Philanthropy
“Give Local: Leave a little for the place you love” to launch July 1st
A group of local businesses have volunteered to partner with the Park County Community Foundation (PCCF) and the Park County Housing Coalition (PCHC) to pilot “Give Local: Leave a little for the place you love,” a program that will leverage the tourism economy in support of housing solutions in Park County.
From July 1st to December 31st, participating businesses will add a voluntary 1% contribution to the Give Local pilot program to their customers’ bills or make a direct contribution to the fund. Customers may opt out at any time. All funds raised during the pilot will stay local and be dedicated to housing access, preservation, and development efforts in Park County.
“Give Local is an easy way to invite our Montana fly fishing customers to be part of a solution for a place they love to visit, without pressure,” said Dan Vermillion, co-owner of Sweetwater Travel Company, “We’re proud to help test a community-driven approach that supports the workers and families who make Park County special.”
Local businesses have a leadership role in the pilot’s success. Their participation will help build a sustainable, visitor-supported source of local funding without placing a burden on Park County residents. The initial group of participating businesses includes: Chico Hot Springs Resort, Dan Bailey's Outdoor Co., Murray Hotel, Sage Lodge, Sweetwater Travel Company, and Yellowstone GeoTours. The AMB West Community Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is providing support for the pilot.
“Give Local is voluntary at every step: businesses choose to participate, customers can opt out, and the dollars stay here to support housing solutions for the people who keep Park County thriving,” said Gavin Clark, executive director of the Park County Community Foundation. “This is a pilot by design, a chance for our community to test a proven, simple, and transparent model to learn what works before considering a broader launch in 2027.”
Housing sits at the center of Park County’s cost-of-living pressures. As costs rise faster than local incomes, families often sacrifice essentials to keep a roof overhead—an imbalance many researchers describe as “the rent eats first.” Over the last seven years, Park County residents have consistently identified housing as one of the community’s most urgent challenges across local surveys, needs assessments, and planning efforts.
The Give Local pilot is the result of six years of community work involving more than 50 Park County residents working with the Housing Coalition. That effort culminated in a Housing Fund Visioning Session hosted by Sage Lodge in November 2025, where participants recommended creating a housing-focused fund seeded by a voluntary giving program—modeled after successful, community-led efforts like Explore Whitefish’s Community Support Fund and Xanterra’s Guest Donation Program.
“The Housing Coalition has spent years listening to residents, employers, and nonprofits about what’s needed along the housing continuum,” said Katherine Daly, program manager with the Park County Housing Coalition. “Give Local is a practical community response, built to be flexible, locally guided, and measurable. This pilot will help us evaluate customer reception, business experience, and overall impact so that any future program is stronger and more effective.”
PCCF will administer the fund and lead grant making through We Will grants, PCCF’s community-driven grant initiative grounded in resident input and local data. Grants will be directed at supporting rentals, home ownership opportunities, and other types of community housing affordable to Park County locals. These efforts could include: emergency housing, transitional housing, homebuyer readiness and education, down payment assistance, land acquisition for attainable housing, creation and preservation of resident-owned communities and cooperatives, and home repair programs for low- and moderate-income homeowners. Since 2007, PCCF has granted more than $20 million to nonprofits serving Park County.
The Park County Housing Coalition, a collaborative partnership of residents, employers, nonprofits, and community leaders convened and staffed by HRDC, worked with PCCF to inform the design of the pilot and share technical expertise on local housing needs and voluntary community giving models.
Businesses across Park County—including lodging, retail, food and beverage, guides and outfitters, event venues, realtors, and more—are welcome to learn about joining the pilot. Priority will be given to businesses that predominantly serve Park County’s visitor-based economy.
At the conclusion of the pilot, a public report will summarize funds raised, grants awarded, business and customer feedback, and recommendations for next steps. To learn more or inquire about business participation in the pilot, visit: www.pccf-montana.org/GiveLocal or contact Park County Housing Coalition Program Manager Katherine Daly at 406-723-1941 or kdaly@thehrdc.org.
About Park County Community Foundation (PCCF)
For the love of Park County, we inspire investment and leadership to cultivate resilient communities. Over the past 19 years, the Park County Community Foundation has grown into the largest foundation focused solely on the livability of Park County, granting more than $20 million locally. The result of true collective effort, PCCF has strengthened the community’s way of coming together and solving local challenges. Learn more at: https://www.pccf-montana.org/
About the Park County Housing Coalition(PCHC)
The Park County Housing Coalition is a collaborative, community-driven partnership stewarded by HRDC that brings together residents, employers, nonprofits, and civic leaders to advance community housing access, preservation, and creation in Park County. Learn more at: https://www.parkcountyhousing.com/