The Jefferson Valley Community Foundation – Over Two Decades of Supporting the Whitehall Community

Things change in life, and organizations ebb and flow, but the strongest most resilient organizations continue to be vital and contribute positive benefits to their local community. The Jefferson Valley Community Foundation (JVCF) is one of those long-standing organizations that has been resilient and will continue to provide ongoing benefits to the community of Whitehall long into the future.

The JVCF was created in September 2001 by a group of visionaries: Erv Hedegaard, Glenn & Terri Marx, Ed Rollins, Karen Mattern, Chuck Larsen, and Scott Mendenhall. These folks established the JVCF to create a permanent endowment fund for the community and to provide support to local nonprofit organizations within the Whitehall High School District to help our community flourish. The endowment fund started in 2001 with just over $5000, has grown to over $300,000, and has provided funding for over $175,000 in annual grants! The endowment returns approximately 4.5% annually to the JVCF to help fund these annual grants. The remaining earnings are retained in the endowment fund to make sure it continues to grow for the future support of our community in perpetuity. Assuming donations continue at current levels for the next 8 to 10 years, and investment returns continue at the same rate as they have since the fund was started over 20 years ago, the endowment fund will return an additional $366,000 to our community for grants over the next 20 years, and have a remaining balance of over $486,000. In 50 years the fund will have infused almost $1,300,000 into our community and have a balance of almost $900,000! This endowment is a gift to our community that will continue to grow and give for perpetuity; and, the more donations made to this fund the faster it will grow and the greater the distribution to our community. The JVCF administrative expenses are very minimal at just over $2000 per year with half of that going to contracted professional accounting/tax services. All Board members and officers serve on a voluntary basis.

Since its inception, the JVCF has granted a total of almost $207,000 to local nonprofits to assure their success and the success of their essential projects. The JVCF has made grants to over 50 organizations including the Whitehall Community Library, Whitehall Chamber of Commerce, Gold Junction Presents, Pool Pals, Jefferson Valley Museum, Whitehall Booster Club, Whitehall Veterans, Whitehall Public Transportation, Liberty Place, Whitehall Community Center, Whitehall Food Pantry, Whitehall Schools, Cardwell School, Town of Whitehall, Whitehall Garden Center JVEMS/P.U.L.S.E. and the Jefferson Valley Search and Rescue. Additionally, the JVCF has served as Fiscal Sponsor for the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce, Gold Junction Presents, and the Whitehall Mural Restoration Project to assure that contributions to these organizations' activities would be tax deductible.

The JVCF has also helped sponsor and served as the Fiscal Sponsor for the annual Black Tie and Blue Jeans (BTBJ) event with the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce since 2012. For the last several years, this highly successful, fun event has generated approximately $20,000 a year to fund the Chamber's community events like the Easter egg hunt, Frontier Days, the Fall Festival, and the Christmas Festival. It has also generated approximately $3600 a year for the JVCF which has then either been granted back out as part of their annual grant cycle or invested the funds in the endowment fund. In addition, approximately $3400 a year in BTBJ grants were awarded to community nonprofits.

The JVCF is funded by individual and corporate donations and fundraisers. Donations are either placed in the JVCF endowment fund or granted out annually. The endowment fund is held by the Montana Community Foundation which manages the JVCF fund investments and provides support to the JVCF including estate and planned giving advice as well as information about the related tax advantages of giving to a qualified endowment. Did you know that you can receive a 40% Montana tax credit up to $10,000 per individual or $20,000 per couple annually for a planned gift to a qualified endowment? The JVCF endowment held at the MCF is a qualified endowment. A gift to the JVCF endowment is a gift that will continue to give and grow and support our community for perpetuity.

Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine has been a vital part of the success of the JVCF. Since 2010 they have provided $35,000 for the annual $2500 Barrick grants and have donated $105,000 to the JVCF endowment fund. Barrick has also used the JVCF for a number of other generous donations to community activities and also for vital support to our community during the pandemic. Barrick's generosity has been key to the growth of the JVCF permanent endowment and to providing numerous grants to many organizations that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. Barrick's generous gifts to the JVCF endowment have created a legacy that will continue to support the well-being of our community long into the future.

Since 2001 the JVCF has provided significant financial support to nonprofits in our community. Its consistent support to the community has, without question, benefitted the quality of life in the community as well as strengthen the benefits of local nonprofits. Every JVCF meeting's primary concern is how can the Foundation help the community and make it stronger. For more information about the JVCF, how to donate, or how to apply for our annual grants, please contact one of our Board members – Amy French (Chairperson), Tim Mulligan, Jeannie Ferriss, Shannon Smith, Kent Smith, Michelle Johnson, Kristine Murphy, and John Kreis, or mail us at P.O Box 144 Whitehall.