Flathead 4-H Foundation

10/06/2026

Happy National 4-H Week 🍀
There are some things you don’t fully understand the value of until you’re grown: 4-H is one of them.

From the outside, people see the green clover. They see livestock shows, projects, record books, speeches, meetings, contests, ribbons and banners. But those of us who were lucky enough to be raised in 4-H know it was never really about any of those things.
It was learning to walk into a room when you were scared and speak anyway. Learning to shake someone’s hand, look them in the eye and introduce yourself. Learning that if an animal depended on you, you showed up whether you were tired, it was freezing cold, blazing hot, or you simply didn’t feel like it. It was learning how to win with humility and how to lose without letting it break you.
It was finding out that sometimes you can work harder than you ever have, give something absolutely everything you’ve got, and still not be the one whose name gets called. And then learning to come back and try again.

4-H gives kids responsibility before they realize that’s what it is. It gives them confidence before they know they need it. It teaches leadership, service, work ethic, resilience and the importance of being part of something bigger than themselves.
And somewhere between the barn chores, demonstrations, community service, county fairs, friendships, early mornings and late nights, it starts building a person. Years later, the ribbons may be packed away. The projects are long gone. The animals that taught us so much are only memories.
But the lessons stay.
The confidence stays.
The work ethic stays.
The friendships stay.
The ability to get back up stays.

And one day you realize that little green clover had its hand in raising you.Then, if you’re really lucky, you get to stand on the other side and watch it begin raising another generation.
So this week, here’s to every 4-H kid; past, present and still to come. To the parents, volunteers, Extension educators and leaders who pour into them. And to an organization that has spent generations teaching kids not only how to make the best better, but how to become pretty incredible humans along the way.

10/06/2026

The new 4-H year has begun and enrollment is happening now! Contact our Flathead County Extension office for more info about finding a local club and joining 4-H!🍀 Call 406-758-5553

Little hands, big discoveries! Cloverbuds gives youth ages 5–7 a chance to try new things, get creative, explore new interests, and make friends along the way. Help your young explorer get Beyond Ready with Montana 4-H! Find a club near you at montana4h.org.

10/05/2026

Please join us for a fun fall service day at our Loon Lake 4-H Camp! Many hands make light work! 💪 🍀 🤗

10/05/2026

For the second year in a row, this incredible Flathead community blew our Great Fish Community Challenge goal right out of the water! Last year, in our very first Challenge, you helped us raise an incredible $39,000. This year? Donor giving has far surpassed our $40k goal, topping $50,000! 🎉 💚

And here’s the really fun part: that $50,000+ does not include the percentage matching grant from Whitefish Community Foundation or any additional campaign awards announced at the Great Fish Awards Celebration on October 22. So yes… that number is going up again! 🐟

During the Challenge, we’ve shared just some of what your 2025 gifts made possible: new 4-H projects, county-wide workshops, expanded training opportunities, scholarships, and sending youth to experiences where they could learn, compete and lead. Now, because of what you did this year, we get to keep building on that momentum and create even more opportunities for Flathead 4-H youth to turn curiosity into capability all year long.

To everyone who donated, shared a post, stopped by a pop-up, told a friend, displayed one of our cards, cheered us on or helped spread the word, thank you! And to our 4-H families, volunteers, alumni, local businesses and community partners who rallied around us again this year, thank you for showing up for these youth in such a big way!

A huge thank you as well to Whitefish Community Foundation and the team behind Great Fish. This Challenge gives nonprofits across the Flathead Valley a remarkable opportunity to reach new people, build stronger connections and turn community generosity into real work.

From all of us at Flathead 4-H Foundation , THANK YOU for helping us Make the Best Better for youth right here at home in the Flathead Valley!

Please join us for the celebration on October 22 at the Great Fish Community Challenge Award Ceremony at the Wachholz College Center at FVCC. A reception starts at 5 p.m., followed by the awards from 6 to 7 p.m. This event is open to the public.

09/15/2026

What a way to finish the 2026 Great Fish Community Challenge!

More than 4,000 donors came together to make over 15,000 gifts to 89 local nonprofits, raising a record-breaking $8.6 million and counting!

To every person who gave, shared, volunteered, sponsored, cheered on a nonprofit or helped spread the word: thank you. This incredible month of giving is possible because of a community that continues to show up for the organizations that make the Flathead Valley such a special place to live.

And we’re not done celebrating yet! Join us Thursday, October 22 from 5–7 p.m. at the Wachholz College Center for the Great Fish Awards Ceremony, where we’ll announce the final amount raised and the Great Fish Match.

You can learn about the amount raised during the Challenge and the incredible community support we received in our latest press release here: https://whitefishcommunityfoundation.org/article/great-fish-community-challenge-raises-record-8-6-million

Thank you for Giving Where You Live! 💙🐟

09/12/2026

Beautiful September day at our Loon Lake 4-H Camp 🍀 ☀️ 🎣

09/11/2026

Before the Great Fish Community Challenge closes at 5 PM today, we want to say a very big THANK YOU to everyone who has given, shared our posts, talked about Flathead 4-H Foundation with a friend, stopped by a pop-up, or simply helped more people understand what 4-H makes available to all youth in our community 💚

Our 4-H youth work hard all year long. They learn. They lead. They serve their communities. And yes, they fundraise too, selling raffle tickets and working alongside their clubs to help pay for projects, activities and opportunities.

There is value in learning how to work toward a goal and raise money for something that matters. But fundraising shouldn't become the price of admission to opportunity.

There comes a point when the hours spent trying to raise the next $200 are hours that could have been spent learning a new skill, attending a workshop, practicing leadership, traveling to a state event, or simply discovering something they didn't know they were capable of doing.

That's one reason the Great Fish Community Challenge matters so much to us.

It gives the rest of us a chance to carry more of the fundraising load so our youth can spend more of their time doing what 4-H does best: learning by doing, growing through experience, and turning curiosity into capability.

If you've been thinking about making a gift, this is the day. And if you've already given, sharing this post may be the thing that introduces one more person to the work we're doing 🙌

Donations must be received by 5 PM today, September 11. Give through the link in our bio or at Whitefish Community Foundation .

Thank you for believing in our mission and investing in our 4-H youth 💚🍀

09/10/2026

🏁 Turning Curiosity into Capability: Driven to Lead!

Your 2025 Great Fish Community Challenge gifts went all the way to Bozeman this summer, fully funding participation and travel for 13 Flathead 4H youth to experience Montana 4-H State Congress at MSU! 🍀

The 2026 Congress theme was Driven to Lead, and our Flathead teens didn't just attend, they helped make the event happen! Eight youth arrived early for Pre-Congress, where teen leaders work behind the scenes to prepare for 4-H members arriving from across Montana. Our youth helped plan ceremonies, create stage props and event t-shirts, run technology for the stage programs, set up the event and welcome fellow 4-H members. 🙌

And they took this year's theme pretty literally: Cora Kirkland created the centerpiece for the main stage, a giant cardboard race car! 🏎️ Once Congress was underway, our delegation moved from leading behind the scenes to putting their project skills to the test. The Flathead Livestock Judging team of Coy Braaten, Emma Brist, Kase Braaten and Naomi Brist placed SECOND in Montana and earned the opportunity to represent our state at the Western 4-H Roundup in Denver this winter! Our Gavel Games team of Lux Bain, Eric Juhl, Jesse Juhl, Jubal Clark and Sawyer Kauffman took THIRD in the state. 🏆

Montana 4-H Congress has been bringing youth together on the MSU campus for nearly 100 years. It's four days of competition, workshops, new friendships, new ideas and opportunities for teens to discover just how much they're capable of.

Show up. Step up. Lead. That's what turning curiosity into capability looks like in 4-H. And this year, removing the cost of getting there meant our youth could concentrate on making the most of the opportunity once they arrived.

Your support of the Flathead 4-H Faoundation through the 2025 Great Fish Community Challenge made that possible. With the 2026 Challenge coming down to the finish line, your gift can put the next opportunity within reach.

Together, let's see where the Great Fish drives opportunities for our 4-H youth next! 💚 🏁

With one convenient donation, 100% of your gift goes directly to the nonprofits you choose — no fees, no overhead. To learn more, visit our link in bio or at Whitefish Community Foundation and their website:
https://whitefishcommunityfoundation.org/initiatives/great-fish-community-challenge

Every gift makes a difference. Thank you to everyone for believing in the mission of Flathead 4-H Foundation and helping us to turn curiosity into capability for the 4-H youth of Flathead County! We are so grateful for your support! 🍀

09/10/2026

Join Flathead 4-H Foundation at the final pop-up of the Challenge! Cheer us on and make a donation to all your favorite nonprofits! Link in bio! 🍀 Thank you 😊

Today's the day: Three Rivers Bank is hosting the last Whitefish Community Foundation Great Fish Community Challenge Pop-Up Donation Station! 💙

📍 233 E Idaho Street, Kalispell
📍 Today, stop by between 11:30 am and 3:00 pm

The challenge wraps up tomorrow. This is your last chance to donate in person and support the 89 Flathead Valley nonprofits making a difference in our community. 100% of every gift goes directly to them.

Swing by, say hello, and give where you live.