Oro y Plata Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Oro y Plata Foundation supports Montana organizations in the following areas: education, health, housing, poverty, veterans, workforce development, children and families, civic engagement, leadership, community, economic development, hunger/food security, homelessness, Native issues, rural issues, women and girls, and youth development.
IP TAKE: This foundation does not make itself easily accessible to grant seekers, but it funds a broad range of issues for groups that can get in touch.
PROFILE: Established in 2002, the Oro y Plata Foundation is a private foundation based in Kalispell, Montana. This is the foundation of local philanthropist Bruce Ennis and his wife, Margaret Davis. Oro y Plata is the state motto of Montana, which is Spanish for “gold and silver.” The foundation supports Montana-based programs that help people in need become more self-sufficient. Broad grantmaking areas of interest include education, health, housing, poverty, veterans, workforce development, children and families, civic engagement, leadership, community, economic development, hunger/food security, homelessness, Native issues, rural issues, women and girls and youth development.
The foundation lacks transparency and does not maintain a website. However, the foundation manager has written about eastern Montana's needs in the context of an oil boom there. Service areas of particular interest include affordable housing, childcare, out-of-school education, public safety, domestic violence, and mental healthcare. The foundation does not typically support the following: historical societies, art centers, general hospitals, theaters, national-level organizations, higher education institutions, animal organizations, sports organizations, and public broadcasting.
Foundation grants are typically between $1,000 and $50,000. To learn more about this foundation’s grantmaking, review the funder’s recent tax records. Montana is the focus of this funder, which gives grants to Montana towns, including Missoula, Helena, Kalispell, Lakeside, Conrad and Whitefish. Much of the Oro y Plata Foundation’s support comes in the form of general operating assistance, although it has supported capacity building efforts as well.
It does not appear that this foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications, and it does not provide unaffiliated nonprofits with a clear way to apply for grants. Direct general questions to the foundation by phone at 406-223-2595.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).