Women's Foundation of Montana ~ Women's Wire

Nearly one in three births in Montana is to an unmarried mother, a statistic* that has risen steadily from 25 percent in 1994. A sure ticket to poverty, teen pregnancy is just one of the barriers to economic self-sufficiency for women. In fact, more than one-third of Montana’s single mothers living in poverty**. Many women in this situation work several low-paying jobs to make ends meet and, in the process, lose out on the benefits associated with full-time employment.

One of our partners in reducing teen pregnancy is the Bridger Clinic, based in Bozeman. With funding from the Foundation and others last year, the clinic launched a marketing campaign aimed at teen girls in south central Montana. The goals of the Decreasing Teen Pregnancy Project were to educate young teens about the clinic’s affordable and confidential reproductive health options. The project used radio, television and print media targeting girls in Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley, Livingston, Dillon and Deer Lodge.

Working with Gallatin County, the clinic found a higher-than-average risk of pregnancy among youth at Belgrade High School. A review of the clinic’s database at year’s end showed an increase in pregnancy test visits by teens. The number of teens aged 15-19 who sought and continued with care between early fall 2006 and late summer 2007 increased five percent over the same period last year. The number of young women aged 20-24 who sought and continued with care at the clinic increased 12 percent.

Encouraged by the first-year results, the clinic plans to expand its efforts this year by offering direct services to teens at the Bozeman Alternative High School and to Belgrade high school students. We at the Women’s Foundation were glad to partner with the Montana Department of Health and Human Services (Region VII) to keep this worthwhile project going and growing.

* Montana Census and Economic Information Center
** Institute for Women’s Policy Research

Another of our grants last year went to Great Falls-based Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Montana with the goal of giving women without banking relationships a second chance with financial institutions. Through financial literacy workshops, 132 women from Browning, Lame Deer and Great Falls learned new skills and developed new attitudes about money management.

By far the largest workshop occurred on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning. All 120 Blackfeet Nation women attending the workshop successfully completed the education portion, and 106 successfully opened bank accounts the same day with 1st Liberty Federal Credit Union, Malmstrom branch. Food, childcare, door prizes and $100 stipends made for a successful event, where women from 18 to 80 gathered together and supported one another as they advanced their financial knowledge.

In Lame Deer, 11 women successfully completed the program and all 11 opened new bank accounts at First Interstate Bank. In Great Falls, only one woman participated and she, too, opened an account.

At the outset, CCCS had hoped that 80 percent of the attendees would complete the education portion of the workshop and successfully pass an exam; instead, they had a success rate of 100 percent. Of the 132 attendees, 118 opened one or more bank accounts. CCCS will follow up with the new banking customers at six- and 12-month intervals. The participating financial institutions have committed to continued collaboration for successful maintenance of the new accounts.

We’ll continue to keep an eye on the progress of these new banking relationships. Our goal and theirs is to ensure choice for these women as they set financial goals and develop assets to move forward on their journey toward economic self-sufficiency.

Only two years old, Bozeman’s “Girl Power” program already has a waiting list of teenage girls who want to participate and women who want to volunteer as mentors. Girl Power is a self-empowerment program that serves disadvantaged teens in Gallatin and Park counties. Like its parent organization, the Big Sky Youth Empowerment Project, Girl Power uses mentors, peer groups and adventure-based outdoor programming to build self-esteem and provide positive social connections.

More than 40 girls applied for 12 available positions this past year. Working with mentors, they meet once a week for workshops on life skills like healthy relationships, body image, communication, health and conflict resolution. One day each weekend for 12 weeks, they engage in rigorous outdoor activities like white water rafting, rock climbing and ropes course challenges. All of the gear that is needed for the outdoor activities is donated by manufacturers and it becomes the property of the participants who use it.

Girls are selected through a comprehensive interview process to assess the number of risk factors in their lives (income level, parental status, history of abuse, history of probation, etc.). The goal of the program is to serve girls with 10 to 18 risk factors. Girl Power is guided by the belief that enhanced self-esteem, coupled with good communications and teamwork skills, are paramount to securing and maintaining employment and making healthy choices throughout life. Ideally, girls stay with the program for more than a year and eventually serve the program as mentors.

The total number of teens served by the Big Sky Youth Empowerment Project in 2007 was 60. More than 175 youth applied for these available slots; more than 90 adults applied for 36 mentor positions.

We are proud to partner with such a positive youth-oriented program.

Financial and technology literacy, math tutoring, family planning, and political leadership and advocacy for girls and women were advanced by this year’s round of granting from the Women’s Foundation of Montana. WFM advisory committee members reviewed 14 requests totaling $108,000 from nonprofit agencies throughout the state. In the end, they chose seven of those agencies to receive grants.

The Women’s Foundation endowment is currently valued at $1.23 million, which will generate earnings for grants in perpetuity. Since it began awarding grants in 2000, WFM has awarded nearly $311,000 in grants to nonprofit agencies in Montana working to improve the economic status of women and create a brighter economic future for girls.

At our July meeting, we said goodbye to two loyal and long-term members. Ellen Alweis served the Women’s Foundation for six years, finishing out as chair of the committee. Anne Cole served for three years. Both were outspoken leaders and strong advocates for women’s economic self-sufficiency. We know they will remain close advisers and we will lean on them for their expertise.

Filling Ellen’s shoes at the head of the table will be Sheila Rice, former state legislator from Great Falls and an advisory committee member since 2004. Sheila is the executive director of both the Montana Homeownership Network and Neighborhood Housing Services of Great Falls.

Newly elected vice chair Alyce Kuehn is a hydro-engineer, telecommuting from her computer in Ekalaka to a database in Denver. An advisory committee member since 2005, Alyce is also a former board member of the Montana Community Foundation.

Since July, we have welcomed three new advisory committee members. Linda Carlson of Helena is a 36-year resident of Montana. Her career spans three decades of nonprofit, legislative and state government employment. She has served the Montana Wildlife Federation, the Myrna Loy Center for the Performing and Media Arts, and the Montana Women’s Lobby as development director. She has served on the boards of Big Brothers-Big Sisters, Helena Area Habitat for Humanity, United Way of Lewis & Clark County, the Friendship Center, Myrna Loy Center and St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation. Linda is currently the executive director of the Governor’s Office of Community Service, and manages Montana’s AmeriCorps programs. Linda is a mother and grandmother.

Chantel McCormick, also of Helena, has a long history of philanthropy and activism in both the political and nonprofit arenas. Originally from Kalispell, Chantel founded and managed a successful fundraising and public relations firm in Lexington, Kentucky. After graduating from Montana State University in 1999, Chantel spent several years as a fundraiser for various local, state and federal candidates. She also worked as chief fundraiser for three state Democratic parties and has promoted various nonprofit organizations and issue campaigns. Chantel is a member of American Fundraising Professionals, Public Relations Society of America, Women Impacting Public Policy, Lexington Young Professionals Association and the Junior League. She currently works as an energy development officer in the Montana Department of Commerce, working to bring clean, green energy to Montana.

Born and raised in Chicago, Sheila Conners has been a Montanan nearly 25 years. She received her undergraduate degree in occupational therapy from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Montana. Sheila lived in Great Falls for several years, where she served as executive director of the YWCA and later as an adjunct professor in business at Northern Montana College in Great Falls. She founded one of the city’s most popular events, the Rankin Run. Now living in Kalispell, Sheila teaches yoga, works part-time as an occupational therapist and manages a couple of small businesses. Throughout her career, she has made time to be an active volunteer, chairing a capital campaign for a Montessori school in Kalispell, helping guide her public radio station and working in political campaigns.

Sheila Rice, Chair, Great Falls
Alyce Kuehn, Vice Chair, Ekalaka
Linda Carlson, Helena
Chambers Family Fund, ex officio, Denver
Sheila Conners, Kalispell
Penny Copps, Billings
Lou Ann Crowley, Missoula
Chantel McCormick, Helena
Montana Community Foundation, ex officio, Helena
Jodi Medlar, Program Manager, Helena

We’d like to liberate you from one more burdensome piece of paper by sending Women’s Wire to you electronically instead of by mail. Kindly send us your email address (send to jodimedlar@mtcf.org). The money we save on printing and postage will go to advance the mission of the Women’s Foundation to support programs that result in enhanced economic self-sufficiency for women and brighter futures for girls. If you prefer paper, we will be happy to continue mailing you a printed copy.

Nearly one-third (31.6%) of Montana households have an annual income below $25,000; nationally, 26.9% are below $25,000.*

The earnings of Montana women are the lowest in the nation.*

The Equal Rights Amendment has been reintroduced in Congress. First proposed by Alice Paul in 1921, it passed Congress in 1972 but was not ratified in time by the necessary 38 states. Today, 88 percent of Americans say the Constitution should explicitly guarantee women’s rights.**

Finland gained the world’s first Cabinet with women in the majority (12 of 20 positions), trumping France, Chile, Spain and Sweden’s gender-balanced Cabinets.**

Feel good about your holiday gift giving. Share your good fortune with women who are striving for economic self-sufficiency by making an outright gift to the Women’s Foundation of Montana. You can also give a gift in honor of the important women in your life. We’ll send them a card acknowledging your gift. How easy is that?

Women's Wire ~ Issue 4, Fall 2007