Snowbird Fund Doubles Grants For Missing Indigenous People

credit: 3aw

The Snowbird Fund was established one year ago, in February, to assist communities in their hunt for missing Indigenous individuals. The federal government makes one-time payments of up to $1,000 to people (increased from a previous ceiling of $500) to help them cover the significant expenditures their relatives and friends suffer while looking for their loved ones.

Anyone involved in organizing a community search for a lost loved one is entitled to submit an application on the internet. The Snowbird Fund was established in response to the scourge of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). Indigenous women and girls go missing in Montana on a yearly basis, with many of them never being discovered.

Native Americans make up only 6.5 percent of the Montana's population, yet they account for 27 percent of all reported missing persons cases in the state.

The advocacy of Kaysera Stops Pretty Places' family contributed to the growth of support for a march for missing individuals. During Whitney Williams' campaign for Governor of Montana, Whitney Bulltail, the aunt of Kaysera Stops Pretty Places, who was killed, reached out to her. The Bulltail says, "If you want my family's vote, along with the votes of other MMIW families in Montana, you must have meaningful plans in place that will allocate resources to assisting our families." Whitney spent time with Grace and other people who had experienced the loss of family members in an attempt to have a deeper understanding of their goals and needs.

As these families continue their search for their lost loved ones, the Snowbird Fund will continue to provide them with financial assistance.

Read the Entire Article

How's Your Community Doing?
Check Out it's
Community Vital Signs

Explore the
Social Progress Index
for the
Montana Community Foundation

Momentus Capital Closes $171 Million Equitable Prosperity Fund
Foundation: Marguerite Casey Foundation, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Kresge Foundation

Stephen Stephens' father died of cancer when he was 53, and his message to young people has stayed with him. "Always do the right thing son," he tells Fast Company. "That message has always...more

6 Things to Know When Building an Authentic Green Brand

When it comes to sustainability, Entrepreneur says, "it takes more than just lip service." That's because it takes a "thorough commitment to evaluate every aspect of your operation to develop...more

Who Serves Humanity &Amp; Strives to Make the World a Better Place?
Foundation: Indianapolis Foundation

Lynne Arriale's new album, Being Human, is all about "people who exemplify Passion, courage, love, curiosity, and other human qualities," the Florida pianist tells Rita Kohn of the Indianapolis...more

Unoma Okorafor, Co-Founder, Fairview Data Technologies

When Unoma Okorafor started working on her master's degree in computer science at the African University of Science and Technology in Abuja, Nigeria, in the mid-'90s, she had no idea she'd end up in...more

As Some Question Higher Ed'S Value, Colleges Work To Fix The 'Time Trap'

"Time-trap thinking seems logical," writes Lori Carrell in the Los Angeles Times, "but it's short-sighted: Degrees mean real earning power and career growth, and many students do work during...more

How Philanthropy Can Help to Accelerate Sustainable Development Goals

"If the class register were anything to go by, education would be one of modern civilization's greatest success stories." That's what Peter Wilson, a member of the UBS Accelerate Collective, had...more

As Melinda French Gates Leaves the Gates Foundation, Many Hope She'Ll ...
Foundation: Gates Foundation

Melinda French Gates is stepping down as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which she founded with her ex-husband Bill Gates more than 20 years ago. As part of an agreement made...more

Nada Show Attend

If you're in the market for a new car, the NADA Show in New Orleans in January is your best chance to see what's out there. Here's a look at some of the buzzy new offerings, courtesy of Jalopnik,...more

Potato Power: Ongoing Philanthropic Collaboration Elevates Research in Sustainable Agriculture

Ahmad Al-Mallahi is a professor of agricultural engineering and sensing technologies at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, and he's spent the past five years developing technology that could...more

Microschools Offer Montana Families Creative, Learner-Centered Education Options

When Christa Hayes' kids shut down their public schools in 2020, the Montana math professor started hearing from parents seeking help for their children's schoolwork and wanting to find a way for...more