Montana Chamber Foundation
INVESTING IN TOMORROW'S WORKFORCE
The Montana Chamber Foundation (MCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization run by the Montana Chamber’s executive director, Todd O’Hair, and the Montana Chamber Foundation Board of Directors. Established by the Montana Chamber of Commerce (MCC), the MCF provides an important structure for the MCC to fund business education and encourage entrepreneurship among Montana’s K–12 and undergraduate students, participate in research projects, host events that promote economic development opportunities, and administer funds that support workforce readiness and entrepreneurship programs in the Big Sky State.
- Promotes economic education, economic development, and community viability by developing tangible programs that connect the business and education communities.
- Helps educate Montanans about the fundamentals of business operations, business needs and responsibilities, and the contributions of business to society.
- Fosters strong and open relationships with members, legislators, and other state, local and federal entities to enhance our position as a credible, dependable and innovative organization.
- Promotes and improves the economic development opportunities of the state and its communities by participating in educational projects and research.
INNOVATion in education programs
Montana Youth Entrepreneurs FUELED BY EMPOWERED
In 2017, the Montana Chamber Foundation brought to Montana ‘Empowered,‘ a nationally recognized program that enhances education to instill employability traits and principles to help prepare our future workforce. We have two dedicated Workforce Strategists to support educators in Montana. By utilizing Empowered’s free curriculum, educators are bringing relevant and real world activities into the classroom and getting students up and out of their seats. Empowered’s activities are designed to be implemented in any educational setting. Click below to see how Empowered is being implemented in classrooms around Montana!
The Prospects | The Jr Prospects
6-12 GRADE PITCH COMPETITION
Investing in Montana’s Future Business Leaders
The Montana Chamber Foundation’s annual high school and middle school pitch competition, The Prospects (9-12) and Junior Prospects (6-8), is a virtual statewide innovation competition promoting solution based thinking and growing our youth’s entrepreneurial mindset. The competition awards scholarships, cash prizes, and mentorship opportunities for high school and middle school students. There are a variety of different categories that all share the goal of expanding the students’ entrepreneurial mindset and encouraging them to pitch new and existing ideas that focus on the needs of the state of Montana and beyond.
professional development and support
We believe what educators do every day is invaluable and want to offer them support in teaching our future workforce. The professional development opportunities presented by the MCF provides educators with knowledge and tools to continually transform education by embracing a growth mindset that will create value for their students in the classroom and communities. The MCF supports educators in their classrooms, educator networking events, mentoring, sponsorship and attendance of educator conferences, help connect communities and schools, virtual and in-person guidance, classroom funding for experience based activities, and more!
CULTIVATING CAREERS: career awareness & experienceS
The Montana Chamber Foundation has partnered with various businesses and communities around the state, including John Deere, RDO Equipment Company, and local business partners, to bring career awareness experiences to students within their own communities. Our community focused events demonstrate how business and education can partner in Career and Technical Education (CTE) and offer work- based learning opportunities that develop the workforce readiness skills our students need for success in the future.
