 projects benefiting Seeley Lake.
Over $400,000 has been awarded through the SLCF Community Grant program since 2003, helping 42 groups accomplish projects benefitting Seeley Lake
Seeley Swan Food Bank
The Seeley Swan Community Food Bank strives to alleviate hunger in the greater Seeley, Swan and Ovando communities through the distribution of free food and toiletries to those in need. On a monthly average they provide for 83 people/30 households with meats, can goods, dairy, breads, eggs, fresh fruits, vegetables and more. Grant funds will be used to continue this much needed service.
Pictured: Barbara Knopp, Diana Pelletier, SLCF Events and Programs Manager
Senior Center (Sela Senci)
Sela Senci (Think Young) helps the Meals on Wheels program ensure those without means have convenient meals at least once per day. Their current swamp cooler is inadequate for the kitchen, which causes major issues during the summer with cooking and the comfort of attendees. They will use grant funds to partially pay for upgrading their HVAC system and add central air conditioning. The new HVAC system will be 96% efficient, lowering the utility bills and helping them stay within their yearly budget.
Pictured: Jon Kimble, Board Member and Diana Pelletier, SLCF Events and Programs Manager
Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitor Center
Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitor Center is collaborating in the orchestration of Seeley Lake’s beloved 4th of July celebration. Grant funds will support the evening band performance.
Pictured: Tom Browder, SLHMVC Secretary/Treasurer and Claire Muller, SLCF Executive Director
Missoula Writing Collaborative
Missoula Writing Collaborative has been serving Seeley Lake schools with creative writing residencies for more than ten years. The grant funds will add residencies in six Seeley Lake classrooms: 2nd, 3rd, and 5th through 7th grades, as well as one high school creative writing class. A professional writer spends one hour per week for 12 weeks in each class, teaching students to write clearly, effectively, and bravely about their lives and with their imaginations. Residencies end with students reading their work, often in front of families and community members, and with a published anthology of student writing for each student and school.
Pictured: Caroline Simms, MWC Executive Director and Diana Pelletier, SLCF Events and Programs Manager
Kids’ Stage Crew
Grant funds would enable a nine-person 'Stage Crew' to engage in volunteer opportunities with Missoula Community Theater (MCT). The crew would have the experience of working on the stage set and props for MCT’s production of Cinderella and have a meal. A second trip would allow them to see the play and see their handiwork in action.
Pictured: Cheryl and Steve Thompson, Coordinators
Seeley Lake Elementary
The Seeley Lake Elementary gymnasium is used by numerous community members, especially during winter months, as a place to gather for activities such as pickle ball, open gym, craft fairs, etc. Grant funds would support repairing the heating unit in the gymnasium.
Pictured: Christina Hartman, SLE Superintendent, Cindy Poteet, SLE Maintenance/Custodian and Diana Pelletier, SLCF Events and Programs Manager
Seeley Lake ROCKS!
Seeley Lake ROCKS has an ongoing responsibility to manage safe access and maintenance of the new Placid Lake trail system, which includes a costly annual weed control program. Grant funds will support this much needed maintenance and encourage local people to spend more time hiking or riding on these trails.
Pictured: Garry Swain, SL ROCKS President and Chantel Lynch, SLCF Operations Manager
Animal Wonders
Animal Wonders will send a wildlife educator to a classroom at Seeley Lake Elementary for 5 visits. Each visit covers a different lesson with a variety of new animal ambassadors for each lesson. Lessons cover Montana State Life Science Standards, including: Classification, Life Cycles, Adaptations & Habitat, Energy Use, and Environmental Change & Survival. Grant funding will support the five visits, which is a unique experience that can’t be found in most rural communities.
Pictured: Jessie Knudsen Castaneda, Animal Wonders Executive Director, Jacob (Jessi’s son), Chantel Lynch, SLCF Operations Manager and Cheerio the Chinchilla
Seeley Lake Nordic Ski Club
Seeley Lake Nordic Ski Club’s awarded grant funds will assist with re-purposing the prior grooming concrete shed at the Seeley Creek trailhead for use for ski equipment storage and waxing by the after-school youth ski program. Framing, ceiling, insulation, new door, and electrical panel will be added.
Pictured: Laurie Shammel, SLNSC Treasurer and Chantel Lynch, SLCF Operations Manager
Sparrow’s Vine
At Sparrow’s Vine Parenting and Pregnancy Center grant funds will help support story and play time. The program provides a story, crafts, and a snack for the families. In addition, grant funds will allow the continuation of play time on Thursday mornings. This project has gone from once a month to once a week to better service the increased number of families participating. This gives parents a place to bring their children and provide opportunities to interact with others.
Pictured: Ruth Bergen, Sparrow’s Vine Executive Director and Diana Pelletier, SLCF Events and Program Manager
Alpine Artisans
Grant funds given to Alpine Artisans will support 2 Valleys Stage and will bring two professional performing groups to our community: Montana Shakespeare in the Parks (community performance in August) and The Wardens (a quartet performance in November) followed by a three-day music workshop for 4 local schools: SLE, SSHS, Swan Valley, Potomac.
Pictured: Tom Browder, Alpine Artisans President and Claire Lynch, SLCF Operations Manager
Eligibility and Guidelines for the SLCF Community Grant Program
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant organization must be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or an exempt governmental unit, hospital, educational institution, etc.
If applicant organization is not tax-exempt, it must be sponsored, in writing, by a tax-exempt organization.
Applicant organization must be located in and/or provide services that directly benefit the community of Seeley Lake, Montana.
General Guidelines
The Seeley Lake Community Foundation will consider requests for special projects, ongoing programs, and one-time capital projects.
The SLCF will not consider the following types of requests: to benefit specific individuals; grants to endowment funds; loans, debt retirement; contributions to organizations whose policy or practice discriminates against race, ethnic origin, gender, religion, or sexual orientation when employing staff or providing services; contributions to sectarian or religious organizations whose principal activity is for the benefit of their own members or adherents.
We see proposals from very small all-volunteer nonprofits to larger organizations with professional staff, all serving a broad cross-section of the community. Our board looks at each proposal holistically, but also within the context of the biggest needs of our community, and what other proposals we have received that year, and the biggest impact we can make with our limited grant-making budget.
What generally has a better chance of being funded:
Proposals with broad community impact, or that touch more than one of our 5 focus areas
Projects that will use these grant dollars to leverage other sources of funding
Community partnerships
We encourage applicants to reach out to SLCF staff to discuss their project idea before going through all the work of creating a grant application!
Applications will be reviewed by the SLCF Board of Directors. The final consideration rests with the Seeley Lake Community Foundation in determining whether a grant proposal meets the scope and provisions as outlined in the grant application guidelines and process. Unsuccessful grant applicants are encouraged to apply again during future grant cycles and to seek input on how to better enhance future proposals.
Funding is ultimately contingent upon availability of funds within the Foundation’s annual budget; grant proposals may be partially or totally funded.
Download the 2024 SLCF Community Grant application here as an example. The grant application typically looks pretty similar from year to year.
Projects receiving funding will need to submit a simple grant report, and 1-2 photos, by Jan 31 of the following year. Here is a typical grant report form.
2024 Community Grants Recipients
Twelve groups awarded $32,200 in SLCF Community Grants.
3 more groups than budgeted heard a ‘yes’ this year, thanks to the generosity of Seeley Lakers!
Twelve grant requests were fully funded, for a total of $32,200 awarded for 2024 projects benefiting Seeley Lake.
Over $364,000 has been awarded through the SLCF Community Grant program since 2003, helping 41 groups accomplish projects benefitting Seeley Lake
Sela Senci - Think Young
$3000 to help the Meals on Wheels program ensure those without means have convenient meals at least once per day.
Pictured: Sela Senci President and Claire Muller, SLCF Executive Director
Sela Senci Meals on Wheels program
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Scenic Montana Trails
$3000 for fat-bike winter grooming equipment. The popularity of fat-tire bicycles has rapidly grown in northwestern Montana. These funds will allow Scenic Montana Trails to purchase locally-made snow grooming equipment to create fat-bike specific winter trails in the Hill-16, Clearwater Lake Loop and Horseshoe Hills portions of SMT’s current grooming areas.
Pictured: Scenic Montana Trails VP for Mtn Bike Cathy Kahnle, board member Bruce Friede and Claire Muller, SLCF Executive Director.
Scenic Montana Trails fat-bike winter grooming equipment
Seeley Swan Food Bank
$3000 to purchase from local and Missoula vendors to help alleviate hunger in the greater Seeley, Swan and Ovando communities.
Pictured: Seeley Swan Community Food Bank board president Lulu Rodriguez, volunteer Tom Browder and Claire Muller, SLCF Executive Director.
Seeley Swan Food Bank can goods ready for distribution
SLE Parent Teacher Club
$3000 for playground equipment. The SLE Parent Teacher Club will add to the new playground at Seeley Lake Elementary with monkey bars, a fire pole and pull-up bars.
Pictured: SLE Parent Teacher Club president Michelle Dunn, secretary/treasurer Andi Bourne, board member Kayla Binder and Claire Muller, SLCF Executive Director.
SLE new playground equipment
Seeley Lake Historical Society
$1000 for a new sign at the Barn. These dollars will provide a new sign to improve visibility of the whole Seeley Lake Historical Society, Museum and Visitor Center campus on the southern end of town.
Pictured: Seeley Lake Historical Society secretary/treasurer Tom Browder and Claire Muller, SLCF Executive Director
Proposed new sign at Seeley Lake Historical Society
Missoula Writing Collaborative
$3000 for two additional creative writing residencies at SLE. Missoula Writing Collaborative has been serving Seeley Lake schools with creative writing residencies for more than ten years. This grant will add two more professional writer residencies for the 2024-2025 school year (which was requested by local teachers!), helping students write clearly, effectively and bravely about their lives and with their imaginations.
Seeley Lake ROCKS!
$3000 for Placid Lake Trail Upgrade. Seeley Lake ROCKS! will bring a Montana Conservation Corps trail crew to upgrade 12 miles of trails on The Nature Conservancy (TNC) land north and east of Placid Lake, to encourage visitors to stay longer and local people to spend more time hiking or riding on these trails.
Pictured: Seeley Lake ROCKS board president Garry Swain and Claire Muller, SLCF Executive Director.
Seeley Lake ROCKS!-
Montana Conservation Corps trail crew at Placid Lake
Animal Wonders
$1200 to provide five visits from a wildlife educator to the Seeley Lake Elementary 3rd grade, with a new animal ambassador for each lesson. Lessons will cover Montana State Life Science Standards.
Pictured: Animal Wonders Executive Director Jessi Knudsen Castaneda with Bubbles, a red footed tortoise and Claire Muller, SLCF Executive Director holding Cheerio, a chinchilla.
Animal Wonders hedgehog, an animal ambassador
Seeley Lake Nordic Ski Club
$3000 to construct a new, larger building at the Seeley Creek Trailhead for the secure storage of grooming equipment. The current structure will eventually be used by the after-school kids’ ski programs, making skiing more accessible and possible for families in Seeley Lake.
Pictured: Seeley Lake Nordic Ski Club board treasurer Laurie Shammel.
Seeley Lake Nordic Ski Club ribbon cutting of new storage shed
Sparrow’s Vine
$3000 for activities for young families. Sparrow’s Vine will offer Story Time, Play Time and Meal Time to give young families an opportunity to learn more about working with their children and providing for their family nutritiously and emotionally.
Pictured: Sparrow’s Vine Executive Director Ruth Bergen and Claire Muller, SLCF Executive Director.
Play time at Sparrow’s Vine
Alpine Artisans
$3000 to bring two professional performing groups to Seeley Lake: Montana Shakespeare in the Parks (community performance in August) and The Jazz Legacy Project (3-day residence in November).
Pictured: Alpine Artisans board president Tom Browder, board member Gene Schade and Claire Muller, SLCF Executive Director.
Alpine Artisan’s: The Jazz Legacy at SSHS
Clearwater Resource Council
$3000 for Seeley Lake Water Quality Monitoring. CRC staff will perform water quality monitoring on six local lakes.
Pictured: CRC board member Bette Orr and Claire Muller, SLCF Executive Director.
Clearwater Resource Council water quality testing
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
2023 SLCF Community Grants were awarded to these projects benefiting Seeley Lake:
$2500 to Seeley Lake Lions Club for community swimming lessons
$1250 to Seeley Lake Historical Museum & Visitor Center for enhancements to the meeting space at the historic Barn building
$1200 to Animal Wonders for a five-week Wildlife Education Program
$2500 to Clearwater Resource Council for Seeley Lake Water Quality Monitoring
$2100 to Seeley Lake ROCKS! for Placid Lake Trail & Seeley Lake Ice Rink Upgrades
$2500 to Alpine Artisans for 2 Valleys Stage Community and School Performances
$2500 to Seeley-Swan High School for Expanding the Mind - Field Trip Fund
$5000 to Seeley Lake Nordic Ski Club for general operating support
$2300 to Seeley Lake Historical Museum & Visitors Center for Winterfest activities
$812 for Alpine Artisans for two high school students to attend a creative writing workshop
2022 SLCF Community Grants were awarded to these projects benefitting Seeley Lake:
$2500 to Alpine Artisans to support two professional performing groups for 2 Valleys Stage: Montana Shakespeare in the Parks (community performance in August) and Fubuki Daiko (3 day residency in October - a community concert and workshops and concerts for 4 local schools: SLE, SSHS, Swan Valley, Potomac.)
$1000 to Animal Wonders for a 5-week Wildlife Education Program, serving the 3rd grade class at Seeley Lake Elementary. They will visit the class for five visits, bringing a different animal ambassador for each lesson, fulfilling the Montana State Life Science Standards.
$2000 to Clearwater Resource Council to purchase an electric motor and battery system for a recently purchased boat, to help with monitoring efforts for septic leachate in Seeley Lake.
$2500 to Montana Sled Dog, Inc to support the 2023 Race to the Sky dog sled race, a three-day dog-sledding event that brings teams, spectators and volunteers to Seeley Lake.
$1500 to the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitor Center to build an all-weather storage shed to provide a secure space for the portable Seeley Lake community stage.
$2500 to Seeley Lake ROCKS! for Placid Lake Trail improvements, including relocating and reconstructing 5,000 feet of the Lakeview – Tupper Lake interconnection and weed-spraying to control spotted knapweed and cheatgrass.
$1900 to Seeley-Swan High School to purchase a video camera and microphone for student-produced video projects, and to help start a new elective course, Intro to Videography, at SSHS.
$1120 to Sparrow’s Vine Parenting and Pregnancy Resource Center to fund monthly social time for parents to gather and build relationships, as well as host another community photo shoot.
2021 SLCF Community Grants were awarded to these projects benefitting Seeley Lake:
$1575 to Recycling Works to start a Rural Glass Recycling Project in Seeley Lake, with local glass drop-offs.
$2425 to Seeley Lake Elementary School to purchase Orff instruments that are built especially for children and are a basic component of strong music programs, allowing students learn concepts like rhythm, tempo, dynamics and pitch through singing and playing instruments at their own level.
$1000 to Clearwater Resource Council to help purchase a hydrolab, which will be used to analyze baseline data to track water quality trends over time in five lakes in the valley.
$500 to Loving Hearts to support remodeling projects in their busy thrift store, where proceeds support those in need in our community.
$500 to Sparrow’s Vine to fund a Free Family Photo project, providing a quality professional family photo for as many local families as possible.
$1000 to Veterans and Families of Seeley Lake to help with construction of a covered kiosk at the current Seeley Lake Memorial Garden. The structure will weather-protect veteran plaques, provide a venue for memorial ceremonies, and will be open to public and include improvements supporting access to those with disabilities.
$1500 to Seeley Lake ROCKS! to purchase a snow blower for the ice rink next to Seeley Lake Elementary.
$1500 to Alpine Artisans to support two free “Seeley Celebrates” community events, each featuring an outstanding Western author. These events will be an in-person celebration marking both the end of the pandemic and the Open Book Club's winning of the Montana Center for the Book Prize.
