Whitefish Community Foundation awarded a $40,000 Kids Fund grant to Kalispell Education Foundation for a tiny house construction project at Linderman Education Center and a $30,000 second-year grant to the HEART Program's Stable Families Initiative, supporting two programs that help Kalispell students and families overcome barriers to stability, education and future success.
A $40,000 grant to Kalispell Education Foundation will support a tiny house construction project at Linderman Education Center, giving students experiencing significant life challenges an opportunity to develop construction skills while building a sense of purpose, ownership and belonging.
Many participating students benefit from more consistent adult guidance and a smaller learning environment before they are ready to participate in larger district construction programs. Under the guidance of career and technical education teacher Brian Bay, students will work together to construct a finished tiny house that meets professional standards while receiving the encouragement, accountability and support they need to remain engaged in school and explore careers in the skilled trades.
For students whose lives may otherwise lack stability, the project also provides something less tangible but equally important: trusted relationships, consistent expectations and the opportunity to see what they are capable of accomplishing.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for Linderman Education Center students to learn through real work and to walk away with skills and confidence that will serve them for life,” said Dorothy Drury, Kalispell Education Foundation Executive Director. “We are so grateful for the trust that Whitefish Community Foundation has placed in our students and in Brian Bay, whose vision for this program reflects exactly what hands-on learning can do for young people who are ready to rise to the right challenge.”
Whitefish Community Foundation also awarded a $30,000 second-year grant to the HEART Program's Stable Families Initiative, bringing the Foundation's total investment in the initiative to $60,000 since 2025.
The Stable Families Initiative addresses one of the most significant barriers facing students and families in crisis: access to safe, stable housing. The program provides immediate, flexible assistance to McKinney-Vento-qualified students and their families, including temporary hotel stays, rental assistance, security deposits and limited utility support.
Families are also paired with a case manager who helps them develop individualized plans, navigate housing options and community resources, and coordinate with school staff so students can remain engaged in their education while their families work toward permanent housing.
During the 2025-26 school year, the Stable Families Initiative helped 31 families obtain or maintain housing. According to HEART Program K - 8 Case Manager Natalie Molter, all of the families served through the initiative are currently housing stable.
“This funding gives us the ability to step in at a critical moment and help change the direction a family is headed,” said Natalie Molter, HEART Program K - 8 Case Manager. “Many of the families we work with fall into gaps in traditional assistance programs and are left stuck in inadequate housing, facing eviction, or with nowhere to go for the night. Having the flexibility to respond in those moments can give a family a path toward stability that might otherwise feel impossible.”
"These two programs meet students at very different points of need, but they share an important goal: giving young people the stability and support they need to succeed," said Gordon Cross, Whitefish Community Foundation Kids Fund Chair. "Whether that means helping a family remain safely housed or giving a student the opportunity to build skills, confidence and a path toward a career, these are exactly the kinds of investments the Kids Fund was created to make."
The Kids Fund was created in 2019 to support programs that improve safety, health, education and food security for youth across the Flathead Valley. The fund is made possible by the Circle of Giving, a group of donors who give $5,000 or more annually to support Whitefish Community Foundation's grant programs and mission. To date, more than $900,000 has been awarded through the Kids Fund to nonprofits serving local youth.
About Kalispell Education Foundation
The Kalispell Education Foundation believes that every teacher should be afforded the resources to inspire and deliver the best education to each individual student. During the 2025-26 school year, the Foundation served 5,600 students and has awarded more than $300,000 in grants since 2009. Learn more at kalispelleducationfoundation.org.
About the HEART Program
The Kalispell HEART Program provides case management and resource referrals to help remove barriers to education for students and families experiencing homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Act. Each year, the program identifies and supports more than 400 McKinney-Vento students in Kalispell and Evergreen schools. Learn more at kalispellheartprogram.org.
About Whitefish Community Foundation
Whitefish Community Foundation fosters philanthropy, builds endowments, and helps donors and nonprofits benefit the Flathead Valley. In 2025, the Foundation granted $21.5 million to nonprofit organizations.
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