HELENA — The Helena Indian Alliance received a $25,000 grant from the Otto Bremer Trust Community Responsive Fund.
The Montana Community Foundation presented the grant to HIA Thursday morning. MTCF served as an intermediary for the Otto Bremer Trust to award and distribute $1.5 million in grant money to nonprofits across the state.
"We had more than 20 million dollars in requests for funding come through this process," said Mary Rutherford, President and CEO of the Montana Community Fund, "And while we had a million and a half to grant out, which is a lot, that's a lot of money going into Montana communities, the needs are ten times that amount."
The Helena Indian Alliance is among the 36 organizations statewide receiving funding.
Katelyn Griepp told MTN News that the money will go toward HIA's Tribal Assistance Program.
The Tribal Assistance Program provides tribal members with things like gas cards to help them get to appointments. It also covers the cost of short-term housing or shelter for Indigenous people who may be struggling with homelessness or transitioning into and out of treatment.
Griepp says the money will also help expand traditional offers at HIA's food pantry.
"So purchasing things like a bison to be able to give to our tribal members," says Griepp.
Griepp adds that a big draw of the Otto Bremer grants was the flexibility in how the money could be used and that the $25,000 covers about half of the annual budget of the Tribal Assistance Program.
Rutherford says that there was significant interest in the grants with around 400 organizations applying for funding. MTCF says grants awarded totaled between $10,000 and $75,000.
The Otto Bremer Trust is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, and provides funding and support across four states: Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
