The Paul Milan and Cynthia Long Foster Foundation concentrates its giving locally in Billings/Great Falls area, funding community-based human services that support children and families. Their grants favor operational and program support for front-line organizations addressing food insecurity, family homelessness, and general community recreation/childcare services. The foundation typically makes a small number of sizable awards and renews support to the same local nonprofits.
Concentrated, local-focused giving: few (6) grants totaling $75k, with repeat multi-year or multiple grants to the same organizations; relatively large unrestricted or general-operations awards rather than many small grants.
Backpacks for kids is one of the clearest markers of the Paul Milan and Cynthia Long Foster Foundation’s priorities: in 2023 and 2024, it gave Great Falls Food Bank $15,000 each year for that purpose. That repeated award fits a broader pattern of support for organizations serving children, families, and community needs in Montana, with many grants aimed at general operations rather than narrowly restricted projects. The foundation also backed YMCA Billings with $15,000 in 2024 for general operations, following a $10,000 award in 2023, showing continued support for local service providers. Family Promise in Great Falls received $10,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for general operations, another sign that the funder favors steady relationship-based giving. Across the recent grants list, awards range from $1,000 to $15,000, and the recipients include food banks, shelter providers, youth-serving organizations, and school-related groups. The pattern points to a regional family foundation that uses relatively small but recurring grants to help local nonprofits cover core costs and direct aid programs.
Child food security is a recurring theme. The foundation gave $15,000 to Great Falls Food Bank in 2024 for backpacks for kids, matching a $15,000 grant in 2023 for the same purpose. It also supported West Elementary PTA in Great Falls with $2,000 in 2024 for general operations, linking its giving to school-based support for children. Family homelessness prevention is another focus. Family Promise in Great Falls received $10,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for general operations, indicating sustained backing for shelter and housing-stability work. Education-related and youth-serving groups appear as well: Education Foundation Billings Public Schools received $5,000 in 2024 for general operations, while Tumbleweed in Billings was awarded $5,000 in 2024 and $2,500 in 2023 for general operations.
Grant sizes cluster in the low-to-mid thousands, with a p25 of $2,000, a median of $5,000, and a p75 of $7,500. The foundation makes a small number of grants each year and often repeats support to the same organizations across consecutive years, including Great Falls Food Bank, Family Promise, YMCA Billings, Art House Billings, Tumbleweed, West Elementary PTA, and CASA - Can Childrens Advocate Network. Its giving is consistent with a private family foundation rather than a donor-advised or program-related investment vehicle, since it does not fund individuals and makes no PRIs. The grant list shows mostly operating or general-support awards, with a few program-specific grants such as backpacks for kids.
$131K
$519K
$122K
$84K
Most grants fall between $2K and $8K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$8K
About 70% of grants go to recipients in MT.
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Notable grantees: Great Falls Food Bank, YMCA Billings, Family Promise
Giving is concentrated in Montana, which accounts for 70% of grants and is the top state by grant count. Billings and Great Falls anchor most of the activity, with other Montana recipients including Tumbleweed, Billings TrailNet, and West Elementary PTA. Outside Montana, the foundation made smaller numbers of grants to Vancouver, Washington; Seattle, Washington; Calabasas, California; and Lake City, Michigan. All recent grants in the file went to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants list centers on food banks, family shelter providers, youth and school-related organizations, and community groups. Examples include Great Falls Food Bank for backpacks for kids, Family Promise for general operations, YMCA Billings for general operations, and Education Foundation Billings Public Schools for general operations.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Great Falls Food Bank at $15,000 in both 2023 and 2024, Family Promise at $10,000 in both years, and YMCA Billings at $10,000 in 2023 and $15,000 in 2024. Art House Billings, Tumbleweed, West Elementary PTA, and CASA - Can Childrens Advocate Network also received support across years.
The grant-size distribution is compact: p25 is $2,000, median is $5,000, and p75 is $7,500. Recent awards in the file range from $1,000 up to $15,000, with many grants at $5,000 or $10,000.
Montana is the top state by grant count, and 70% of grants go to recipients in the headquarters state. Billings and Great Falls are the main Montana cities in the recent grants list, with smaller activity in other U.S. locations such as Seattle, Vancouver, Calabasas, and Lake City.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YMCA Billings | Billings, MT | $15,000 | 2024 | General operations. |
| Great Falls Food Bank | Great Falls, MT | $15,000 | 2024 | Backpacks for kids. |
| Family Promise | Great Falls, MT | $10,000 | 2024 | General operations. |
| Clark County Foodbank | Vancouver, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | General operations. |
| Art House Billings | Billings, MT | $5,000 | 2024 | General operations. |
| Education Foundation Billings Public Schools | Billings, MT | $5,000 | 2024 | General operations. |
| Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs | Calabasas, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | General operations. |
| Tumbleweed | Billings, MT | $5,000 | 2024 | General operations. |
| West Elementary PTA | Great Falls, MT | $2,000 | 2024 | General operations. |
| Holocaust Center for Humanity | Seattle, WA | $2,000 | 2024 | General operations. |
| Seattle Children's Theater | Seattle, WA | $2,000 | 2024 | General operations. |
| Local Media Foundation | Lake City, MI | $1,000 | 2024 | General operations. |
| CASA - Can Childrens Advocate Network | Great Falls, MT | $1,000 | 2024 | General operations. |
| Great Falls Food Bank | Great Falls, MT | $15,000 | 2023 | Backpacks for kids. |
| YMCA Billings | Billings, MT | $10,000 | 2023 | General operations. |
| Family Promise | Great Falls, MT | $10,000 | 2023 | General operations. |
| Seattle Children's Theater | Seattle, WA | $5,000 | 2023 | General operations. |
| Art House Billings | Billings, MT | $5,000 | 2023 | General operations. |
| Clark County Foodbank | Vancouver, WA | $5,000 | 2023 | General operations. |
| Billings TrailNet | Billings, MT | $2,500 | 2023 | General operations. |
| Tumbleweed | Billings, MT | $2,500 | 2023 | General operations. |
| West Elementary PTA | Great Falls, MT | $2,000 | 2023 | General operations. |
| CASA - Can Childrens Advocate Network | Great Falls, MT | $1,000 | 2023 | General operations. |
YMCA Billings
$15,000General operations.
Great Falls Food Bank
$15,000Backpacks for kids.
Family Promise
$10,000General operations.
Clark County Foodbank
$5,000General operations.
Art House Billings
$5,000General operations.
Education Foundation Billings Public Schools
$5,000General operations.
Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs
General operations.
Tumbleweed
$5,000General operations.
West Elementary PTA
$2,000General operations.
Holocaust Center for Humanity
$2,000General operations.
Seattle Children's Theater
$2,000General operations.
Local Media Foundation
$1,000General operations.
CASA - Can Childrens Advocate Network
$1,000General operations.
Great Falls Food Bank
$15,000Backpacks for kids.
YMCA Billings
$10,000General operations.
Family Promise
$10,000General operations.
Seattle Children's Theater
$5,000General operations.
Art House Billings
$5,000General operations.
Clark County Foodbank
$5,000General operations.
Billings TrailNet
$2,500General operations.
Tumbleweed
$2,500General operations.
West Elementary PTA
$2,000General operations.
CASA - Can Childrens Advocate Network
$1,000General operations.