Outlaw Partners News
Nonprofits discuss doing more with less on Town Hall
Published
4 years agoon
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Outlaw PartnersEBS STAFF
BIG SKY – Leaders from the Big Sky nonprofit community gathered online for the 11th installment of EBS’s Big Sky Virtual Town Hall to discuss operating during the pandemic, and how they’ve been meeting greater community needs with fewer resources.
“The interesting thing about our organization is…since the pandemic has hit, we’ve actually been dealing with higher use and resources than we’ve ever seen before and we’re doing it on less resources,” said Big Sky Community Organization CEO Ciara Wolfe. Wolfe said that trail use increases have ranged from 25-350 percent, parks are often occupied and during Montana’s shelter-in-place, 14,000 people participated in their virtual community programming that offered things like online cooking classes and kid’s activities.
Similarly, the Big Sky Community Food Bank, which typically recounts the greatest need during the fall, reported servicing the community this spring three times more than they usually do in the spring, surpassing even the fall counts.
“While it was shocking to happen in the spring, it wasn’t something that we were unused to,” said Sarah Gaither-Bivins, operations manager and services navigator for the BSCFB. Gaither Bivins said that while this year hasn’t yet come in with the highest numbers, anecdotally, clients of the food bank have been distinguishably more fearful due to factors like housing and income insecurity.
“By the numbers…2017 has been the worst year for people, this spring has been the scariest for people,” she said.
Jean Behr from Women in Action shared the collaborative efforts that WIA has been a part of over the past four months with a particular emphasis on behavioral health needs, which have spiked since the start of the pandemic. WIA, in addition to working on community programming with BSCO, provided two months of free mental health counseling and continues to work with interested individuals on sliding scales.
“We don’t believe that it’s enough just to offer access to mental healthcare, but we need to ensure that it’s affordable to all,” Behr said.
The Gallatin River Task Force has also taken on additional work with a recently filed lawsuit claiming that elevated nutrient levels in the water around the wastewater holding ponds is due to a leak. As part of a 20-year contract that GRTF has had with the Department of Environmental Quality, the task force monitors this part of the Westfork watershed. According to Kristin Gardner, executive director of GRTF, Cottonwood Environmental Law Center’s claim that the ponds are leaking is “in fact likely not the case.”
Even with the increase of services, organizations are left with their standard, if not sub-standard, budgets. Gardner said that even after significantly reducing its request, GRTF’s resort tax award was still well under their ask. BSCO also stated that their resort tax request was dramatically reduced this year.
Many of these organizations historically rely heavily on fundraising opportunities, most of which have been stunted. GRTF’s annual fundraiser Hooked on the Gallatin, usually a banquet hosted at the Gallatin Riverhouse Grill, will be a week-long virtual auction event this year from August 7-14.
“We anticipate we will have less income from the banquet this year but hoping to make enough to get by,” Gardner said. To compensate for the funding disparity, Gardner said the task force has been writing more grants, which takes more time and management.
“We need to survive and we definitely want to make sure that the Gallatin is there for our future generations and so we’ll do what we can to make it work,” Gardner said.
BSCO also has an adapted version of their usual Parks, Trails and Recreation Celebration, with a week’s worth of honoring BSCO’s community outdoor spaces. Throughout the week, BSCO will be offering guided hikes, selling raffle tickets for an e-bike and an online auction. BSCO’s fundraising goal is $150,000, just shy of the $200,000 Wolfe said is typically brought in at the event.
The food bank has also diversified options for support, offering opportunities for interested donors to sponsor families receiving services from the food bank or a specific commodity, such as eggs.
Despite the challenges that these 501(c)(3)s have faced recently, they continue to press forward on their missions to support the community of Big Sky’s people, resources and landscapes.
“[I’ve] always been a big believer in the not-for-profit sector,” said Wolfe. “You listen to your community, you serve your community with what they’re greatest needs are and the resources will somehow fall into place.”
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
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Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during
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Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during their regular Toddler and Preschool Storytime on Wednesday, March 20, at 10:15 a.m. The free program, presented by the Bozeman Symphony is especially for children ages 3 to 5. Children will be able to listen to Montana Shakespeare in the Parks actor Emma Rather, who will be joined by Bozeman Symphony Bassoonist Sam Macken. The goal of the program is to encourage a love of music, literacy, and discovery. Additional programs are scheduled at the Library on April 10 and June 12. For more information, visit www.bozemansymphony.org or call 406-585-9774.
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