Author: Tom Frownfelder

Posted on

Montana Department of Commerce Event Grants

montana department of commerce Montana Folk Festival, Butte, Montana CONTACT: Anastasia Burton | Anastasia.Burton@mt.gov | 406.841.2557

The Montana Department Commerce Announces Availability of $500,000 in Grant Funding to Support Destination Events in Montana.

The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that applications will now be accepted for Recovery Destination Event Grants. Available through the Tourism Grant Program, a total of $500,000 of funding is now available to support established and new destination events that will increase non-resident and resident visitor attendance and generate revenue to Montana communities. “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, several major events have been either rescheduled or canceled across the state, causing a negative economic impact for many Montana communities,” said Commerce Director Scott Osterman. “As the state’s economy continues to recover from the pandemic, these Destination Event grants will help Montana communities bounce back through the economic boost tied to these events,” Osterman added. Applications for the grant funding will be open to registered non-profit 501(c) organizations, tribal governments, city governments, and county governments based in Montana. Eligible event costs that can be supported with grant funds include: Advertising and marketing costs to increase non-resident and resident attendance, such as traditional advertisement, digital marketing campaigns, social media post boosts, social media ads, e-communications, and geo-fencing. Event infrastructure costs like portable restrooms, wash stations, and 25 percent of the rental costs for a permanent venue or facility where the recovery destination event will take place. Signage expenses including production, construction, and installation costs of non-permanent signage directing attendees to the event, direct mailers, and banners announcing the recovery destination event. Applications will be considered, reviewed, scored, and awarded on an on-going basis until all $500,000 of grant funding is awarded or until June 1, 2022; whichever occurs first. Learn more and apply for a Recovery Destination Event Grant at MARKETMT.COM. Recovery Destination Event grants are funded by the 4% Lodging Facility Use Tax, commonly known as the “Bed Tax.”  Enacted by the 1987 Legislature, the Bed Tax is collected from guests of hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, guest ranches, resorts, short-term vacation rentals, and campgrounds.  
Posted on

Sweet Grass Development will be hosting a workshop for business startups/business plans.

Monday August 24th in the back of the library

Allison Gleason Room

5:30pm to 8pm

Their website link

https://www.sweetgrassdevelopment.org/

About Sweet Grass

Sweetgrass Development is a private, non-profit corporation created in 2004 to support economic development in the counties of Cascade, Glacier, Pondera, Teton and Toole, as well as the Blackfeet Nation and Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana. We are a diverse area that includes a large metropolitan area, many small towns, rural farming areas, several Hutterite Colonies, Glacier National Park, and the Blackfeet Reservation.

​Sweetgrass Development staff works to advance the regional economy through business technical assistance, Brownfields assessments, grant writing, community networking, and much more. As a federally certified Economic Development District (EDD), we bring unique benefits to our five counties, including:

What they do for businesses

Sweetgrass Development can help with every step of your project from creating a plan to finding loans, grants, and partnerships to help businesses and entities grow and succeed. We can also provide technical assistance including software such as LivePlan and QuickBooks..

Posted on

There is still funding available from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

Click here for information from the Small Business Administration

  • The SBA is helping thousands of restaurants and other food and beverage businesses across the country get the help they desperately need to recover and rebuild from this pandemic.
  • While we are still accepting all applications, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund still has funding left for eligible businesses with 2019 gross receipts of no more than $50,000 in annual revenue. Eligible establishments that meet this revenue standard are encouraged to apply through SBA-recognized point-of-sale vendors or directly via the SBA online application portal. 
  • Because the RRF was appropriated $28.6 billion, any additional funding requests over that amount will not be funded with the current appropriation. In addition to the RRF, the SBA has been delivering relief to restaurants through our other COVID relief programs.

Numbers as of 5/12/2021:

  • $2.7 billion of relief funds have been distributed to 21,000 restaurants since the Restaurant Revitalization Fund opened on May 3, 2021.
  • The RRF has received more than 147,000 applications from women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged business owners, requesting a total of $29 billion in relief funds.
  • 13,114 applications from businesses with under $50,000 in pre-pandemic revenue requesting $330 million in funds
  • 100,410 applications from businesses with under $500,000 in annual pre-pandemic revenue requesting $8.14 billion in funds
  • 61,535 applicants from businesses with $500,000 – $1,500,000 in annual pre-pandemic revenue requesting $15.1 billion in funds
Posted on

Teton County Health Resources

self care isn t selfish signage

Community Stakeholders,

The Teton County CARES Alliance is committed to sharing resources to help residents facing behavioral health challenges. CARES has developed a list of local, state and national mental health resources.

During this COVID-19 pandemic our community members may be experiencing stress, anxiety, fear and loneliness due to our changed daily routines, social distancing from friends and family and financial stress.

Some people are concerned about themselves or others getting sick. Many community members are concerned with what the future may bring.

Some people are experiencing anxiety and/or depression who have never experienced either of those conditions before. Others who have current mental health disorders may see their symptoms worsen. Some people may self-medicate with alcohol, drugs or other substances.

We are fortunate to have many local mental health professionals who provide counseling services. In-person, phone & video-conferencing sessions are available. Please share this resource. You are welcome to print this and share with clients, staff and co-workers. We also encourage you to print a copy to post at your location and email it out to staff.

If you are not currently a CARES Alliance member and are interested in joining one of our meetings, please email me and I will send you the link to our meetings. We meet online through Zoom the third Tuesday of every month at 10 am. Our next meeting is January 19, 2021.

Please let contact Dawn Gunderson if you have any questions.

Thank you,

~Dawn

Dawn Gunderson
Teton County Health Department
905 4th Street NW
Choteau, MT 59422
406-466-2562 (office)
406-788-4207 (cell)
406-466-5292 (fax)
www.tetoncomt.org/health-department

Posted on

Opportunities with Great Falls Development Authority

Help us celebrate all things new at Ignite 2021, presented by PayneWest Insurance! Friday, January 22nd starting at 10:00AM MST we will be virtually hosting entrepreneurs from around the region announcing business startups, expansions, and more. Want to feature your project? Contact Nathan Reiff at NReiff@GrowGreatFalls.org or call (406) 403-4937. Projects include business startups, business expansions, real estate developments, and institutional capital projects.

NATHAN REIFF

[Business Development Officer]

Great Falls Development Authority

1.406.403.4937

Schedule Counseling

Posted on

Chamber Round Table for 2021 Events

Hi All, it is that time of year again, and we will be meeting at the Country Club at 5:30pm on Thursday, September 17th to discuss the calendar of events for 2021. Bring all of your events, even if tentative. We will have pizza if you want to show up early and have a drink.

Hope to see you there!

Tom Frownfelder, Secretary Chamber

Posted on

Home Loan Programs, NeighborWorks Montana

NeighborWorks Montana
FIND AN UPCOMING CLASS NEAR YOU Homebuyer education is one of the many services offered by NeighborWorks Montana’s network partner organizations. For aspiring homeowners, many organizations also offer one-on-one homebuyer counseling both in person and via phone. Find an organization near you to learn more about the services they offer, register for a class and schedule a counseling session.

HOMEBUYER EDUCATION AND COUNSELING
The first step to creating successful homeowners is education. Educated homeowners stay in their homes longer, take pride in their properties, and have one-third less foreclosures. NeighborWorks Montana’s network partners across the state offer in-depth classes on all aspects of homeownership.
All classes meet HUD requirements and are taught by National Center for Homeownership Education and Counseling Certified educators. Completion of a certified homebuyer class is a requirement for many specialized loan products, including NeighborWorks Montana loans. To receive a certificate, participants must attend all sections of the course. Courses are at least 8 hours in length and are offered over the course of a full day or two-to-three evenings depending on the organization.
Topics covered in these classes include:

• Assessing Readiness to Buy a Home
• Budgeting and Credit
• Financing a Home
• Selecting a Home
• Maintaining a Home and Finances
• Financial Resources

FIND AN UPCOMING CLASS NEAR YOU
Homebuyer education is one of the many services offered by NeighborWorks Montana’s network partner organizations. For aspiring homeowners, many organizations also offer one-on-one homebuyer counseling both in person and via phone. Find an organization near you to learn more about the services they offer, register for a class and schedule a counseling session.