Montana Facts and Stories

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Montana Stories

An Indigenous-led laboratory is open for business in south central Montana

Billings,
Montana

Native American Development Corporation

The Native American Development Corporation, which runs the Billings Urban Indian Health and Wellness Center, cut the ribbon on its new laboratory in downtown Billings Monday.

D & J Meat Processing

St Ignatius,
Montana

Montana Community Development Corporation

Donald started processing meat and wild game as a hobby, but as demand for his services increased, he recognized a business opportunity and a chance to better serve his community. Donald is a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, with deep roots on the Flathead Indian Reservation of Western Montana. But when he needed capital to get his processing business started, his bank wasn’t willing to take a chance on a start-up. Donald was close to giving up when he heard about MoFi. “They changed my life.”

Farris Farm and Auto

Scobey,
Montana

Great Northern Development Corporation

After almost 25 years of being an employee at Carquest, Mike Farris went from spinning wrenches in the shop and helping customers at the front desk to purchasing the business with his wife, Steph. Farris Farm and Auto is a family-owned business passionate about delivering excellence in everything they do....

Introducing the Mountain/Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition

Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming

Akiptan, Black Hills Community Loan Fund, Four Bands Community Fund, Native American Development Fund, Wind River Development Fund

Spanning North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, The Mountain | Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition is comprised of a group of Native-led community loan funds, also known as Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs), that create economic opportunities for tribal members. Organizations participating in the Coalition include Akiptan, Black Hills Community Loan Fund, Four Bands Community Fund, Montana Native Growth Fund, Wind River Development Fund, Native American Community Development Corporation, Plenty Doors Community Development Corporation, Native American Development Corporation, and People’s Partner for Community Development.

Katabatic Brewing Company

Bozeman,
Montana

Dakota Business Lending

For years, home brewing was just a weekend hobby for Shawn Markman.

Meadowlark Vista

Ronan,
Montana

Rural Community Assistance Corporation

The housing affordability crunch continues to pose a serious threat to rural people and economies. Businesses across RCAC’s service area express that the lack of low-cost housing undercuts their ability to attract and retain employees, which in turn threatens small-town and rural area economies.

MoFi Testimonial – Colton Crane Service

Bozeman,
Montana

Montana Community Development Corporation

Living in the booming Gallatin Valley, David Colton saw a need to help strengthen an industry that was experiencing growing pains - the construction industry. As a long-time crane operator and one of only two experienced crane inspectors for the state of Montana, David wanted to build his own crane excavating company. Despite having loads of experience, getting financing to start his small business was a heavy lift. After receiving a MoFi small business loan, Colton Crane Service has only seen growth since, even buying a larger crane to keep up with the demand for building new homes and landscaping.

Moran Family, Montana

Missoula,
Montana

Montana Community Development Corporation

Abbe Moran and her husband, Kody, were on the hunt for a new house, one in which they could comfortably fit their soon-to-be family of five and one that they could call their ‘forever home.' Because she was pregnant, Abbe had no time to lose. However, a lack of houses for sale in the competitive Missoula housing market, coupled with demand, meant bidding wars kept home prices high. Abbe was always pushed out of the home-buying process. Then, her mortgage lender told her that she qualified for MoFi's HomeNow downpayment assistance program, giving her the financial pull that she needed. In 2021, a new process was put in place to find buyers for affordable townhomes – a home lottery. Abbe was approved! Two weeks after moving into her dream home, Abbe gave birth to her 3rd child, making the Moran's forever home also their new baby's first home.

North Fork Precision: Where a Montana Small Town Made Business Bigger

Broadus,
Montana

Dakota Business Lending

Relocating his business from a town with a population of over 50,000 to one with just over 450 residents might have seemed like an unexpected decision. Read how Kyle Copelan found opportunity in the unlikely and transformed North Fork Precision into a story of even bigger success.

Poverello Center

Missoula,
Montana

Montana Community Development Corporation

Montana's largest homeless shelter is breaking ground on a new emergency facility.

Stories of Impact: MoFi

Livingston,
Montana

Montana Community Development Corporation

A restaurant owner in Livingston, MT, lost sleep for months during COVID. Without enough assets, no bank was going to invest in his business, because restaurants are a notoriously risky industry to fund. Then, Ralph got connected with MoFi, a nonprofit designed to help people like him. Within three days, the money he needed was in his bank account. The restaurant was going to survive.

Successful Mutual Self Help (MSH) program to help families build their own affordable homes

Great Falls,
Montana

Community Housing Capital

NeighborWorks® Great Falls (NWGF) has used its successful Mutual Self Help (MSH) program to help families build their own affordable homes in Great Falls, Montana since. 2005. However, they were in danger of running out of land to build on. It had happened five years earlier when they had to suspend the program for lack of affordable, vacant land. With over 150 families on the waiting list, NWGF was searching for a solution.