The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation 2007 Annual Report

MOUNTAIN SKY GUEST RANCH FUND

“Mountain Sky Guest Ranch is located in the valley gateway to Yellowstone National Park in Montana, and conducts a grants program that reaches into two counties. Last year, the program awarded $300,000 in grants through The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.”

Local Focus

“What’s unique about our program is that the funding is very locally driven, by an advisory committee that consists of volunteers from the ranch staff. Anyone who works here is invited to sit on the committee, and all of the funding decisions come from our staff. This is great because most of us come from the community and we really understand the needs of the area.

“In 2007, we focused on youth development, fostering understanding, and the environment. Probably our largest impact falls in two areas: youth development and collaboration.

“We make direct grants that impact programs reaching 20 to 1000 kids. We provide operating support for Big Brothers and Big Sisters organizations. One of our biggest priorities has been to provide significant funding to after-school programming. We partner with United Way and the Gilhousen Family Foundation in this initiative.

“We have also focused on eliminating duplication in philanthropic initiatives. When we first started our grant giving, we saw both duplication of effort, and a lot of resources that weren’t being utilized. As a result, we’ve definitely been a leader in enabling collaboration among organizations.

“With more support, financially and technically, groups that are established in the community can accomplish a lot more. We basically convene groups and provide the energy for cooperation and collaboration. We hope to strengthen those organizations, and not just financially but also through their infrastructures. For example, we can bring in experienced, leading consultants with evaluation tools as well as fund-raising and training skills to help local organizations gain the capacity to approach certain problems.”

Seeing A Difference

“What really excites me the most is connecting groups that could be working together but are not, and then watching the energy and outcomes that happen after they’ve connected.

“The best part of my job is seeing these programs in action and knowing the grants are making a difference.

“One instance that comes to mind is a mentoring program that involved volunteers working one-on-one with kids. Many of these kids have been through the judicial system, and they’ve been dealt some very, very bad cards in life. I went to observe a session. The kids gathered as a group, then went outside for private talks with their individual mentors about life skills and communications skills. I noticed a young boy who had one of those stories that definitely pulls on the heartstrings. It was obvious that he had put up barriers around himself.

“I didn’t see him through the program, but I went to his graduation and he spoke about what the program meant to him. This closed kid, who had willed himself to be so strong because of the things that had happened in his life, just broke down and started crying. This kid was probably headed for prison. Today, he's still doing well, and he’s become a positive member of the community. I really believe it’s because of that organization.

“And I see things like this all the time. We definitely know that we’re making an impact.”