FEDERAL FUNDING Impact Summary
It is important to note that our work “…doesn’t just respond to poverty—we are actively working to change the systems that cause it. Community Action doesn’t just support communities from the outside—it powers them. Economically. Systemically. Humanly.” – Beck S. Moore
Our work as an organization impacts the lives of more than 13,000 people across Gallatin, Meagher, and Park Counties each year, meaning about 1 in every 10 people in Southwest/Southcentral Montana. Federal funding represents about 46% of our annual revenue and is interwoven into our programming in various ways, meaning it touches nearly every one of those 13,000 lives. This percentage of federal funding represents a significant decrease in reliance on federal funding over the last decade, decreasing by nearly 30%.
As we continue to navigate the federal budget process closely, work alongside our local, state, and national partners, work proactively to minimize the risk to our organization, preserve essential community functions and services our team performs and the professional roles they hold in the community, we also need to educate the community about the reach of our work.
This document provides an overview of the current federal programming at risk. It is important to emphasize that HRDC understands the need for a balanced budget, hopes to be part of the solution, has weathered many federal administrations and changing priorities in our five decades of service, and that our innovation and partnerships that make community-driven solutions actually work – happen at the local level. Still, federal decreases could have far-reaching consequences, affecting not only the programs but also the individuals and communities that rely on them. To illustrate the impact of the proposed budget reductions and eliminations, this overview highlights the reach of that programming and its beneficiaries. Further, proposed reductions to SNAP, Medicaid, and other entitlement programs at the federal level will impact state funding and have a compounding effect on the demand for our existing services.
Montana COMMUNITY ACTION Network POSITION
Proposed federal budget cuts threaten the core programs that enable HRDC and our fellow Community Action Agencies across Montana to respond to urgent needs in our communities. These cuts would have long-term consequences—not only for the individuals and families we serve, but also for our local governments and economies.
The demand for essential services like food assistance, housing support, and energy relief is growing, not shrinking. These are small, strategic investments that prevent far greater costs down the road. Fundraising alone cannot make up the difference, and without federal support, the burden will shift to already stretched local systems.
At its heart, funding these services is a reflection of Montana’s values: supporting neighbors, strengthening families, and ensuring that everyone has a fair shot. Cuts to these programs aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet—they have real human consequences.
