When the Mineral County Healthy Communities Coalition (HCC) restructured itself a few years ago, members had no idea the impact this organization would have on the county and its residents. Now, members are seeing a huge growth in the programs it offers, as well as some very positive outcomes.

Armed with a $50,000 grant from the Headwaters Foundation, the coalition is aligning itself for the possibility of another $200,000 Implementation Grant — awarded each year for up to six years.

“This is a big deal,” said Carissa Kuhl, an HCC coordinator who works in the Mineral County Health Department. Kuhl said they had received a phone call from Headwaters offering them the initial $50,000 grant and they thought they were being “punked.”

“We were stunned and said, ‘Did this really just happen? Is this real or a joke?’ This literally just came out of the blue,” she said.

HCC STARTED out as Best Beginnings nearly seven years ago. Under the direction of then county health nurse Peggy Stevens, the group reorganized into the Healthy Communities Coalition. Now the group encompasses several health organizations, including Healthy Montana Families; Parents as Teachers; Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program; the Pioneer Council; area schools; Afterschool programs; the Alberton PEAK Foundation; CASA; Best Beginnings; and the Youth Prevention Program.

Headwaters Health Foundation was created from the sale of the Community Medical Center in Missoula to Billings Clinic Regional Care. The foundation was formerly known as the Missoula Community Hospital Legacy Foundation and from the sale it realized $75 million in assets. That made Headwaters one of the largest nonprofit foundations in Montana history.

Their mission is to improve health and health care for the eight counties it serves in western Montana, including Mineral County. Brenda Solorzano is the foundation’s CEO and Mineral Community Hospital’s new CEO, Steve McNeece sits on the board of directors.

Headwaters offers several funding “buckets,” including GoGrants!; Sponsorships; Policy and Influence; and Strategic Initiatives. In 2018, they launched an 0-5 Strategic Initiative, a multi-year commitment to improve the health and well-being of children and their caregivers in western Montana.

By partnering with local communities, they strive to build or strengthen local collaborative groups like the HCC. The two grants they offer are by invitation only, and the $50,000 Planning Grants “are available to communities that are interested in establishing an early childhood collaboration, or that need time and support to more fully develop an existing early childhood collaboration,” Headwaters representatives explained during a recent visit to Mineral County.

The $200,000 Implementation Grants “are available to community collaborations that have evidence of collaborative capacity to impact issues related to early childhood. We have such motivated people. Members of the Coalition are invested in the community and are involved with many different things. Everyone has about five jobs and we have a lack of human capitol. This empowers people to follow their passion and pays them to well to do it,” said Kuhl.

When Kuhl and fellow HCC Coordinator, Amy Lommen, attend quarterly meetings in Helena, it’s the Mineral County group that other organizations turn to for guidance, “we are leading the state with our work,” said Kuhl. “We are well-organized and other coalitions come to us seeking advice.”

ONE IMMEDIATE issue the coalition faces is who the fiscal agent will be for the funds. They have organized a committee to address this issue, but if they don’t have this part in place, it will not hold up the process. Headwaters will provide the fiscal oversite until the HCC can create a plan.

“They don’t believe in making groups wait a long period of time in order to receive their funding,” said Kuhl.

HCC could receive a $200,000 Implementation Grant as soon as January. Even their GoGrants! have a quick turnaround. Kuhl said they applied for one and within two weeks received $5,000. Another member, Alberton CSCT counselor Josie Johnson, received water bottles as a result of a Headwaters Foundation Sponsorship award.

Headwaters has their focus on the early years of childhood development. According to their literature, it is because of three reasons.

One reason is because in their research this is what people told them that will make the biggest difference in the health and well-being in their communities, and people responded that prioritizing young children and their caregivers matters most.

The second reason is because research shows the greatest return on investment is funding initiatives around children occurs when the focus is on their earliest years.

And thirdly, they believe that “we can build on what works. Throughout Montana and the nation there are ample examples of effective efforts that have a real impact on young children and families. Montana communities are not starting from scratch, and we don’t have to “reinvent the wheel”. We can learn from one another and others what works, and adapt it to our own community needs and aspirations.”