SUPPORTER UPDATE: FALL 2024

To our supporters, volunteers, followers, and community: Thank you for another great year of creating community for climate action in Montana. Our work is powered by you, and we are so grateful for your generous engagement. A deep and sincere thank you to each and every one of you for all you do to make Montana a better place.

2024 has brought big changes for our organization - most notably the stepping down of our founder and Executive Director, Winona Bateman. We are so grateful for her vision and leadership, building us up from a small group of concerned parents to a team of 4 employees, a statewide Board of Directors, and a dedicated community of volunteers and supporters across Montana.

In July, we hired a new Executive Director, Sarah Lundquist. Sarah first joined Families for a Livable Climate as Communications Coordinator in early 2022 and is thrilled to step into this new role and lead us forward in our work toward a safe and equitable future.

Since our founding, we have reached thousands of Montanans through community-oriented climate events, educational opportunities, advocacy, and leadership, and this year we made more powerful moves to build momentum for change and a thriving future for all.

Here are some of the highlights:

Volunteer Working Groups

We formalized and expanded our volunteer working group model, supporting 4 groups of emerging climate leaders to spearhead events, lead legislative actions, and advance local climate action. Our working groups made amazing moves this year, leading actions including hosting an Electric School Bus Drive n Ride, launching a newsletter directed toward school officials, becoming involved in lawsuits challenging climate-destructive state laws, leading a public information campaign and launching a website to support clean energy investment, and more. Our working groups and core team help us do so much more with less, and the camaraderie and leadership opportunities are inspiring to us all! Learn more and get involved here.

Events and Workshops

We hosted multiple events and workshops to build personal resilience and connection, and engage people in action. A few examples: In the beginning of the year we hosted another “Decarbonize Your Money” - a recurring workshop to educate participants about the importance and feasibility of moving our retirement and investment accounts out of fossil fuels. As of September 2024, workshop participants have divested $17 Million from fossil fuels since the workshop began in 2021! In February, we partnered with UM to host a Climate Resiliency Storytelling event, as part of our ongoing Montana Climate Stories project. In March 2024, we partnered with Poet Laureate and Métis storyteller, Chris La Tray, to host a climate poetry workshop, equipping attendees with skills to communicate about their connection with the more-than-human world. We also hosted a mindfulness event for local climate leaders and organizers to help relieve tension and find renewal and refreshment. in July, with our Plastic Working Group, we hosted a film screening of the documentary, Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics, in order to learn and explore solutions to plastic pollution. During Billings Climate Week, we hosted a live storytelling event focused on Climate and Commerce, engaging a diverse group of sustainable leaders in the the community. Finally, we had a blast this fall participating in Missoula’s Climate Solutions Week and biking for a livable future during Climate Ride! Each event was well-attended, engaging new and current supporters in climate conversations and action. Keep up-to-date on future events here.

Advocacy

We continue to engage in statewide advocacy by leading and participating in coalitions that push forward climate-friendly policy and infrastructure in our state. For example, we lead the Electrify Montana coalition, a group of 30 organizations across 12 communities dedicated to accelerating electrification in the Big Sky State. We also lead a statewide group planning for our state’s second Climate Advocacy Day in January 2025. Additionally, earlier in 2024 we became the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit calling on Montana’s utility regulator (the PSC) to consider climate impacts in its oversight duties. FLC plays a unique role by bringing an important, influential, and inclusive family voice on issues of climate action, and we are dedicated to empowering families to speak up for their future. (By the way - did you catch our recent op-ed in the Daily Montanan?)

The Changing Times

Our volunteer-powered magazine, The Changing Times, was one of the very first projects we took on as an organization. This year we published our 14th issue of the magazine, and distributed 400 copies across 18 Montana communities. Learn more, read past issues, and submit to our next issue here.

Coming soon: Climate Advocacy Day

More good things are on the horizon! On January 24, 2025, FLC in partnership with dozens of organizations from across the state will be heading to Helena for our state’s second Climate Advocacy Day, a day for Montanans to speak out about the climate crisis and demand our state lawmakers support a livable future for all. Please save the date and check back here for more information.

THANK YOU

We are so very grateful to all of the foundations, businesses, and individual contributors who support our work financially. We simply could not do it without you. You have helped us build our team, travel statewide, and engage more Montana families in climate action. Thank you so much for believing in us and our efforts. We are humbled by the incredible support we have received.

We are incredibly grateful for the support of the High Stakes Foundation, Llewellyn Foundation, Martha Newell and Mike Kadas, and Clearwater Credit Union, along with our major donors and other individual supporters.

We are also grateful to our 2024 business supporters: Bateman Building Company, Broken Ground Permaculture, Cool Earth Creamery, Edward Jones, Good Food Store, Heritage Timber, Kantor Law PLLC, Mountain Sage Acupuncture, Onsite Energy, Inc., and Hellgate Cyclery.

Action is our hope, and we will continue to provide the tools, skills, and support needed for Montanans to engage in meaningful climate action. Together, we can create unstoppable momentum for climate action and build a thriving future for all.

For our shared future,
The FLC team

Your support makes our work possible! Make a tax-deductible donation here.

A Year of Growth & Transition