“Life is short. Break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, & never regret anything that once made you smile.”

Mark Twain

Montana Nonprofits

• Sign Up Now for Grant Writing 101: From Readiness to Results 4/26 – Great Falls, Montana
  Whether you are new to grant writing, looking to sharpen your skills, or hoping to strengthen your organization’s funding strategy, this training is designed to offer practical guidance you can put to use right away. Participants can expect a grounded, real-world learning experience from presenters who understand Montana organizations, community needs, and the realities of pursuing competitive funding.

• Montana Nonprofit Association Training and Education
  Register Now: Montana Fundraising Summit — April 7 in Great Falls

Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Missoula, Montana

• Dorsey – L&E Briefing: Assessing the Landscape for Employers One Year into the Administration Wednesday, March 25, 2026 – Webinar

  After the significant developments in labor and employment policies implemented by the current administration in 2025, many organizations entered 2026 with open questions as to enforcement priorities and the potential for litigation. This panel will feature a dialogue from Dorsey L&E partners in multiple states on the following topics:

Missoula, Montana Chamber of Commerce

• STORY HOUSE is developing a shuttered Missoula, Montana mill into a major movie studio

  Story House CEO Sean Patrick Higgins, a Wyoming actor-turned-entrepreneur, said they aim to create a new model of independent movie production backed by hard real estate assets that provide insurance against the financial risk of filmmaking. “We’re a little newer to town, but I think we want to create the playground for Montana filmmakers to come and make their dreams come true,” he told the Missoulian recently.

Big Sky Economic Development Montana

• Billings, Montana airport expands summer flights with new routes

  The Billings Air Service Committee, which includes leadership from Visit Billings, the Billings Chamber of Commerce, Big Sky Economic Development and the City of Billings, supports these efforts to boost air service to the region.

Kalispell, Montana Chamber of Commerce

• ‘Downtown Kalispell Forward’ Stakeholders Collaborate to Promote Economic Vibrancy in the Heart of the City

  The new organization’s steering committee is working to address business challenges by improving parking, culture, and the “downtown experience”

• Whitefish, Montana to match Bozeman‑level growth by 2045, new study calculates

  Livable Flathead’s report argues that in the future, Flathead County can avoid the high-end models by changing the tide and accommodating new population growth by using a half or one-quarter of the land historically required.

• Montana’s Izaak Walton Inn on the market for $18 million  – Owners Hit with $9.4M Foreclosure Lawsuit

  Court filings allege LOGE Glacier Park and its CEO defaulted on debts months before abruptly announcing plans to shutter the historic Essex, Montana hotel. Employees at the Inn said there were signs of financial distress in the months leading up to the closure.

Montana’s Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority

• Montana passenger rail advocates mark progress toward restored service – The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority

  Dave Strohmaier, a Missoula County commissioner and chair of the rail authority, said new legislation introduced by Sen. Tim Sheehy and efforts in Congress to reauthorize the Surface Transportation Bill could also play a significant role in the route’s return to Montana’s largest cities.

Montana Manufacturing Extension Center

• March 2026 Montana Manufacturing Extension Center News and Career Opportunities

  Automation and advanced manufacturing technologies are a hot topic at MMEC these days. We’ve been on the road talking to manufacturers about the potential benefits of “Smart Manufacturing,” technology implementations that connect people, processes, and data across the plant and across the value chain, so business leaders can make better decisions faster. But many smaller manufacturers are hesitant to invest time and money in new technologies, and understandably so. Here’s what we hear a lot:

Prospera Business Network

• Prospera Navigator – March 2026

  Greater Gallatin United Way and the Big Sky Early Childhood Alliance have launched a community child care survey to hear from families, employers, child care providers, and community members who live or work in our region. Your input will help identify child care challenges and inform real solutions to improve access and affordability for working families and local businesses.

Montana Business

• Montana Department of Commerce supports Native-owned businesses with grant program

  Each year, a total of $320,000 in grant funding is made available, of which a single business can receive up to $14,000. In the most recent funding cycle, the Montana Department of Commerce distributed the full $320,000. This funding was shared among 26 businesses across 16 cities.

• Yellowstone National Park draws nearly 4.8 million visitors in 2025

  The park recorded 86,891,452 visitor hours and 1,238,983 overnight stays. These figures play a crucial role in how the National Park Service manages parks, aiming to enhance visitor experiences.

• As Simms brand takes a hit nationally, fishing guides still laud quality. More shops go with Skwala

  The emerging David-and-Goliath narrative reveals something deeper about the fly-fishing marketplace. Even when product quality isn’t in question, the relationships some shop owners have with producers weighs more heavily in deciding what gear makes it in their stores.

• Montana Career Opportunity – Loan Officer – Headwaters RC&D & Butte Local Development Corporation

  Headwaters RC&D and the Butte Local Development Corporation are dynamic economic development organizations operating in a joint venture and working to foster growth and prosperity in the communities in our seven-county region. Through strategic initiatives and partnerships, we aim to stimulate innovation, attract investment, and enhance the economic landscape. The Loan Officer will assist in the management of the Butte Local Development Corporation(BLDC) and Headwaters RC&D’s loan programs and portfolio. The successful candidate will work with partner lenders and small business owners to originate loan projects, and is responsible for projects from underwriting through funding. The ideal individual will have…

• Montana Department of Commerce Quarterly Newsletter: Q1, 2026
  Welcome to the “Commerce Quarterly,” a newsletter designed to provide constituents and stakeholders with long-form updates on the Montana Department of Commerce’s success stories, as well as innovative opportunities to engage with the department and participate in building the future of Montana’s economy. This newsletter is delivered four times per year covering a variety of topics to showcase the many ways Commerce is working with businesses and community leaders across the state.

Montana Housing

• Missoula Real Estate Meetup- Ryan Frey- April Meetup – 4/21 – Highlander

  Attendees will also hear lessons from real projects, including how small zoning insights created major opportunities and how early mistakes shaped better development decisions. Whether you are considering your first project or looking to scale from small deals into larger developments, this presentation will provide a practical roadmap for turning an idea into a completed project.

Visit Montana

• National parks employees say SFGATE has been blacklisted by the Interior Department

  “We have received direction to not respond in any way to any inquiries received no matter the topic from SFGATE,” one employee said. “This is the only outlet that we have been instructed to ignore, and we have responded to other outlets on the same topics that SFGATE has asked about.”

Montana’s American Prairie

• Dave Crasco: American Prairie has proven to be a good neighbor and steward

  As an enrolled member of the Fort Belknap Indian Community, I appreciate American Prairie’s approach, which emphasizes stewardship and rangeland health, whether that land is grazed by bison or by cattle. They have been consistently supportive of both.

Montana Energy and Transportation

• Autonomous Taxis Won’t Be Accessible With Laws Like These – What Will Your State Do?

  State laws that preempted local rideshare regulation are now being used to shield autonomous taxis from wheelchair accessibility mandates.

2025 Montana Legislature and Politics

• Mike Garrity: Groups challenge removal of wildlife protections on 1.1 million public acres

  When the executive branch of the federal government breaks the law the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizens the right to sue the government. If someone throws a brick through a window, the police enforce the law. But when a federal agency breaks the law, it’s the citizens who must stand up to enforce the law.

• ‘A slippery slope’: Quest to build affordable housing in national forest raises alarm

  In Jackson Hole, in the nation’s richest county, there is a major housing problem. Now, developers are looking to public land.

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