Havre Elks Lodge accepting grant applications for local projects

Havre Elks Lodge #1201 is accepting applications for grant funding through July 27 at 5:30 p.m. for up to $3,000 in the areas of youth, veterans and community, a press release said.

The release says all communities in Hill and Blaine, and Chouteau county to Big Sandy are eligible to apply.

“It’s been used for anything from, like, Plant a Seed…Read! to the Bear Paw Volunteer Fire Department. We donated some money for some windows for out at Beaver Creek Park to fix cabins at (Camp) Kiwanis there. So it’s utilized for many different things,” Lodge Grants Chairwoman Brandy Kurtz said Monday.

Kurtz said she’s had about 20 people reach out already and she has emailed applications. She said as of Monday five or six have responded so far.

Kurtz couldn’t divulge what the applicants hope to do with the funding because the organization has not yet held a vote about what to use the money for. She said a meeting will be held Tuesday, July 27, to discuss the matter.

Kurtz did say several places around Havre and several 501(c)(3) nonprofits have reached out.

The press release says the Elks Lodge gives this funding because it wants to partner with people to make a difference in these communities.

“I’ve been a secretary and doing all the grants for the last 14 years and we do grants every year. So this isn’t something new, it’s just we have a little bit more funds this year, they added some more money to our funds,” Kurtz said.

Kurtz said grants were still given out last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, which she said hindered some things but helped in a way thanks to the additional funding the Elks Lodge has received now.

She said the number and size of grants is at the discretion of the lodge.

“So we have up to $3,000 to spend. We can spend $3,000 on one project, or we can do three 1,000 or we can do six 500,” she said.