Montana Project Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
LEISURELY SLOWING-DOWN CONVERSATIONS WITH MONTANANS, AND THOSE ATTACHED TO MONTANA, ON ISSUES OF CONNECTIVITY WITHIN AND BETWEEN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES THAT FLOURISH IN MONTANAS WIDE OPEN SPACES.
- Income
- $71,194
- Spending
- $98,626
- Reserves
- 22.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $98,626 spent. WE PUBLISHED NUMEROUS ARTICLES/PROFILES OF OUR WORK IN MEDIA SUCH AS COWBOYS & INDIANS, MOUNTAIN OUTLAW, GAVE PUBLIC TALKS IN MAINE, CONSULTED WITH TRIBAL REPRESENTATIVES, HOSTED POET JANE HIRSHFIELD, CHRIS DOMBROWSKI, AND NUMEROUS OTHER ARTISTS, TOURED THEM INTO THE OLD BLACK RAM FOREST. WE SECURED AN ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY WOODCUT ARTISTS CLAIRE EMERY. MONTE DOLACK JUST FINISHED HIS MASSIVE PAINTING, COMMISSIONED BY US, THIS PAST WEEK. CLYDE ASPEVIG PAINTED A MAGNIFICENT LARGE PIECE LAST FALL. THIS FALL, POET JANE HIRSCHFIELD WILL VISIT AND WRITE IN THE OLD FOREST THIS FALL. RICK BASS CONTINUES TO WORK ON WHAT HAS BECOME A SHORT NOVEL, WHITEBARK, AND HAS BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH PLAYWRIGHTS AS WELL AS SINGER/SONGWRITER SIRI SATERERN. WE ARE HONORED TO BE WORKING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES. CORWIN CLAIRMONT, A MEMBER OF THE TRIBE'S CULTURAL COMMITTEE, HAS ATTENDED MANY BLACK RAM CONCERTS AND IS PLANNING A TRIP TO THE OLD FOREST THIS YEAR TO BEGIN PLANNING AN ART PROJECT IN SUPPORT OF ITS PROTECTION. WE'VE ALSO MET WITH OUTLAW PARTNERS IN BIG SKY TO PLAN FUTURE EVENTS AND FUNDRAISERS WITH THE GUITAR. THE BLACK RAM GUITAR WAS PLAYED BY JEFF AMENT AT PEARL JAM'S "IT TAKES A VILLAGE" EVENT AT GRIZZLY STADIUM LAST SUMMER; WE ALSO PLAYED IT IN THE COMMUNITY OF SEELEY LAKE. BY FAR THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR WAS THE BLACK RAM GUITAR FESTIVAL, PRESENTED TO A SOLD-OUT AUDIENCE AT THE WILMA IN MISSOULA. WE ALSO PLAYED AT AN ART GALLERY IN MISSOULA AND A BREWERY. MONTANA SINGER SONGWRITER ROB QUIST TOURED THE OLD FOREST AND WROTE A SONG FOR BLACK RAM AND PLAYED IT IN THE FOREST HE AND BLACKFEET SINGER/SONGWRITER JACK GLADSTONE ARE GOING TO BE FEATURED IN A STORY ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN IN THE MAGAZINE, COWBOYS & INDIANS. ARTICLES IN HIGH COUNTRY NEWS AND ECOTONE ARE ALSO FORTHCOMING. WE JOINED PATAGONIA IN SUPPORTING THE HISTORIC OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST CASE VERSUS THE STATE OF MONTANA WITH REGARD TO THE RIGHT BY ALL MONTANANS TO HAVE A CLEAN AND ENVIRONMENT. LEAD PLAINTIFFS BADGE AND RYAN AND BUSSE PLAYED THE GUITAR AND SANG AT THE CONCERT IN MISSOULA, JACK GLADSTONE AND CLIMATE SCIENTIST/WORLD RENOWNED VIOLINIST PICO ALT. MISSOULA'S MOST BELOVED MUSICIANS, CAROLINE KEYS, NATE BIEHL, AND GIBSON HARTWELL, ALONG WITH JENNY WHITE OF BUTTE, PLAYED AND SAYING THAT THE WILMA, SINGER, SONGWRITER SERIES, ETC. BILL MCKIBBEN WAS THE EMCEE AND WE WERE HONORED TO HAVE A WELCOMING DRUMMING BY LESLIE CAYE AND FRIENDS. TEXAS FOLK ROCKER JAMES MCMURTRY WAS THE HEADLINE, AND JEFFREY FOUCAULT ALSO PLAYED. BETH ANN FENNELLY GAVE A POETRY READING. ARTIST LAUREN STROHACKER COLLABORATED WITH RICK BASS TO CREATE AN ORIGINAL SPOKEN WORD-AND-IMAGE PRESENTATION. WE GAVE TWO PECHAKUCHA PRESENATIONS TO SOLD-OUT AUDIENCES AT THE ELLEN IN BOZEMAN, MT. WE TOURED THE OLD FOREST AT BLACK RAM WITH NUMEROUS POETS AND ARTISTS, INCLUDING PHOTOGRAPHER PETER KAYAFAS. WE VISITED BEND, OREGON - BREEDLOVE GUITARS - AND CONVINCED JEFF BRIDGES TO COMMISSION SIX MORE GUITARS AS PART OF HIS AND BREEDLOVE'S IN THIS TOGETHER SUSTAINABILITY CAMPAIGN. BREEDLOVE IS MAKING A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN. WE ALSO PLAYED TWO EVENTS WITH THE BLACK AND WHITE FISH. AND WE'RE FEATURED PROMINENTLY IN THE WHITEFISH REVIEW'S SPECIAL MUSIC ISSUE CONDUCTED OUTREACH TO WILDLANDS FESTIVAL AND HOPE TO HAVE THE GUITAR PRESENT THERE THIS YEAR. WE HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A BLACK RAM GUITAR FESTIVAL IN TEXAS. THE GUITAR ALSO PLAYED AT THE LONGSTAFF HOUSE IN MISSOULA, WITH GUITAR PRODIGY RICHARD SMITH. THE GUITAR PLAYED IN RED LODGE WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM TIPPET RISE IN ATTENDANCE. WE CONTINUE TO BE IN CONTACT WITH T BONE BURNETT AND OTHER NASHVILLE-AREA SONGWRITERS SUCH AS ABOUT WRITING SONG(S) FOR THE GUITAR. AND WE WILL CONTINUE WORKING WITH R A BEATTIE TO COMPLETE A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN, WHICH WILL BE SHOWN AT FILM FESTIVALS AROUND THE COUNTRY. WHAT WE DO A STATEWIDE "SOCIETY TO MATCH OUR SCENERY" BOOK CLUB (FROM THE FAMOUS WALLACE STEGNER WISH FOR OUR BELOVED WEST) THINGS WE LIKEPRODUCT REVIEWS AND PROFILES OF THE BEST OF MONTANAS SMALL BATCH MAKERS AND CRAFTERS CONSERVE OUR LANDSUPPORT AND INFORMATION ON HOW TO PROTECT OPEN SPACE THROUGH CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. ITS OUR OPEN SPACES THAT INSPIRE THE ARTISTS AND ARTISANS WHO ARE SO MUCH PART OF MONTANAS FABRIC OF BEING MENTORING PROGRAMWE SEEK TO CONNECT YOUNG ARTISTS TO APPRENTICESHIPS AND WORKSHOPS WITH ESTABLISHED MAKERS AND CRAFTERS SOME ITEMIZED SPECIFICS: GRANT DEVELOPMENTCHRIS BUNTING, OLIVE HERSHEY, OAK FOUNDATION, GOLDMAN, PACKARD, SUSAN O CONNOR. RED ANTS PANTS ATTENDANCE (FOUR DAYS)OUTREACH TO MUSICIANS AND FESTIVAL- GOERS ABOUT THE GUITAR. ONGOING KEVIN KOPP CALLS AND MEETINGS. MICHAEL & ALYSSA CALLS AND SUMMER FIELD TRIPS, DAN SULLIVAN (JEFF BRIDGES) OUTREACH, NUMEROUS FIELD TRIPS INTO BLACK RAM. DESIGN/WRITE/PRINT CLIMATE AID POSTER, PROGRAM, WEBSITE. OUTREACH TO TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS AND MAGGIE ROGERS, COLIN MELOY, RICHARD AND TRACY STONE-MANNING, MTPR, MICHELLE RISHO, CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY. EXPLORED WRITERS HELL WORKSHOP EPISODE DEVELOPMENT WITH CHRIS DOMBROWSKI AND SARAH CALHOUN. SUSTAINED AND CONTINUED OUTREACH WITH MICHAEL AND ALYSSA O BRIENCONCERT PLANNING. RESEARCHED BEN & JERRYS FOUNDATION, HIGH STAKES, CINNABAR, REYNOLDS, CHARLOTTE MARTIN, PATAGONIA, BREEDLOVE GUITARS, AND OTHER FOUNDATIONS. SUSTAINED KEVIN KOPP DISCUSSIONS, PICK UP OF GUITAR, OUTREACH TO MIKE JONES (SOUND ENGINEER). WROTE OP-EDS FOR MISSOULA; PORTLAND, ME; BOZEMAN; HELENA; FLATHEAD AND OTHER MONTANA PUBLICATIONS. OUTREACH TO JEFF BRIDGES/DAN SULLIVAN. TOOK ADA LIMON, VAUGHN FIELDER AND LEXI ADAMS INTO THE OLD FOREST AND FOLLOWED UP ON PRESS. OLIVE HERSHEY OUTREACH, CHRIS DOMBROWSKI CALL, SARAH CALHOUN, CHRIS BUNTING AND BUNTING FOUNDATION. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS UPDATE FOR WEBSITE OUTREACH TO DAN SULLIVAN. CONTACTED 30-PLUS MUSICIANS (MOSTLY MT-BASED) YEAR-LONG OUTREACH/CONVERSATION WITH OLIVE HERS
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since September 2021.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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