Rieschel Foundation

The Rieschel Foundation operates a two-track giving model that every applicant must understand before approaching this funder. The first track — and the only one genuinely open to unsolicited applications — is an annual grant cycle serving public charities in Gallatin and Park Counties, Montana. This cycle opens February 1 each year, closes March 1, and awards up to 15 grants at a maximum of $20,000 each for general operating expenses. The second track consists of discretionary gifts given exclusively to organizations with an existing relationship and giving history with the foundation; these cannot be applied for, require an invitation, and can be dramatically larger.

For Gallatin and Park County nonprofits, the competitive landscape is relatively contained and the access point is unusually direct for a family foundation with $18.3 million in assets. The foundation explicitly states no invitation is required for the open cycle, making it more accessible than most private family foundations of this size. However, applicants should recognize that the open cycle's $20,000 ceiling means the foundation is funding operations at the community organization level — not capacity-building or major programming.

The foundation's leadership is lean. Gary Rieschel (President and Chair, unpaid) and Yucca Rieschel (Secretary/Treasurer, unpaid) are the family principals. Gary Rieschel's background in US-Asia venture capital — reflected in the foundation's Big Barn Dialogue symposia on US-China relations and national gifts to the Atlantic Council and Asia Society — shapes the larger discretionary portfolio. Pete Macfadyen serves as salaried Executive Director at approximately $254,000 annually and is the primary day-to-day contact for both the grant cycle and broader foundation programming.

First-time applicants should frame their work around the four stated funding priorities: mental health services, human services, the environment, and education. The 990 grantee data confirms these are not aspirational categories — organizations addressing domestic violence (Aspen-ASPEN, Blue Mountain Clinic), food security (Human Resource Development Council, Gardiner Food Pantry), youth development (Big Sky Youth Empowerment, Big Sky Sno), and environmental stewardship (Gallatin River Task Force, Greater Yellowstone Coalition) have all received repeat multi-year support. Demonstrated community impact and responsiveness to the foundation's feedback appear to produce long-term giving relationships even within the open cycle.

The Rieschel Foundation's financial profile reveals a funder with two dramatically different grant tiers operating under one roof. Annual grants paid have ranged from $1.49 million (2020) to $2.32 million (2021), stabilizing near $1.79 million in 2022 and $1.97 million in 2023. Total giving (which includes non-cash and other charitable expenditures) runs slightly higher: $2.61 million in 2022, $2.74 million in 2023, and $5.53 million in the peak year of 2021. Foundation assets stood at $18.28 million as of fiscal year 2024 — a near-doubling from $9.12 million in 2023 — positioning this funder for potential giving growth in 2025-2026.

For the open grant cycle targeting Gallatin and Park Counties, the ceiling is $20,000 per award with approximately 15 awards annually, implying a maximum community grant budget of roughly $300,000 per cycle. The 990 grantee data confirms this scale: most local Montana grantees cluster between $5,000 and $30,000, with the mode at $10,000-$15,000 per year. Specifically, the Help Center received $35,000 across 2 grants; Family Promise of Gallatin Valley, Greater Gallatin United Way, and Greater Yellowstone Coalition each received $30,000 across 2 grants; and the Gallatin River Task Force received $20,000 across 2 grants — all consistent with annual commitments of $10,000-$15,000 from the open cycle.

The large dollar figures in the foundation's 990 filings come entirely from discretionary giving to invited partners: United States Olympic and Paralympic Foundation ($1.25 million across 2 grants), Atlantic Council ($500,000 across 2 grants), Asia Society ($300,000 across 2 grants), Yellowstone Club Community Foundation ($230,000 across 2 grants), and Climate Leadership Council ($150,000 in a single grant). These outliers dramatically skew the overall average grant size — $51,616 across the 73-grant dataset — well above what a typical community applicant can realistically expect.

By geography, 51 of 73 recorded grants (70%) went to Montana recipients. By sector, conservation and environment-related organizations collectively received at least $350,000, while human services grantees in Gallatin/Park Counties appear in the $5,000-$50,000 band. The typical grant size record shows a median of $20,000, minimum of $5,000, and a maximum of $700,000 across a 21-grant sample — confirming the bimodal distribution.

The Rieschel Foundation sits in a cohort of independent family foundations with assets near $18 million in the Philanthropy and Grantmaking sector. The table below compares it to four peer foundations at similar asset levels.

Rieschel distinguishes itself in one critical way: it operates a genuinely open community grant cycle, making it substantially more accessible than the typical family foundation at this asset level. All four identified peer foundations in the same asset cohort appear to operate as fully invitation-only grantmakers with no public application process. Rieschel's two-track model — open cycle for local nonprofits (maximum $20,000) and discretionary gifts for national invited partners (up to $625,000+ per grant) — is relatively uncommon and represents a real opportunity for Montana-based organizations that might otherwise have no path to a private family foundation. The foundation's FY2024 asset growth to $18.3M also positions it ahead of most peer foundations in this cohort in terms of giving capacity.

The most significant recent development at the Rieschel Foundation is the dramatic growth in foundation assets between fiscal years 2023 and 2024: from $9.12 million to $18.28 million, with total revenue of $11.86 million in FY2024. This trajectory suggests a substantial contribution or investment gain occurred in the 2024 fiscal year. No public announcement accompanied this capital event, but the scale implies increased grantmaking capacity going forward — the foundation's prior asset peak was $20.07 million in fiscal year 2020, suggesting the 2024 infusion brings it close to its historical high.

On the programmatic side, the foundation hosted its fourth annual Big Barn Dialogue at the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana, from June 26-28, 2024. The conference, themed 'Decoupling and Re-Engagement,' convened a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss the relationship between the United States and China. This reflects founder Gary Rieschel's ongoing engagement with US-Asia policy issues, a thread that also appears in major discretionary grants to the Atlantic Council ($500,000 total) and the Asia Society ($300,000 total). The first documented Big Barn Dialogue (series III in the record) was held June 29-July 1, 2022, at the same Yellowstone Club venue.

Pete Macfadyen continues as Executive Director with compensation of approximately $254,167 in 2023, consistent with the $250,000 reported in 2020-2022. No leadership transitions or departures were announced publicly as of this research. The foundation has been active in mental health community engagement in the Bozeman area, with coverage linking it to efforts exploring mental health in mountain towns — consistent with the US Olympic Foundation gift framing. No specific 2025 or 2026 grant award announcements were located in public sources.

The single most important variable for community applicants is the 28-day window: applications open February 1 and close March 1 with no exceptions. Missing this window means waiting a full calendar year. Begin gathering documents in January — the foundation requires PDFs of your IRS determination letter (new applicants only), most recent Form 990, board roster with each member's title and the date they joined, and your current fiscal year operating budget.

Before applying, confirm hard eligibility: your organization must be a 501(c)(3) public charity serving Gallatin County or Park County, Montana. The foundation does not make exceptions for regional or statewide organizations under the open cycle. Similarly, the foundation funds general operating expenses only — if your request is framed as a project grant with specific deliverables, milestones, or restricted uses, it will be out of alignment with the application structure. Reframe any project language into organizational capacity and mission impact.

Align your narrative tightly with the four stated priority areas: mental health services, human services, environmental initiatives, and education. The 990 grantee record shows that organizations working at the intersection of environmental stewardship and community need (Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Gallatin River Task Force, Western Sustainability Exchange) and organizations addressing mental health and social services (Help Center, Human Resource Development Council, Family Promise) have received consistent multi-year support — suggesting that clear mission fit, not elaborate impact metrics, drives award decisions.

Request no more than $20,000 per cycle. Requests above the ceiling are not considered under the open cycle regardless of organizational size or mission alignment. Returning grantees with strong track records appear to receive renewal awards in the $10,000-$20,000 range based on the grantee history data.

On the portal: create your username and password early and build the application incrementally. You cannot reopen or edit after clicking 'complete' at the bottom of the final page. The system sends an automatic email confirmation; save this as your submission receipt. The Program Officer is the appropriate contact for process-specific questions — reach the foundation via the contact form at rieschelfoundation.org/contact or by phone at (406) 539-0399.