Whitefish Community Foundation recently awarded two Kids Fund grants totaling $40,000 to support the health and safety of students in the Evergreen and Kalispell school districts.
A $30,000 grant to Kalispell School District’s HEART Program will help provide families in crisis with safe, stable housing, and a $10,000 grant to Kalispell Education Foundation will support mental health resources for students at Glacier and Flathead high schools.
The HEART Program (Homelessness, Enrollment, Access, Residency, and Transportation) serves students experiencing housing instability in the Kalispell and Evergreen school districts. In line with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the HEART Program ensures access to education and vital support services for children and unaccompanied youth facing homelessness, using school as a stabilizing force.
Whitefish Community Foundation’s grant will support the HEART Program’s Stable Families Initiative, providing immediate, flexible support to McKinney-Vento-qualified students and their families through hotel stays and rental assistance.
Displaced families are offered hotel stays up to two months while working on permanent housing, maintaining employment and continuing enrollment in school. The initiative also offers rental assistance such as first month’s rent and security deposits, or limited utility support if a family is facing eviction.
Each family is paired with a case manager who offers personalized plans, housing navigation, resource referrals and coordination with school staff, ensuring that students’ education remains stable during housing transitions.
“This grant will be transformative for the families we serve. It allows us to offer immediate stabilization through flexible housing options that keep students engaged in school while their families work toward long-term stability,” HEART Program K-8 Case Manager Natalie Molter said. “We see firsthand the growing need for housing support, especially among families with young children. The rising cost of rent and lack of available housing make it nearly impossible for many to recover from even a short-term crisis.”
Kalispell Education Foundation is a nonprofit that supports students and educators in Kalispell Public Schools by funding innovative programs, classroom grants and student-focused initiatives that foster academic success, well-being and equitable access to opportunity.
Whitefish Community Foundation’s grant to Kalispell Education Foundation will support the implementation of the JED High School program, a nationally renowned model that helps schools build comprehensive mental health systems to support student well-being and prevent suicide.
Through expert-led assessments, JED works with schools to develop customized, data-informed strategic plans that enhance existing strengths and address unmet needs. Kalispell Education Foundation and the Nate Chute Foundation are partnering to bring JED to Glacier and Flathead high schools, providing ongoing technical assistance, best-practice guidance and access to a national learning community.
“Whitefish Community Foundation’s Kids Fund grant is helping us bring a research-based program to our high schools that will have a lasting impact on student mental health,” Kalispell Education Foundation Executive Director Dorothy Drury said. “Through JED, we are equipping Glacier and Flathead with the tools, training and support to create an environment where every student feels safe and connected.”
Whitefish Community Foundation created the Kids Fund grant program in 2019 to support programs that mitigate challenges and prevent local youth from becoming homeless. To date, nearly $750,000 has been awarded from the Kids Fund to nonprofits across the Flathead Valley.
Whitefish Community Foundation is dedicated to fostering philanthropy, building endowments, and helping donors and nonprofits benefit our communities. To learn more about the Kids Fund, including requirements for applying for a grant, visit whitefishcommunityfoundation.org/the-kids-fund/.