Charles M Bair Family Trust
Billings, MT · EIN 81-6075761. Reported 179 grants totalling $4,110,241 to 83 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Charles M Bair Family Trust did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $15,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $9,750 and $27,660; the smallest was $1,704 and the largest $510,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta Bair Theater | Billings, MT | $592,204 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Wheatland Memorial Healthcare | Harlowton, MT | $155,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Billings Catholic Schools | Billings, MT | $140,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Billings Clinic Foundation | Billings, MT | $133,998 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Martinsdale Water & Sewer District | Martinsdale, MT | $132,582 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| YWCA of Billings | Billings, MT | $125,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Billings and Yellowstone County | Billings, MT | $110,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Rocky Mountain College | Billings, MT | $106,821 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| New Day Inc | Billings, MT | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| St Vincent Healthcare Foundation | Billings, MT | $93,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Yellowstone Art Museum | Billings, MT | $92,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Love and Sunshine Ministries | Billings, MT | $90,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Foundation | Billings, MT | $90,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Meagher County Senior Center | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $81,924 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Billings Family YMCA | Billings, MT | $80,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Zoo Montana | Billings, MT | $78,117 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| City of Harlowton | Harlowton, MT | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Friends of the Children - Eastern Mt | Billings, MT | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Education Foundation of Billings Schools | Billings, MT | $69,540 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Community Leadership Developement Inc | Billings, MT | $67,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Youth Dynamics | Billings, MT | $65,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Montana Rescue Mission | Billings, MT | $57,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Meagher County Disaster and Emergency Services | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $53,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Meagher County Ambulance Service | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $52,900 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| YMCA of Billings | Billings, MT | $52,800 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Meagher County Sheriff's Office | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $52,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Town of Judith Gap | Judith Gap, MT | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Veterans Navigation Network | Billings, MT | $47,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| White Sulphur Springs Volunteer Fire Dept | White Sulphur Spring, MT | $46,800 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| White Sulphur Springs School District #8 | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Upper Musselshell Historic Society | Harlowton, MT | $44,178 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cine Billings | Billings, MT | $43,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Msu Billings Foundation | Billings, MT | $42,660 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| City County Preservation Committee | Harlowton, MT | $41,704 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Chinook Horses | Billings, MT | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter | Billings, MT | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Wheatland County Senior Citizens Center | Harlowton, MT | $37,700 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Saint Vincent De Paul | Billings, MT | $37,453 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Meagher County Health Dept | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $36,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Lavie - Billings Crisis Pregancy Center Inc | Billings, MT | $33,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Yellowstone CASA Inc | Billings, MT | $32,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Big Sky Senior Services | Billings, MT | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Harlowton Public Pool | Harlowton, MT | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Mountainview Medical Center Inc | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $28,358 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Riverstone Health Foundation | Billings, MT | $26,525 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Meagher County Rural Fire | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $26,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Western Heritage Center | Billings, MT | $26,392 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Meagher County 4-H Council | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Rimrock Foundation | Billings, MT | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St John's Lutheran Ministries | Billings, MT | $25,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch | Billings, MT | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Clinic Inc | Billings, MT | $22,020 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Billings Symphony | Billings, MT | $20,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Gratitude in Action Foundation | Billings, MT | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Landon's Legacy Foundation | Billings, MT | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Red Ants Pants Foundation | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $20,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Harlowton Public Library | Harlowton, MT | $19,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Billings Public Library Foundation | Billings, MT | $18,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Harlo Theatre Project | Harlowton, MT | $18,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Billings Studio Theatre | Billings, MT | $16,649 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Big Brothers & Sisters of Yellowstone County Inc | Billings, MT | $15,850 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Family Services Inc | Billings, MT | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Horse Spirits Healing Inc | Billings, MT | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Off the Streets | Billings, MT | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ronald Mcdonald House of Eastern Montana | Billings, MT | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wheatland County | Harlowton, MT | $14,382 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Youth Inc | Wss, MT | $13,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Meagher County Search and Rescue | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $12,984 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| City of White Sulphur Springs | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Meagher County City Library | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley | Billings, MT | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friendship House of Christian Service | Billings, MT | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Meagher County Arts Council Inc | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Young Families - Early Head Start | Billings, MT | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Big Sky Science Education Enhancement Inc | Billings, MT | $9,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| White Sulphur Springs Youth Baseball and Softball | White Sulphur Spring, MT | $8,700 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Our Montana | Billings, MT | $6,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Community Health | Harlowton, MT | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming | Billings, MT | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Meagher County Stewardship Council | White Sulphur Springs, MT | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Billings Cultural Partners | Billings, MT | $4,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| High Plains Book Awards | Billings, MT | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Engineer Extras Inc | Harlowton, MT | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
51 of 83 (61%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 65%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Alberta Bair Theater
Grant for the remodel of the ABT and education outreach. - Martinsdale Water & Sewer District
Grant for waterline asbestos pile replacement. - New Day Inc
Grant for replacement of aging mobile homes for foster kids. - Billings Catholic Schools
Grant for playground/classroom renovations. - Billings Clinic Foundation
Grant for seclusion room and psychiatric centre. - Rocky Mountain College
Grant for bair hall improvements.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 60 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 36 | $998,673 | $11,000 |
| 2022 | 48 | $1,072,546 | $19,000 |
| 2023 | 46 | $1,009,301 | $21,149 |
| 2024 | 49 | $1,029,721 | $15,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $15,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Montana.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Charles M Bair Family Trust's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 303 N Broadway, Billings, MT, 59101. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 81-6075761 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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