Blackfoot Community Support Program

Welcome to Blackfoot Communications' portal for supporting our communities, powered by Submittable. We have streamlined our application process by using this online portal for community events, cash requests, raffle baskets, and 4-H community project. If this your first time accessing this Application, you must first create a Submittable account to complete the form (see "Create Your Account" below) and/or review the video "How to Use Submittable (for applicants). Once your Submittable account is created, you can use the same log-in/password account for future requests.  If you run into issues setting up your account, please check out the FAQs.   

Community Support Criteria 

To be considered, your organization must satisfy the following: 

     * Be a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, a civic organization, school, or group.

     * Serve the needs or provide a specific benefit to people in the Blackfoot service areas.

      * Requests to fund the following are likely to be denied: Religious or political purposes; uniforms; or requests from umbrella organizations that redistribute funds. 

     * Donation requests cannot exceed $5,000.

     * GOLF TOURNAMENTS: If you are requesting Blackfoot support for any golf tournament/sponsorship in Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, Kalispell, Billings, Big Sky, St. Anthony, Ashton, Island Park, Rexburg and Idaho Falls, please reach out directly to Marketing@blackfoot.com. Otherwise, proceed with the Community Support Application for golf events in Blackfoot's rural Cooperative service areas.

Blackfoot Communications’ areas of interest for support include the following: Arts and culture; education; sports and recreation; community service activities; wellness and healthy families; veterans and military; and fundraisers that benefit your broader community. 

Blackfoot Communications takes the following criteria into consideration when selecting support requests: 

     *  Events that do not compromise Blackfoot Communications reputation or discriminate with regard to race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, qualified disability, marital status or veteran status.

     *  Opportunities to reach a public audience to promote the Blackfoot Communications brand, products and services.

     *  Affordability of the event to the general public. Blackfoot Communications typically sponsors events with tickets less than $50.

     * Full disclosure of confirmed participating sponsors and at what level.

In consideration for event sponsorship, Blackfoot Communications requests the following: 

     *  Agreement of Confidentiality – The specific terms and conditions of sponsorship agreements are confidential. They shall not be made available to any third party without prior written consent from Blackfoot Communications.

     *  First Right of Refusal – Event organizers agree to offer Blackfoot Communications the first right of refusal for the next event sponsorship.

     *  Right to Promote Sponsorship – Blackfoot Communications appreciates the opportunity to support your event. We may opt to promote the sponsorship and/or event on our website, Facebook page, YouTube channel, customer statements and/or printed collateral. We may also request to take photos and/or video footage to capture the event.

Blackfoot Communications' 4-H Club Community Project Grant Program 

The mission of Blackfoot Communications' 4-H Club Community grant is to help support the many 4-H Clubs located within its rural service territories. Each 4-H Club is encouraged each year to consider a community project that focuses on healthy living, citizenship, leadership, and community. This grant provides opportunities for youth and adults to strengthen their skills and maximize their positive impacts on the communities in which they live. 

Blackfoot Communications takes the following criteria into consideration when selecting 4-H Community Projects: 

· 4-H Club is located within Blackfoot Communications' Cooperative rural service area, and other communities Blackfoot serves in its Montana and Idaho rural service territories; 

· 4-H members should be involved in determining, planning, conducting and evaluating the project, and provides an opportunity to learn, grow and make a different in their communities;

· Project has lasting a lasting impact on its community; and

· If the project helps young people learn, grow and make a difference in their communities. 

Additional Information

* We recommend using Google Chrome for the best user experience with our community support platform

* Your Submittable form will be reviewed and a response made to the email address provided in the application. Please check your email and open the email from @email.submittable.com titled “RE: Blackfoot Communications  Community Grant Application”. If you still do not see the email in your Inbox, please add “@email.submittable.com” to your White List or Safe Sender List, and/or check your “Junk” or “Spam” folders. We make every effort to ensure that these emails are delivered.

* Have you already set up a Submittable account and want to check on the status and/or correspondence regarding your application? Access your account @ https://givingback.blackfoot.com/login

Tips on completing an Application

Having difficulties getting your application submitted? Try these steps: 1) make sure every question with an asterisk * has been answered as these are mandatory questions; 2) save your current application; 3) sign out of your Submittable account; 4) close your internet browser; 5) reopen internet browser; 6) log back into your Submittable account https://givingback.blackfoot.com/login; 7) reopen your application; 8) scroll to bottom of application and hit 'Submit'.

Once you’ve completed these steps, your application should be accepted, and you should receive a confirmation email stating your application has been accepted.

If these steps still do not work, please contact Submittable at: 1) https://www.submittable.com/contact/; 2) Call Tech Support at 855-467-8264 Ext. 4; 3) Email organizationsupport@submittable.com

Other Questions?

Email Blackfoot’s Community Support Committee at communitysupport@blackfoot.com

* Please note Blackfoot Communications no longer offers bottled water for events due to environmental concerns*

Blackfoot in Education 

Welcome to Blackfoot Communication's educational portal for supporting our rural cooperative communities - powered by Submittable. If this your first time accessing this Application, you need to create a free Submittable account by clicking "Sign Up" and/or check out the Submittable video "How to use Submittable (for applicants)." Once you have created your Submittable account, you can use the same log-in/password account for future requests. If you run into issues setting up your account, please check out Submittable FAQs. 

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FRS Youth Tour Program Information

Since 1995, the NTCA Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) has hosted an annual Youth Tour for thousands of high school students from across rural America. The Youth Tour provides an opportunity for students to visit our nation’s capital and learn about rural broadband—and share their community’s story with key legislative, regulatory and government figures as well as a forum for them to meet and interact with their peers from other rural communities. 

Each year Blackfoot Communications sponsors up to two high school students with an all-expense paid trip to Washington DC.  The winner(s) will join over 100 students from across the country for a 4-day tour and explore the city, hear from experts at the FCC and Congress, and discuss how to make our rural communities better. Qualifying high school students, aged 15, 16 or 17 at the time of the 2025 June Youth Tour, and whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) are current Blackfoot Communications Montana/Idaho residential customers are eligible to complete this Application. 

The FRS Youth Tour is scheduled for Monday, June 2 through Friday, June 6, 2025.

More program information can be found here. 

Check out the FRS Video:

Blackfoot Criteria

The Blackfoot Student Application requires a Letter of Recommendation from a community member and answering a short Essay Question.

DEADLINE: February 25, 2025. Late entries will not be accepted.

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Additional Information

A. Once your application has been correctly submitted, you will receive an auto response email to the email address provided in the application. If you did not receive the auto response email, please check your email and open the email from @email.submittable.com titled “RE: Blackfoot Communications - FRS Youth Tour.” If you still do not see the email in your Inbox, please add “@email.submittable.com” to your Whitelist or Safe Sender List, and/or check your “Junk” or “Spam” folders. We make every effort to ensure that these emails are delivered to a valid email address.

B. Having difficulties getting your application submitted? Try the following steps:

1.  review your application and make sure every question marked (required) has been answered.
2.  save your current application.
3.  sign out of your Submittable account. 
4.  close down your current internet browser.
5.  reopen your internet browser
6.  log back into your Submittable account at https://givingback.blackfoot.com/login.
7.  reopen your application.
8.  scroll to bottom of application and hit 'Submit'.
9.  after you have completed these steps, your application should be accepted. If your application was submitted correctly, you will receive a confirmation email stating your application has been accepted.
10.  if the above steps do not work, please contact Submittable at: 1) https://www.submittable.com/contact/; 2) Call Submittable Tech Support at 855-467-8264 Ext. 4; or 3) Email organizationsupport@submittable.com. 

C. Have you already set up a Submittable account? Want to check on the status of your application and/or any correspondence regarding your application? Access your account @ https://givingback.blackfoot.com/login

 Additional questions regarding the FRS Youth Tour? 

Email our Education Committee at education@blackfoot.com  

Blackfoot Communications Directory Photo Contest 

Welcome to Blackfoot Communications' portal for supporting our communities, powered by Submittable. We have streamlined our application process by using this online portal for our annual Directory Photo Contest. If this your first time accessing this Application, you must first create a Submittable account to complete the form (see "Create Your Account" below) and check out the video "How to use Submittable for applicants." Once your Submittable account is created, you can use the same log-in/password account for future requests.  If you run into issues setting up your account, please check out the FAQs.  

Directory Photo Contest Criteria

Deadline Entry: March 31, 2025

• You can submit up to two photos you personally took. Photos that you took and then submitted under your partner's name will not be accepted.
• We do not bar photographs captured on nontraditional cameras (in fact, we think smartphone photography is great!) but photos of too low resolution will be thrown out. Photo submissions must be high resolution to ensure print quality, so be sure to set your camera or CELL PHONE to the highest resolution. We cannot accept photos with watermarks.
• You must provide your necessary contact information, including name, address and phone.
• You must include the location of each photo.
• Blackfoot owner-members will vote on the Top 5 MT finalists at the Blackfoot Communications Annual Meeting currently scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2025 at the Hilton Garden Inn Missoula. The top five (5) Idaho entries will be voted on by our Photo Committee.  The winning photographers will be announced shortly thereafter and will each receive a $100 gift card.
• There will be two winning photos, one for the cover of each local phone directory distributed across Western Montana and Eastern Idaho.
• By submitting your photograph(s), you agree to give Blackfoot Communications' rights to publish your photo on the cover of the Blackfoot Phone Directory (Montana and/or Idaho). You also agree to allow Blackfoot to share your photo on our Facebook page, corporate website, and use in other promotional capacities. Your photo will never be used without including your name as the credited photographer.

Tip: We encourage entries that showcase the beauty of Blackfoot service areas.

Additional Information

* We recommend using Google Chrome (Mac or Windows) for the best user experience with our community support platform

* Your Submittable form will be reviewed and a response made to the email address provided in the application. Please check your email and open the email from @email.submittable.com titled “RE: Blackfoot Communications - Photo Contest Entry(ies).” If you still do not see the email in your Inbox, please add “@email.submittable.com” to your White List or Safe Sender List, and/or check your “Junk” or “Spam” folders. We make every effort to ensure that these emails are delivered.

* Have you already set up a Submittable account and want to check on the status and/or correspondence regarding your application? Access your account @ https://givingback.blackfoot.com/login

Tips on completing an Application

Having difficulties getting your application submitted? Try these steps: 1) make sure every question with an asterick * has been answered as these are mandatory questions; 2) save your current application; 3) sign out of your Submittable account; 4) close your internet browser; 5) reopen internet browser; 6) log back into your Submittable account https://givingback.blackfoot.com/login; 7) reopen your application; 8) scroll to bottom of application and hit 'Submit'.

Once you’ve completed these steps, your application should be accepted and you should receive a confirmation email stating your application has been accepted.

If these steps still do not work, please contact Submittable at: 1) https://www.submittable.com/contact/; 2) Call Tech Support at 855-467-8264 Ext. 4; 3) Email organizationsupport@submittable.com

Other Questions?

Email us photocontest@blackfoot.com

Blackfoot Communications in Education 

Welcome to Blackfoot Communication's educational portal for supporting our rural cooperative communities - powered by Submittable. If this your first time accessing this Application, you need to create a free Submittable account by clicking "Sign Up" and/or check out the Submittable video "How to use Submittable (for applicants)." Once you have created your Submittable account, you can use the same log-in/password account for future requests. If you run into issues setting up your account, please check out Submittable FAQs. 

Blackfoot Scholarship Program Information

Blackfoot Communications looks for ways to invest in the long-term success of our communities and are dedicated to supporting and providing educational opportunities for all ages. That’s why each year, Blackfoot contributes over $75,000 to educational endeavors. We have awarded more than half a million dollars in scholarships to students who have pursued their passions and made positive impacts in our local service areas and beyond and are excited to see the possibilities the future holds for today’s students. As part of our commitment to education, the Blackfoot Scholarship Fund provides academic scholarships for students from within our Montana residential cooperative services areas in Montana and Idaho service areas.  Scholarships range from $1,000 to $2,500. 

REQUIREMENTS:

1. Applicant or parent/legal guardian must be a Blackfoot residential customer at the time of submission and selection.

2. Applicant must be a graduating high school senior or higher.

3. Applicant must attend, or plan to attend college/university, vocational school or trade school.

4. Only complete applications will be reviewed.

5. DEADLINE:  March 25, 2025. Late entries will not be accepted.

Additional Information

A. Once your application has been correctly submitted, you will receive an auto response email to the email address provided in the application. If you did not receive the auto response email, please check your email and open the email from @email.submittable.com titled “RE: Blackfoot Communications - Scholarship Application.” If you still do not see the email in your Inbox, please add “@email.submittable.com” to your Whitelist or Safe Sender List, and/or check your “Junk” or “Spam” folders. We make every effort to ensure that these emails are delivered to a valid email address.

B. Having difficulties getting your application submitted? Try the following steps:

1.  review your application and make sure every question marked (required) has been answered.
2.  save your current application.
3.  sign out of your Submittable account. 
4.  close down your current internet browser.
5.  reopen your internet browser
6.  log back into your Submittable account at https://givingback.blackfoot.com/login.
7.  reopen your application.
8.  scroll to bottom of application and hit 'Submit'.
9.  after you have completed these steps, your application should be accepted. If your application was submitted correctly, you will receive a confirmation email stating your application has been accepted.
10.  if the above steps do not work, please contact Submittable at: 1) https://www.submittable.com/contact/; 2) Call Submittable Tech Support at 855-467-8264 Ext. 4; or 3) Email organizationsupport@submittable.com. 

C. Have you already set up a Submittable account? Want to check on the status of your application and/or any correspondence regarding your application? Access your account @ https://givingback.blackfoot.com/login

 Additional questions regarding the Scholarship Program? 

Email our Education Committee at education@blackfoot.com  

Blackfoot Communications in Education 

Welcome to Blackfoot Communication's educational portal for supporting our rural cooperative communities - powered by Submittable. If this your first time accessing this Application, you need to create a free Submittable account by clicking "Sign Up" and/or check out the Submittable video "How to use Submittable (for applicants)." Once you have created your Submittable account, you can use the same log-in/password account for future requests. If you run into issues setting up your account, please check out Submittable FAQs. 

Student Connect Program Information/Criteria

Blackfoot Communications is excited to continue this important educational initiative to fulfill student needs and/or student closets as identified by school leaders in the public-school systems located within our rural service territories. 

We know many local families experience financial difficulties with kids in schools, including the extra cost of school supplies, PE shoes, clothing, etc. Our Student Connection Fund has been created to fill a gap for those students with a one-time funding need up to $250. This is Blackfoot Communication's chance to step up with your help! 

This program is open to public schools located within Blackfoot's Montana and Idaho rural cooperative service territories. Applications must be submitted by a school representative (i.e., Principal/Superintendent, Guidance Counselor, Teacher). 

Blackfoot has provided grants totaling over $9,50 since 2016 to help our rural students in need with items such as school supplies, winter clothing, PE shoes, socks, and other related items. 

The Student Connection Program will remain open from September 1st through May 31st of each School Year.

PLEASE NOTE FUNDS CANNOT BE USED TO PURCHASE CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR STUDENT(S).

If you are applying on behalf of students fundraising for the School's Close Up program, please use Blackfoot's general Community Support Application for the group of students.

Additional Information

A. Once your application has been correctly submitted, you will receive an auto response email to the email address provided in the application. If you did not receive the auto response email, please check your email and open the email from @email.submittable.com titled “RE: Blackfoot Communications - Student Connection Application.” If you still do not see the email in your Inbox, please add “@email.submittable.com” to your Whitelist or Safe Sender List, and/or check your “Junk” or “Spam” folders. We make every effort to ensure that these emails are delivered to a valid email address.

B. Having difficulties getting your application submitted? Try the following steps:

1.  review your application and make sure every question marked (required) has been answered.
2.  save your current application.
3.  sign out of your Submittable account. 
4.  close down your current internet browser.
5.  reopen your internet browser
6.  log back into your Submittable account at https://givingback.blackfoot.com/login.
7.  reopen your application.
8.  scroll to bottom of application and hit 'Submit'.
9.  after you have completed these steps, your application should be accepted. If your application was submitted correctly, you will receive a confirmation email stating your application has been accepted.
10.  if the above steps do not work, please contact Submittable at: 1) https://www.submittable.com/contact/; 2) Call Submittable Tech Support at 855-467-8264 Ext. 4; or 3) Email organizationsupport@submittable.com. 

C. Have you already set up a Submittable account? Want to check on the status of your application and/or any correspondence regarding your application? Access your account @ https://givingback.blackfoot.com/login

Additional questions regarding the Student Connect Program? 

Email our Education Committee at education@blackfoot.com