Many businesses and nonprofits have had to cancel or postpone fundraisers and events that help raise money. | Stock photo
Many businesses and nonprofits have had to cancel or postpone fundraisers and events that help raise money. | Stock photo
Dancing with the Big Sky Stars, one of Big Sky Senior Services' largest fundraising events, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic along with many other organizations' events and fundraisers.
Countless events in Billings have been canceled and postponed with the coronavirus circulating. Many of these organizations relied upon these events for much-needed funds.
Dancing with the Big Sky Stars brings in approximately 20 percent of the nonprofit's annual budget, but Denise Armstrong, the executive director, said next steps need to be discussed.
Other organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, which had to cancel its Mid-Yellowstone Valley BASHH, are being affected by COVID-19 as well.
“It’s put a strain on us,” Jim Woolyhand, Habitat for Humanity director, said. “It’s our largest fundraiser. We gross about $80,000.”
Habitat for Humanity will still be able to fund next year's operations, Woolyhand said, but it will create a burden. Habitat for Humanity ReStore will remain open and keep doing donation pickups.
Armstrong has considered postponing her organization's event, but there weren't adequate alternative venues to hold it.
“We looked at it from all avenues, with creative thinking, and there’s no way to make it happen,” Armstrong said.
Other organizations are coming up with creative ways to make money to support themselves during the pandemic.
Freckles and Tomcat Rescue, an animal shelter in Hardin, has local artists drawing pictures of its pets and selling them for $15 to raise money for the animal shelter.
Eshan Kind, the shelter's director, said, “We’re having so much fun with it."
The YWCA has also pushed back its Billing's Salute Celebration and Awards.
“We operate on a fiscal year that ends on June 30,” Merry Lee Olson, executive director of the YWCA, said. “If this event doesn’t happen in June, we’ll have a big divot on our bottom line. It’ll be difficult to have two events next fiscal year, and it puts us in a tight spot.”
The YWCA is a nonprofit that helps women and children by giving transitional housing.
“If there’s a lockdown of the community, we don’t know what will happen,” Olson said. “We’re trying to make sure our helpline number is even more available than normal.”
Not all organizations have canceled or postpones events.
Eagle Mount Executive Director Rich Lutton said he has been trying to reschedule March Meltdown for May but is hesitant about the event being able to happen that soon.
Essential services are also taking more precautions by offering delivering services and wearing protective gloves and other gear.
At Big Sky Senior Services, visits are temporarily stopped to prevent the seniors from COVID-19 exposure.
Small businesses and nonprofits can apply for disaster relief loans, and other organizations are giving aid to nonprofits during this time. The loans are meant to help the nonprofits stay afloat during the pandemic.
Up to $2 million in loans are available, to be paid back in as much as 30 years.
Loan applications can take two to three weeks to process and can be applied for online. Applications can also be turned in at the Montana District Office or at the Wyoming District Office.
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