About Us
The Hill County Community Endowment was founded in 1995 by a challenge grant from Anheuser-Busch to local Distributors. Ken and Karen Myers at Havre Distributors took up the challenge that established the Hill County Community Endowment. The endowment was set up as a Donor Advised fund managed by and using the 501 © 3 status of the Montana Community Foundation in Helena. All fundraising and re-granting discussions concerning the endowment fund are made by the endowment committee at the local level.
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No active endowment committee existed until the fall of 2004 when Randy Hanson the C.M. Russell Regional Chair of the Montana Community Foundation began a campaign of reinvigorating local community foundation endowments that were dormant. A small group of eight was formed and, through contact and encouragement from Ken Myers, the group proceeded with plans to actively promote building the endowment.
Interest from individuals and companies continue to grow and any residents of Hill County are welcome to get involved.
The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations was created to demonstrate effectiveness and accountability to policymakers, regulators, and the public, establishing legal, ethical, and effective practices for community foundations. Meeting the National Standards’ benchmark was a rigorous, comprehensive process. It encompasses, examines, and qualifies every aspect of a community foundation’s work, including financials, legal compliance, fundraising, grantmaking, governance, donor education and services, marketing, community leadership, and so much more.