Headwaters Foundation

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Headwaters Foundation Working side-by-side with Western Montanans to improve the health of our communities.

At Headwaters Foundation, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive. We partner with organizations that work to reduce barriers to health alongside those who face them most. Because when Montana’s children, families and Native American communities are strong and their voices are heard, we can create a Western Montana where all people are healthy and thriving.

With our 2026 GO! Grants funding fully awarded; we’re closing the program for the remainder of the year. This year, we a...
10/20/2026

With our 2026 GO! Grants funding fully awarded; we’re closing the program for the remainder of the year. This year, we awarded 100 grants totaling $850,000 to nonprofits across Western Montana.

We’ll reopen the program in early 2027 with a new year of flexible, quick-turnaround grants to nonprofits supporting kids and families in Western Montana’s rural communities.

A big thank you to all the organizations that reached out, shared what they’re working on, and put these grants to work in their communities this year.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to keep up-to-date about GO! Grants and more. https://www.headwatersmt.org/newsletter-signup/

10/17/2026

Food helps us remember. 🧡

The kitchen is where stories get passed down, from abuela's special recipe to a shared holiday dinner to an ever expanding family table. On Día de los Mu***os, those flavors become an offering, a way to welcome our loved ones back home. 🕯️

Listen to our community share what food means to their families and traditions. 🌼
And stay tuned for our documentary!

We hope to see you at the Día de los Mu***os celebration at Confluence Center, on November 1, 12pm-8pm. Check the link in our bio for more event information 💛
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La comida nos ayuda a recordar. 🧡

La cocina es donde se transmiten historias, desde la receta especial de la abuela hasta una cena festiva compartida y una mesa familiar en constante expansión. En el Día de los Mu***os, esos sabores se convierten en una ofrenda, una forma de dar la bienvenida a nuestros seres queridos de vuelta en casa. 🕯️

Escucha a nuestra comunidad compartir lo que significa la comida para sus familias y tradiciones. 🌼
¡Y permanece atento a nuestro documental!

Esperamos verte en la celebración del Día de los Mu***os en el Confluence Center, el 1 de noviembre, de 12:00 a 20:00. Consulta el enlace en nuestra biografía para saber más sobre las oportunidades de unirte a nosotros en preparar y celebrar este celebración 💛

🎥 : 4th Street
💫 : Monica Pipal, Mez Marilyn, Jazmin Ortega

How do you know if you’re being the kind of funder you want to be? Ask your grant partners. A few years ago, we asked ou...
10/14/2026

How do you know if you’re being the kind of funder you want to be? Ask your grant partners.

A few years ago, we asked our grant partners to tell us honestly what it’s like to work with Headwaters. What were we doing well? Where were we falling short? And what could we do differently?

Now, we’re doing it again. We’re partnering with the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) to conduct another Grantee Perception Report, an anonymous and confidential survey that gives our grant partners a chance to tell us what they really think.

The timing feels particularly important. Since our last survey, we’ve transitioned to a new strategic framework, launched new funding programs, and changed some of our grantmaking processes. We want to know how those changes are working for the organizations we work with, and where we still have room to improve.

If you receive an invitation to participate, please take the survey and be candid! We really do want to know what’s working, what isn’t, and what we need to change. Once we receive the results, we’ll share what we learned and how we plan to respond.

Learn more on our blog: www.headwatersmt.org/gpr-2026

On , we’re reflecting on what it means to honor Tribal sovereignty in our work as a funder. For us, that means building...
10/12/2026

On , we’re reflecting on what it means to honor Tribal sovereignty in our work as a funder. For us, that means building relationships directly with Tribal leadership and supporting Native-led priorities and solutions across Western Montana.

In 2025, we established the CSKT Partnership Fund to work directly with Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal leadership to support their priorities for health. We granted $600,000 through the fund in its first year.

We also awarded 27 grants totaling $721,500 through our GO! Grants and Family Power Fund to organizations that reported at least a quarter of their work taking place on the Flathead Reservation. That work includes Native language and cultural education, youth leadership, food access, recovery, journalism, and advocacy.

We’re continuing to learn what it means to honor Tribal sovereignty, build relationships over time, and support organizations and solutions across our region.

Today, we’re recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day by sharing one small part of how we’re putting that commitment into practice.

Learn more about this work at headwatersmt.org.

10/09/2026

What is Día de los Mu***os? 🌼

It’s a traditional celebration rooted in honoring the people we’ve lost, and a reminder that grief doesn’t have to be carried alone. Each year, our community gathers to remember, celebrate, and heal together. Whoever you are and wherever you come from, there’s a place for you here. 🕯️

Mark your calendars for November 1 for the main celebration at Confluence Center! And check the link in our bio to learn more about opportunities to join us in this celebration 💛
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¿Qué es el Día de los Mu***os? 🌼

Es una celebración tradicional basada en honrar a las personas que hemos perdido, y un recordatorio de que el duelo no tiene por qué llevarse solo. Cada año, nuestra comunidad se reúne para recordar, celebrar y sanar juntas. Quienquiera que seas y vengas de donde vengas, aquí tienes un lugar. 🕯️

Marca tu calendario para el 1 de noviembre para la celebración principal en el Confluence Center. Y consulta el enlace en nuestra biografía para saber más sobre las oportunidades de unirte a nosotros en preparar y celebrar este celebración 💛

🎥: 4th Street Studio
💫: Mez Marilyn, Antonio Ibarra Oliveras

What do you do when families are spread across more than 3,600 square miles? You bring the resources to them.That’s what...
10/08/2026

What do you do when families are spread across more than 3,600 square miles? You bring the resources to them.

That’s what happened in Lincoln County as part of the early childhood initiative Headwaters supported across Western Montana.

Local leaders with Lincoln County Kids knew distance was a real barrier for families with young children. So they developed a mobile resource van that could travel to communities and events throughout the county, bringing everything from books and activities to information about WIC, lactation support, maternal health, and other resources directly to families.

It’s one example from our recent evaluation of what happened when communities had the resources and flexibility to build what families in their area needed.

The evaluation looks back at six years of early childhood investment across Western Montana, including more stories from Lincoln County and other communities about what worked, what was challenging, and what we learned along the way.

Read the Lincoln County case study and explore the full evaluation:
https://www.headwatersmt.org/investing-in-early-childhood/

Our communications webinar series starts next week, and there's still time to join us!We'll spend three lunch hours over...
10/02/2026

Our communications webinar series starts next week, and there's still time to join us!

We'll spend three lunch hours over the next three weeks talking about communications planning, storytelling, and practical approaches for busy nonprofit teams. Bring your questions, connect with peers from across Montana, and leave with ideas you can put to work right away.

Can't make it live? Register anyway, and we'll send you the recordings!

Learn more and sign up: www.headwatersmt.org/comms-learning-series

09/25/2026

What’s your favorite thing about YOUR community? Let us know in the comments!

Earlier this month, our board and staff visited Lincoln county and asked folks that question. The answers speak for themselves and we felt the strong sense of community in this county. 💚

What helps kids and families thrive?From 2018–2024, communities across Western Montana answered that question in differe...
09/23/2026

What helps kids and families thrive?

From 2018–2024, communities across Western Montana answered that question in different ways. Some created new places for families to gather and connect. Others launched programs, strengthened local partnerships, supported parents as leaders, or advocated for statewide policies that better support families.

Through a recent independent evaluation of Headwaters Foundation’s six-year Early Childhood Initiative, we had the chance to look back at what communities built, what changed, and what they learned along the way.

While the work looked different in every community, one thing came through clearly: relationships matter. When parents, nonprofits, educators, health care providers, Tribal leaders, and others came together around a shared vision for children and families, they were able to accomplish more together.

This carousel shares just a few examples of what this work looked like across Western Montana.

Explore more stories, findings, and lessons from the evaluation at the link in our bio. www.headwatersmt.org/investing-in-early-childhood

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119 West Main Street (Second Floor)
Missoula, MT
59802

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