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Big Sky, Montana is a mountain resort community located at the gateway to the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. The community has two interdependent goals to be both a world-class resort destination and a thriving year-round community. In this evolution, there are three key areas that we recognize our community needs long-term financial support to maintain: ensure Big Sky is a livable community for individuals and families who work here, support the health and wellness of locals and visitors alike, and be good stewards of our natural environment. In response to these known areas of additional support, the Elevate Big Sky funders' collaborative was established with the purpose of leveraging public and private funding, centering community voice, and increasing efficiencies in order to sustain essential programs and projects that allow the community of Big Sky to thrive.
In our unincorporated community, the future of Big Sky is up to all of us.
When COVID-19 shut down the world, community leaders came together for a rapid response to keep Big Sky safe, healthy and open.
Resort tax dollars matched with philanthropy provided free COVID tests, PPE for the hospital and schools, small business loans and emergency funds for individuals. This was the first time that public and philanthropic funds intentionally came together to address a complex community issue.
The success was so noteworthy that community leaders wondered what other complex issues could be addressed if we worked together in this way.
In 2021, a launch committee formed to compile data and explore a framework for a more formalized funding collaborative. The commitment from the beginning was to have community-voice and metrics at the center.
In 2022, Elevate Big Sky officially launched with five funding partners and three focused impact areas: Livability, Health and Wellness, and the Environment.
The mission of the Funders' Collaborative is to propel community-driven initiatives and creative solutions that respond to Big Sky's complex social and environmental challenges.
Our vision is to preserve the magic of Big Sky by creating a place where everyone feels at home, has the means to thrive, and plays an active role in cultivating its future.
Elevate Big Sky is comprised of five funding partners: Big Sky Resort Tax, Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, Moonlight Community Foundation, Spanish Peaks Community Foundation, The Real Estate Collective.
To ensure funder dollars respond to areas of most critical need, Elevate Big Sky relies on data collected from surveys, needs assessments and reports to help inform opportunities for impact. A few noteworthy reports informing our current priority areas:
Through shared application and simplified reporting, we aim to streamline the funding experience for our partners.
The Elevate Big Sky Committee includes 5 nominated individuals, representing diverse sectors of our community. These individuals are at the table with funders, employers, and developers to discuss needs and strategies for impact.
Elevate Big Sky will include a community data dashboard which will share baseline metrics, comparisons with other mountain resort communities, measurable targets, along with progress updates on community initiatives.