MDF Launches New Grant Program to Help Promote Business Resiliency During Downtown SAM

MISSOULA DOWNTOWN FOUNDATION LAUNCHES NEW GRANT PROGRAM
TO HELP BUSINESSES STRENGTHEN RESILIENCY DURING THE DOWNTOWN SAM PROJECT

As the City of Missoula prepares for the upcoming Downtown SAM (Safety, Access & Mobility) project, the Missoula Downtown Foundation is simultaneously launching a new Downtown Business Support & Resiliency Grant Program for businesses in the Downtown SAM construction zone. Thanks to significant financial support from 20 Missoula-area businesses and organizations, the Missoula Downtown Foundation has raised over $275,000 in the last four months to support businesses in the impacted area.

“Our local businesses pour so much love into serving Missoula every single day, and we are thrilled to wrap our arms around them with this new program,” said Hailey Kern, President of the Missoula Downtown Foundation Board of Directors. “We know and understand how construction can be disruptive, so we established this new Business Resiliency Grant Program to help our neighbors and friends. Investing in our locally-owned businesses today will help preserve the vibrant Downtown experience Missoulians, and our guests rely on every day.”

The online grant portal can be found at www.missouladowntown.com and will be open September 1 to November 1 for applications from businesses in the Downtown SAM construction area, which is generally on Higgins Avenue from Brooks to Broadway and on Front & Main streets from Madison to Orange. Applications will be reviewed and scored by a committee and approved by the Foundation Board, and grants will be awarded in January for utilization in 2027.

There are two types of grants for consideration. Access Adaptation Grants range from $2,000 to $4,000 to help businesses adapt operations when construction disrupts access, circulation, and parking. Activation & Visibility Grants range from $1,500 to $3,000 and are intended to support businesses in maintaining visibility and attracting customers.

Funding came from a variety of Missoula-area businesses and organizations, including:

If all goes as planned, the City and Jackson Contractor Group will commence the Downtown SAM project this fall, and construction will happen in phases. The Foundation’s grant program will help businesses communicate with their customers and employees throughout the project.

“There are approximately 300 businesses that will be within the construction limits of the Downtown SAM project at some point in the next two years,” Kern said, “so we set up the program for two rounds of giving, which will help with planning and executing new and creative ways of attracting customers to Downtown businesses,” Kern added. “As a small business owner alongside my husband, I know that keeping Missoula’s local economy vibrant requires proactive, targeted support.”

A second round of grant applications will be accepted in the fall of 2027 for utilization in 2028.

For more information on the grant program, visit www.missouladowntown.com or contact the Downtown Missoula Partnership via phone (406-543-4238) or email ([email protected]). Director of Giving Carrie Harper ([email protected]) will serve as the grant program manager.

The Missoula Downtown Foundation is a 501c3 created in 2010 for the charitable and educational purposes of supporting and promoting activities that enhance the livability, economy, safety, and infrastructure of Downtown Missoula. Alongside its partners, the Foundation has played a key role in implementation of the Downtown Master Plan, the North Riverside Parks & Trails Plan, and the Heritage Missoula Plan. The Foundation is funded by generous giving from Downtown supporters, grants for projects and programs, and the black & white (406) Montana License Plate.

Other projects recently funded by the Missoula Downtown Foundation include Caras Park improvements, the Beartracks Underbridge Playground, the Downtown Riverside Art Walls (DRAW) project, Downtown murals, wayfinding signs and information kiosks, and street décor.