MCF in the News

Annual paddle raise for the local nonprofit surpasses 2025 total, reflecting overwhelming community support for affordable health care in Big Sky

A recent press release by Moonlight Community Foundation announced that its annual Spring Social raised $105,600 for Big Sky Bandage through a live paddle raise, exceeding last year’s total by nearly $16,000.

Big Sky Bandage is a nonprofit dedicated to making health care more affordable for those who live and work in Big Sky. The organization, founded in 2024, covers up to $500 per person per calendar year in acute medical care costs—including urgent care, emergency services, dental emergencies, physical therapy and orthopedic care—for uninsured individuals or those experiencing financial hardship as a result of needed medical services.

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Expanding Horizons in Big Sky and Beyond.

In a place as awe-inspiring as Big Sky, Montana, it’s easy to believe that the mountains themselves are the greatest teachers.

But this year, something else powerful happened inside the classrooms of Lone Peak High School — and across the community.

With the support of the Moonlight Community Foundation, HATCH brought four extraordinary global voices to Big Sky. Scientists, explorers, artists, and storytellers who have spent their lives pushing the boundaries of what’s possible showed up to share their experiences with local students.

From Global Stages to Local Classrooms

HATCH was founded on a simple but powerful idea: when you connect extraordinary people across disciplines, you accelerate possibility.

Through the “Global Voices” initiative, that philosophy came to life in a deeply local way — bringing world-class thinkers directly into Lone Peak High School and into the broader Big Sky community.

Read full article on Medium

Beginning in January 2026, new and expecting mothers can take advantage of a helpful resource in Big Sky. Blossom Mom Big Sky will offer weekly peer support sessions every Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Wellness In Action.

The group is organized by Bozeman-based Roots Family Collaborative, hosted in partnership with WIA and made possible by a grant from the Moonlight Community Foundation. Sessions will be facilitated by licensed counselor Julie Grimm, a trained volunteer facilitator with Roots and mother with lived experience, in a confidential, supportive and comfortable space, according to a press release from Roots Family Collaborative.

Sessions aim to foster connection and strengthen each mother’s sense of belonging and resilience. The program is designed to address a longstanding nationwide gap in maternal support by providing a consistent, compassionate space for mothers to connect, share experiences, and build the social and emotional networks essential during this transformational and often challenging time, the release explained.

Common discussion topics include sleep deprivation, feeling overwhelmed, partner relationships, work-life balance, community resources, feeding challenges, shifts in identity and how to reach out for help.

“I am so excited to have a part in bringing trauma-informed support to the Big Sky parenting community and am eager to meet women in Big Sky who are in the perinatal period of their lives and to provide an open and inclusive space for those seeking a bit of care and acknowledgement during this transitional time,” Grimm stated in the release.

Mackenzie Johnson, Roots’ program and partnerships director, started her family in Big Sky and experienced the importance of community and the challenges posed by Big Sky’s seasonal, rural character. The Big Sky program builds off Roots’ success in Park County, where a Blossom Mom group began meeting in 2022.

“Roots is committed to creating spaces where families feel seen, supported, and connected. We’re grateful for our partners who are passionate about bringing this program to Big Sky,” Johnson stated in the release.

Big Sky programs will start with weekly Blossom Mom meetings. In Bozeman, Roots offers a variety of programs including feeding groups, monthly dads groups, pregnancy and infant loss, fertility support and other programs including seasonal Fresh Air Families hiking groups. Johnson hopes to bring more programs to Big Sky.

The Blossom Mom model is “grounded in peer connection and shared experience,” led by trained peer facilitators like Grimm who have personally navigated the perinatal journey and can offer empathy, understanding and a non-judgmental space for meaningful conversation, according to the release.

Kiernan Volden, director of programs for WIA, believes the partnership reflects WIA’s commitment to meeting community members where they are, with resources they need most.

“Through this partnership, we can ensure that families have access to the care, resources, and connection they need to thrive,” Volden stated.

Interested community members are encouraged to reach out to Johnson at mackenzie@rootsfamilycollaborative.com.

This article is a repost from EBS.

The Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization (SNO) and YES Compost, this week launched the Town Center Compost Bucket Exchange Program as a convenient way for Big Sky residents to reduce food waste and support local soil health.

The program will offer six months of free compost service to 30 new households with the goal of building sustainable habits and learning the benefits of composting first-hand, according to a press release from SNO. Existing compost subscribers will receive six months of subsidized service. After the six-month pilot program is over, the cost per household is $16 per month.

Participating households will drop off their food scraps and pick up a clean compost bucket each week at BASE. Funding for the program is made possible by the Moonlight Community Foundation and the collection site is sponsored by the Town Center Owners Association. Compost is processed by YES Compost, who will turn it into nutrient-rich soil amendments that are used locally; participants will receive compost for their home garden.

“We’re thrilled to make composting easier and more accessible for our community,” said Lizzie Peyton, director at SNO. “This partnership with YES Compost and Town Center funded by the Moonlight Community Foundation is a meaningful step toward reducing Big Sky’s landfill waste and building a more circular, regenerative local economy.”

Those interested can sign up and learn more at bigskysno.org/projects-partners/compost.

This article is a repost from EBS.

Moonlight Community Foundation announced its recent award of more than $1 million in grants to various local initiatives, as part of its annual fall grant cycle.

A press release from MCF called it a “remarkable” year for philanthropy, listing the 39 organizations that received funding, including 51 initiatives and 41 scholarships for local kids to attend Camp Moonlight in 2025. The foundation focuses on initiatives for youth education, conservation and underserved needs benefiting Big Sky.

Read full article at Explore Big Sky

In late May, the Jack Creek Preserve Foundation welcomed Ophir Elementary School’s fourth-graders for a day of immersive, hands-on learning at the nature preserve between Big Sky and the Madison Valley.

The visit, funded by the Moonlight Community Foundation, marked the possibility of an ongoing collaboration between JCPF, the Big Sky School District and MCF. JCPF leaders hope it can become an annual opportunity for local Big Sky kids to experience the unique, experiential curriculum that the preserve can offer.

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Twenty-one nonprofits serving Big Sky received grants from the Moonlight Community Foundation as part of MCF’s annual spring grant cycle, focusing on youth education, conservation, and underserved residents.

The funding totaled $465,000 to support initiatives including youth camps, Gallatin River conservation and outreach efforts, and tuition assistance for local child care services, according to a May 6 MCF press release. The foundation believes all 21 organizations play “an essential role” in providing “vital” resources to address the needs of Big Sky community members, especially youth.

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The Moonlight Community Foundation (MCF) is proud to announce a significant investment in the Big Sky community, awarding a total of $369,700 to 20 organizations committed to enhancing youth education, promoting conservation initiatives, and addressing the underserved needs of our community. This funding underscores MCF’s vision to bridge the Moonlight Community to causes that matter.

“This funding not only represents our commitment to supporting essential local initiatives but also highlights the collaborative spirit of our community,” said Anna Shipley, Executive Director of the Moonlight Community Foundation. “We believe that by investing in these organizations, we are investing in a brighter future for our youth and a healthier, more sustainable community.”

Read the Press Release here

Camp Moonlight has successfully concluded its summer season, celebrating a vibrant array of adventure-based learning events that help children discover the beauty in nature and their own strengths. With engaging themes like “Geology Rocks,” “Splish Splash,” “Branches and Blooms,” and the “Summer Olympics,” the campers foster lifelong friendships and memories while immersed in the great outdoors.

Founded in 2013 under the Moonlight Community Foundation (MCF), Camp Moonlight provides a unique opportunity for local youth, including Moonlight Basin members and students from BSSD-72 and Discovery Academy, to connect with each other and nature. “Camp is a great way for kids to unplug and get connected to the outside world,” says Rhian Alley, Moonlight Basin Kids Recreation Manager. “The increase in confidence, willingness to explore, and openness to try new things that we saw in campers day after day and week after week proves that we are offering something special and necessary.”

Read the Press Release here