A Missoula-based nonprofit is a finalist for a million dollar grant in a national competition sponsored by The Rockefeller Foundation and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s philanthropy.
The “Communities Thrive Challenge,” is aimed at community-based organizations that work to increase opportunity for people in poverty.
Missoula’s MoFi, an organization that helps build community through entrepreneurship financing and consulting, is one of 20 finalists of more than 2,000 entrants from across the country - all vying for their chunk of $10 million in total funding.
MoFi’s been working with low-income communities in the area since 1986. They help local businesses connect with and hire from financially insecure parts of the population. According to their pitch video they plan to use their funding to expand their reach in the region if they win.
“The money from the Communities Thrive challenge is going to be the catalyst that takes a program at local scale and brings it across the Rocky Mountain West so we can rebuild the middle-class, one business, one job, one family at a time,” the video says.
Ten winners, each of whom will receive $1,000,000, will be announced later this fall.
