Touching Lives and Hearts

Touching Lives and Hearts

The Stock Farm Greater Ravalli Foundation is touching the lives and hearts of people who live in Ravalli County. From Darby to Florence, The Foundation serves and assists those of need to ensure a healthy future for children, schools and communities.

Mission

The Stock Farm Greater Ravalli Foundation seeks to financially support the growth and development of Ravalli County’s public education system by addressing three specific needs, which comprise the basic essentials of daily life in Ravalli County:

Education

Provide technology, books, classroom supplies, and teacher support for Ravalli County public schools.

Scholarships

Provide college scholarships for high school seniors attending public school; workforce certified students and grants for non-profits and projects in Ravalli County.

Sustenance

Provide grocery cards, meals and warm winter clothing for students and families in Ravalli County.

History

A Child’s Wisdom

It was through the wisdom of a child that sparked the beginning of The Stock Farm Greater Ravalli Foundation nearly 20 years ago. While in grade school, the daughter of a Stock Farm member brought extra sandwiches to school to share with friends who could not afford school lunches. She also gave away winter coats and other cold weather clothing for less fortunate classmates. This was done without her parents’ knowledge. But once these kind gestures were realized, it shed light on the financial struggles many Ravalli County families faced. The Foundation has since grown in strength and has now given over $1.5 million to schools and community programs since October 2002.

History

A Child’s Wisdom

It was through the wisdom of a child that sparked the beginning of The Stock Farm Greater Ravalli Foundation nearly 20 years ago. While in grade school, the daughter of a Stock Farm member brought extra sandwiches to school to share with friends who could not afford school lunches. She also gave away winter coats and other cold weather clothing for less fortunate classmates. This was done without her parents’ knowledge. But once these kind gestures were realized, it shed light on the financial struggles many Ravalli County families faced. The Foundation has since grown in strength and has now given over $7 million to schools and community programs since October 2002.

$1,400,000

Total Teacher Supply & Education

$1,100,000

Total Sustenance

$5,100,000

Total Scholarships

Sustenance

Fighting Cold & Hunger

No one should suffer from cold or hunger but in Ravalli County, many families do. In Montana, one in five children under the age of six live below the Federal poverty level and Ravalli County is one of the poorest counties in the state. The Stock Farm Greater Ravalli Foundation provides a sustenance program with grocery cards and meal vouchers for local families.

The Foundation helps to stock the shelves of local food banks and provides at-risk school age children with food for weekends and holidays through their backpack program. It also helps struggling families pay for meal voucher programs for school breakfast and lunch because the last thing a student needs to worry about is food. The Foundation, along with our valued partners, the Rapp Foundation and Columbia Sportswear, also provides children with winter weather clothing including coats, snow pants, boots, hats and mittens to help them stay warm during the long harsh Montana winters.

 

Last winter alone, The Foundation provided Ravalli County children with:

  • 383 Winter Hats
  • 702 Coats
  • 720 Pairs of Gloves
  • 403 Snow Pants
  • $30,000+ in Grocery Cards

Education

For a Brighter Tomorrow

Ravalli County is one of the poorest counties in Montana and schools in Florence, Victor, Hamilton, Corvallis, Stevensville and Darby are continually challenged with inadequate budgets. At times they have faced canceling classes in art, music and other curriculum and scrambled to find funds for classroom needs such as cleaning supplies, books and computers. The Stock Farm Greater Ravalli Foundation has stepped in to help purchase supplies and fund threatened classes including extracurricular programs like math and science. Teachers are passionate about their work and often spend their own money to buy much-needed supplies in order to help students achieve learning success. The Foundation has a Teacher Supply Fund that allows them to purchase items like paper supplies, lessons and other enrichment tools. These donations help to make stronger classrooms and communities.

    Education

    For a Brighter Tomorrow

    Ravalli County is one of the poorest counties in Montana and schools in Florence, Victor, Hamilton, Corvallis, Stevensville, Darby, and Lone Rock are continually challenged with inadequate budgets. At times they have faced canceling classes in art, music and other curriculum and scrambled to find funds for classroom needs such as cleaning supplies, books and computers. The Stock Farm Greater Ravalli Foundation has stepped in to help purchase supplies and fund threatened classes including extracurricular programs like math and science. Teachers are passionate about their work and often spend their own money to buy much-needed supplies in order to help students achieve learning success. The Foundation has a Teacher Supply Fund that allows them to purchase items like paper supplies, lessons and other enrichment tools. These donations help to make stronger classrooms and communities.

      Scholarships

      Fulfilling Dreams

      The Stock Farm Greater Ravalli Foundation Scholarship Program is designed to help students in need and attending public schools who have a desire and commitment to further their education and training. Students who receive scholarships are relieved of the burden of the ever-increasing cost of higher education. This allows them the opportunity to focus on what is really important, fulfilling life-long career dreams and goals. Since 2002, The Foundation has awarded 404 scholarships to graduating high school seniors in Darby, Hamilton, Florence, Stevensville, Victor and Corvallis worth over $4.5 million − with over 25% of the scholarships going to first-generation recipients.

      Scholarships are for two years − $6,000 per year for a total of $12,000.

      Eligible applicants must:

      • Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater.
      • Be graduating from a Ravalli County public high school during the current school year.
      • Attended the last two years of public high school in Ravalli County.
      • Plan to attend an accredited post-secondary school full-time (in-state or out of state). This includes technical schools plus two-year or four-year programs.
      • If there were extenuating circumstances, you can still apply.
      • Submit ENTIRE SAI (Student Aid Index) and FAFSA submission summary. You will need both to upload.
      • Complete an application and submit all requested materials by the deadline.

      Special consideration will be given to financial need.

      For recipients that stay in Montana and attend Carroll College, Montana State University, Montana Tech, Rocky Mountain College, The University of Montana, or The University of Montana Western, will provide scholarship funding to be used for their junior and senior years, providing the student meets all criteria. This makes our award equivalent to a four-year scholarship!

      90% Graduation Rate includes two-year schools.
      Approximately 80% of our scholarship recipients stay IN STATE.
      Based upon 404 scholarships given (1 deceased), 403 calculated.