MONTPIRG Leadership Fund

Montpirg Leadership Fund creates positive, tangible change in Montana Montpirg Leadership Fund is dedicated to training the next generation of civic leaders through hands-on advocacy. We take on the important issues facing Montana including protecting our environment, advancing clean energy, empowering young voters, and defending consumer rights. In 2022-2023, Montpirg Leadership Fund trained dozens of student leaders who worked to defend the clark fork river by calling for clean up at the smurfit stone site, knocked on thousands of doors to talk about water conservation in gallatin county, and empowered youth voters by helping them register to vote, educating them, and turning them out to participate in elections. Voter engagement registering to vote is one of the first steps to becoming civically engaged and, accordingly, one of Montpirg Leadership Fund's most important goals is its yearly voter registration goal. Each semester, our teams work to make access to registering to vote as easy and accessible as possible. Working throughout the missoula and bozeman communities, we help the thousands of frequently moving young people have as much opportunity as possible to register to vote. By directly linking candidates with students, mobilizing student voter turnout, and equipping young people with the necessary tools and resources to cast their ballots effectively, we facilitated informed participation in the electoral process. Through on-campus informational events, candidate forums, and rallies, we helped young folks prepare to cast their votes. While local government may seem distant to many young voters, we recognize that local decision-makers often have the greatest impact on individuals' daily lives, making it imperative to connect young and first-time voters with these offcials to amplify youthful voices in the democratic process. In 2022, Montpirg Leadership Fund also engaged montanans about the 2022 legislative redistricting process. We partnered with local organizations to educate the public about the need for fair legislative maps that do not tip the scales in favor of one political party or another. We held information sessions, made phone calls, and turned out citizens to speak out at regional public hearings. In all, we informed hundreds of montanans about this critical process and empowered dozens to speak up for fair representation. Standing up for the environment in the summer of 2023, Montpirg Leadership Fund engaged in two door-to-door canvassing efforts. In missoula county, our team spoke to their neighbors about the toxic mess left at the smurfit stone mill site outside of frenchtown, mt. The site currently leaks toxic chemicals into groundwater that flows into the river while occupying a historic floodplain that leaves the place vulnerable to catastrophic flooding. For over 50 years, the mill generated a staggering amount of hazardous waste containing pcbs, dioxins, furans, and heavy metals. Much of that waste is still onsite strewn across 1,000 acres right next to the clark fork river. We joined the clean smurfit now coalition and began collecting comment cards, hosting events, and knocking on doors to speak to community members about the need to take action and finally get smurfit stone cleaned up. In bozeman, our field crew went door-to-door to help educate community members about the need for smart transportation growth and water conservation policies in gallatin county. With gallatin county continuing to be one of the fastest growing areas in the state, the few sources of drinking water are being strained to a point of concern and access to public transportation is lacking. Through these in-person connections, we informed the public about these concerns, educated them about the creation of a new urban transportation district, and learned about their priorities. Leadership development at the core of Montpirg Leadership Fund's mission lies a commitment to Leadership development. Recognizing the role young leaders play across society, our primary objective is to empower these individuals with the necessary tools and knowledge to advocate effectively for themselves and their communities. This year, we conducted intensive training sessions for cohorts of interns in bozeman and missoula, focusing on a diverse range of skills such as fundraising, grassroots organizing (including door knocking and phone calling), written communication (including letter writing), public speaking, event coordination, and peer-to-peer outreach. In addition to our intern program, we actively engage volunteers who collaborate with interns and staff to cultivate these proficiencies and drive meaningful change. Crucially, participants gain hands-on experience by addressing pressing projects and issues directly impacting both themselves and their community members, amplifying their impact and enhancing their Leadership capabilities. Measuring our impact Montpirg Leadership Fund knows that creating change is only possible by setting tangible goals and measuring your progress. Total voter registration (fy 22-23) 2,044gotv doors (2022) 1,317gotv phone calls (2022) 25,506redistricting phone calls 25,482summer canvass doors (2023) 15,489smurfit stone supporters identified (2023) 2,042