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Chambers
Family Fund partnered with the Montana
Community Foundation to create a women’s fund in 1999.
The Women’s Foundation of Montana promotes economic self-sufficiency
for women and works to create a brighter future for girls and women
in Montana. The advisory board of women from throughout the state
successfully raised $500,000 that was
matched by Chambers Family Fund to create a $1 million endowment.
For thousands of Montanans, the appeal of living among
its mountains, rivers and plains fails to match the reality of what
Montana has to offer in terms of economic security, employment opportunities
and the promise of a better future. Montana has one of the highest
rates of children living in poverty in the United States, most of
whom are in single-parent households, headed primarily by women.
Poverty, lack of education and job training, teen pregnancy and
isolation all perpetuate the insecurities of women’s lives
and girls’ futures in Montana. The Women’s Foundation
of Montana is committed to overcoming these barriers and empowering
women and girls to realize their potential.
The Women’s Foundation of Montana believes
a strong and effective statewide network of organizations that
serve women and girls can contribute significantly toward its mission.
Acting on this belief, the Women’s Foundation of Montana convened
22 Montana organizations working to help women and girls achieve
economic self-sufficiency in April 2002. The gathering created an
opportunity for exchange of knowledge, experience and expertise
in a state where the distance between communities hinders collaboration.
In addition to convening organizations, the women's foundation has
made grants of nearly $500,000, thereby significantly
increasing the resources available to organizations supporting women
and girls in Montana.
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