Sanders County Community Development

07/16/2025

🚨 GRANT ALERT for Small Businesses! 🚨

Applications are now OPEN for the 2025 Backing Small Businesses grant program, supported by American Express! 🇺🇸💼

This nationwide initiative will award 400 grants of $10,000 to help locally rooted businesses:
✅ Overcome economic challenges
✅ Invest in growth
✅ Strengthen their impact in the community

If you're a small business owner making a difference in Sanders County, now’s the time to act.

📞 Need help with your application? That’s what we’re here for!
Call us at [insert phone number] — we’ll walk you through the process and help you put your best foot forward.

Applications are now open for the broader round of the Backing Small Businesses grant program, supported by American Express, which will award 400 grants of $10,000 to help locally significant small businesses overcome economic hardship, invest in growth, and make a meaningful impact in their commun...

07/15/2025

What started out as an idea became reality, not because any one group had the capacity to do it alone but because we did it together.
This 18-hole public course nestled just west of Thompson Falls is a perfect example of what a shared vision and real collaboration can achieve. Every partner brought something essential to the table; time, funding, labor, expertise and together we got the job done.
Big thanks to our partners NorthWestern Energy, Project ASCENT, Professional Disc Golf Association, Western Montana's Glacier Country, and The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation. And a huge thank you to the local businesses who contributed Studs Building and Home, Thompson River Ready Mix Sanders County Equipment Rental Glens Auto Glass Black Bear Construction and lastly thanks to Sanders County Chamber of Commerce for being such a great advocate. Now get out there and go play!

07/15/2025

Strong partnerships build strong communities, and Glacier Bank has proven that for over a decade.
From financial contributions to community referrals and board leadership, they’ve been a reliable ally in Mission West’s work across western Montana.
We're grateful for their long-standing support and proud to highlight their role in powering local progress.
👉 Learn more about our partners and community impact: https://rebrand.ly/8hnxqob
Sanders County Community Development

07/10/2025

Whether you’re scaling your sauce recipe or baking bread at commercial volume, MMFEC in Ronan has your back.
Our production rooms, bakery space, and hot-fill lines are built to help Montana food businesses launch, grow, and thrive.
With co-packing available, you don’t need a full team—just your vision.
Let’s cook up something amazing together.
👉 Explore our kitchen services: http://missionwestcdp.org/mmfec
Sanders County Community Development

06/26/2025

🌄 Built by the Community — For the Community 🥏
What started as a dream by the Project ASCENT team is now becoming a reality—thanks to the incredible support of NorthWestern Energy and Sanders County Community Development. The upcoming Bad Rock Disc Golf Course in Thompson Falls is more than just a place to play—it's a symbol of what we can accomplish together.

From the first basket to the final fairway, local businesses have stepped up in a big way. Huge thanks to Thompson River Ready Mix, Glen’s Auto Glass, Sanders County Equipment Rental , and Studs Building and Home, and to our generous funders Western Montana's Glacier Country and The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation for helping bring this vision to life.

Whether you're a disc golf regular or just love spending time outdoors, Bad Rock is being built with you in mind.

🛠️ Community-powered. Nature-inspired. Coming soon.

06/26/2025

When the Strysko Family saw the opportunity to carry forward a beloved local business in St. Ignatius, they didn’t just take it. They expanded the vision.
With guidance and support from Mission West, the Strysko Family transitioned the former Stutzman’s Country Market into Mission Country Market, a community-first store focused on local food systems and rural connection.
The new market features:
✅ Montana-grown produce and pantry staples
✅ 10% discount for veterans
🚲 “Bike & Buggy” perks for non-motorized shoppers
From planning and funding to final rollout, Mission West helped the Strysko Family bring this dream to life. This is a shining example of how rural entrepreneurship grows when backed by the right tools and the right people.
Support local and visit Mission Country Market, a true Taste of the Valley.

Sanders County Community Development

05/08/2025

📊 Who Lives in Sanders County? Let's Take a Look! 🏞️

A local business asked me if there was any demographic data on residents in Sanders County. I checked out our Census.gov profile at https://data.census.gov/profile/Sanders_County,_Montana?g=050XX00US30089 I'm sharing the demographic breakdown by age and s*x because I'd love to hear what you think.

📍Check out the age/s*x breakdown for your town and tell us:

1. Do the results accurately reflect your community?
2. What do the charts get right/wrong?
3. Is there anything about this data you find insightful or surprising?

The source:
U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. (2023). Age and S*x. American Community Survey, ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S0101. Retrieved May 9, 2025, from https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2023.S0101?g=050XX00US30089.

03/05/2025

SESSION TWO is THIS THURSDAY, 3/6/25, from 11am-12pm over Zoom.

Join Mission West and instructor Kyle Wright for the second installment of our Artificial Intelligence for Small Businesses workshop series.

This 3-part workshop series is FREE to attend! This series is dedicated to helping small businesses leverage AI tools to save time and money, and to help grow their business. Join us for any single workshop, or sign up for all three.

Coming up next:
Workshop 3 - PRACTICAL AI APPLICATIONS FOR BUSINESS GROWTH - Thursday, March 13th.

Registration Link: https://missionwestcdp.jotform.com/250375710542048

02/25/2025

SESSION ONE is THIS THURSDAY, 2/27/25, from 11am-12pmam over Zoom.

Join Mission West and instructor Kyle Wright for our first workshop series of 2025: Artificial Intelligence for Small Businesses.

This 3-part workshop series is FREE to attend! This series is dedicated to helping small businesses leverage AI tools to save time and money, and to help grow their business. Join us for any single workshop, or sign up for all three.

Workshop 1 - AI MODELS EXPLAINED
Workshop 2 - CRAFTING THE PERFECT AI PROMPT
Workshop 3 - PRACTICAL AI APPLICATIONS FOR BUSINESS GROWTH

Registration Link: https://missionwestcdp.jotform.com/250375710542048

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