MT Community Foundation acknowledges MMIP Awareness Day with statewide billboards
Snowbird Fund provides funds for native families searching for loved ones
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News from Montana Community Foundation
HELENA - May 5 was Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day, an annual day to raise awareness of the disproportionately high rates of violence and disappearances faced by Indigenous people, particularly women and girls. Each year, Indigenous women and girls go missing, often never to be found. In Montana, Native Americans make up 6.7% of the state population but represent 26% of missing persons cases. The day also honors the lives of those who have been lost and advocates for justice and healing for their families and communities.
“The Snowbird Fund is one small way we can help ease the financial burden and bring a bit of hope to folks searching for loved ones,” stated Whitney Williams, creator of the fund. “We know more people can use the support, and we encourage more to apply.”
The Montana Community Foundation launched a statewide billboard campaign this spring to raise awareness of the MMIP epidemic and how families can receive support through the Snowbird Fund. The billboards are strategically placed in key corridors, including Glasgow, Havre, Cut Bank, Polson, Billings, and Hardin. This campaign will run through the end of June. The artist for the billboard is Jen Murphy (formerly Buckley), an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribes in Rocky Boy. Jen is an executive producer for “Not Afraid,” a film raising awareness about MMIP in Montana, and she has been featured on the Today Show.
Searches can be costly and time-consuming, and often, funding these searches falls on communities with limited resources. The Snowbird Fund, established in 2021, provides direct payments of up to $1,000 to families or individuals searching for their missing loved ones. These funds can be used for expenses such as gas, meals, and hotels during the search, cell phone bills, tools like metal detectors and drones, awareness campaign materials, and community vigils. The Snowbird Fund has issued over 67 grants totaling nearly $70,000 since 2021. Funding has been granted to families or community members in Polson and Ronan.
“Almost every Indigenous person in Montana knows a friend, relative, or community member who has had a loved one go missing,” said President & CEO of the Montana Community Foundation, Mary Rutherford. “Lack of resources and jurisdictional issues means their cases often go cold. The Montana Community Foundation is here to help families through our Snowbird Fund, which provides direct funding to Native communities in Montana as they search for loved ones.”
Assistance is available year-round and Snowbird’s all indigenous board makes every funding decision. After the application is approved, applicants can reapply six months after the initial request. Most support is for $1,000 or less, but occasionally funding greater than $1,000 is available.
For questions about the Snowbird Fund, contact Elisa Fiaschetti at elisa@mtcf.org or to apply visit: https://mtcf.org/funding/apply-for-a-grant/snowbird-fund.
Searches can be costly and time-consuming, and often, funding these searches falls on communities with limited resources. The Snowbird Fund, established in 2021, provides direct payments of up to $1,000 to families or individuals searching for their missing loved ones. These funds can be used for expenses such as gas, meals, and hotels during the search, cell phone bills, tools like metal detectors and drones, awareness campaign materials, and community vigils. The Snowbird Fund has issued over 67 grants totaling nearly $70,000 since 2021. Funding has been granted to families or community members in Polson and Ronan.
“Almost every Indigenous person in Montana knows a friend, relative, or community member who has had a loved one go missing,” said President & CEO of the Montana Community Foundation, Mary Rutherford. “Lack of resources and jurisdictional issues means their cases often go cold. The Montana Community Foundation is here to help families through our Snowbird Fund, which provides direct funding to Native communities in Montana as they search for loved ones.”
Assistance is available year-round and Snowbird’s all indigenous board makes every funding decision. After the application is approved, applicants can reapply six months after the initial request. Most support is for $1,000 or less, but occasionally funding greater than $1,000 is available.
For questions about the Snowbird Fund, Elisa Fiaschetti at elisa@mtcf.org or to apply visit, https://mtcf.org/funding/apply-for-a-grant/snowbird-fund.
