The former director of the Bitterroot Economic Development District will serve as the new director of the Missoula Community Foundation and is already on the job, the organization announced.

Marcy Allen, who began on March 4, most recently ran a consulting business where she worked with companies and nonprofits. There, she helped them identify their needs and assets and align those to drive growth.

She also served as the executive director of BREDD for nine years. During her tenure, she helped the three-county organization secure millions of dollars for area businesses to promote job growth and conduct regional planning.

“Working in economic development, you have an acute awareness of the needs of the community,” she said. “I am excited to put that to work at Missoula Community Foundation.”

The foundation works to enhance community vitality by inspiring philanthropy and strengthening nonprofits. The foundation offers charitable giving tools and supports nonprofits in the Missoula community.

It also runs Missoula Gives – a 27-hour fundraising event that raises more than $500,000 for Missoula-area nonprofits. This year’s event is scheduled for May 2-3.

“I love connecting people and organizations to resources that help them achieve their goals, personal or business,” Allen said. “Missoula Community Foundation is a savings account for Missoula’s future needs. We help donors connect to causes they want to give to and help nonprofits build capacity to fulfill their missions.”

Cindy Waltz, chair of Missoula Community Foundation board of directors, said the foundation will take an internal look this year at bolstering its mission.

“We are thrilled to have Marcy as our new executive director. We love her proactive approach and contagious energy,” Waltz said. “She is a strategic thinker and a natural connector. In the coming year, we plan to take an in-depth look at the work we are doing and decide how we can best move forward to support the community now and into the future.”

The foundation has additional programs including: Missoula Project for Nonprofit Excellence; the Missoula Community Foundation Scholarship Program; the Women’s Giving Circle; and the Missoula Forever Fund small grants program.

The foundation currently holds more than $300,000 in endowments that help fund some of these programs.

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