Great Fish
Community Challenge
A program of Whitefish Community Foundation
Since 2015, the Great Fish Community Challenge has raised over $28 million for more than 85 local nonprofit organizations. The Whitefish Community Foundation organizes the Challenge free of charge for qualifying nonprofits.
The 10th Great Fish Community Challenge is August 8 - September 13, 2024
Thank you to all who donated in the 2023 Great Fish Community Challenge. Our final total was $44,539 raised for Cedar Flats Trails!
We were honored to apply for and participate in Whitefish Community Foundation’s 2023 Great Fish Community Challenge alongside fellow local nonprofits! With just one donation, donors were able to give to multiple local nonprofits - including Gateway to Glacier Trails! This is an incredible opportunity for local nonprofits to not only raise funds, but potentially receive a match on those funds raised. We are honored to work alongside each of you to give where we live.
How are we using these funds?
The funds raised via the Great Fish Community Challenge are being used toward our projects - primarily Cedar Flats - as well as administrative/operational time to ensure our nonprofit continues to gain momentum. Since the 2023 funds were received, we’ve been able to use staff time to apply for over $100,000 in additional grant funding for Phase 2 of the Cedar Flats project, plan for the 2024 trail-building season, host a Strategic Planning Meeting to help grow our nonprofit and also focus on plans to connect folks to the outdoors via Cedar Flats hiking, biking, trail running & more!
Check out these amazing local nonprofits we got to participate in the 2022 Great Fish Community Challenge with!
(Click on the organization name for more information)
Abbie Shelter
amazing place music
Backpack Assistance Program
Big Brothers Big Sisters NW Montana
bigfork art and cultural center
Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation
Boys & Girls Club of Glacier Country
CASA for Kids
Center for Restorative Youth Justice
Child Bridge
code girls united
Conrad Mansion
creston firefighters association
DREAM Adaptive Recreation
Flathead Area Mountain Bikers
Flathead Audubon Society
Flathead County Sheriff’s Posse
Flathead Food Bank
Flathead Land Trust
Flathead Rapids Youth Soccer
Flathead Valley Community College Foundation
Flathead Warming Center
flathead valley ski foundation
Flathead Youth Home
Foy’s to Blacktail Trails
Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center
Glacier Institute
Glacier National Park Conservancy
Glacier Nordic Club
Glacier Skate Academy
Glacier Symphony & Chorale
Good grief group
habitat for humanity of flathead valley
hockaday museum of art
housing whitefish
Humane Society of Northwest Montana
immanuel foundation
Kalispell Education Foundation
land to hand
Lighthouse Christian Home & Services
Logan Health foundation
Logan Health whitefish foundation
Montana Conservation Corps
Montana Kayak Academy
Nate Chute Foundation
North Valley Food Bank
North Valley Music School
NorthWest Montana Veterans Food Pantry
Northwest Montana community land trust
Northwest Montana history museum
Project Whitefish Kids
Ravenwood Outdoor Learning Center
Samaritan House
Shepherd’s Hand Free Clinic
Sparrow’s Nest of NW MT
Stumptown Art Studio
Tamarack Grief Resource Center
The Nurturing Center
Whitefish Community Center
Whitefish Community Foundation
Whitefish Dog Park
Whitefish Firefighters Association
Whitefish Lake Institute
Whitefish Legacy Partners
Whitefish Review
Whitefish School District Education Foundation
Whitefish Theatre Co.
Whitefish Veterans Support Team
Wings Regional Cancer Support
2021 Great Fish Community Challenge Recap
During the 2021 Great Fish Community Challenge, $23,268.04 was raised to help build and maintain local trails, and because of the generosity of the Whitefish Community Foundation Circle of Giving donors and Friends of the Great Fish Match, a 56% match ($11,200) was added to that number! We were also honored to be given the Finest Fishing award for outstanding collaborative marketing, and an additional incentive grant drawn during the challenge.
With these funds, we were able to make significant progress on both our Cedar Flats and River Trail construction, maintenance work on the Gateway to Glacier Trail, and staff time to keep our nonprofit running smoothly!
