Your Change, Your Power

Join Us in Making a Difference

At Common Good, we believe in the power of grassroots change driven by the people, for the people. Unlike many grants that come with strings attached, the hard-earned money you contribute is fully owned and controlled by us. This means we can spend it where it’s needed most, right here in Missoula.

Grassroots work is always one step ahead because it reflects the real, immediate needs of our community. Grants often miss the mark by focusing on specific outcomes and programs, neglecting the essential operating costs that keep our initiatives alive and thriving. That’s not what Common Good is about.

We work together, as residents of Missoula, to shape our city into the best version of itself. Your monthly donation empowers us to respond quickly to emerging needs, sustain our operations, and create the world we envision.

Be a part of this transformative journey. With your support, we can continue to make Missoula a vibrant, inclusive, and empowered community. Your contribution makes a real difference. Join us today.

We are asking folks to give $24 a month for 2024 if they can. Our goal is 100  or more donors giving $10 or more per month.

In addition to organizational dues, monthly individual contributions give Common Good leaders money they control to do the work they know is important for Missoula.

Since officially founding in May of 2022, Common Good Missoula has launched into citizen action and continued training dozens of leaders across our community to engage in a healthy local democracy to create systemic change led by everyday, average residents. Your monthly donation supports this ongoing work. We can't do it without you! 

This year has been busy, and our everyday leaders are working hard for this community to realize the world as it could be. Here are some of the highlights since last summer:

• We continued collaborating with the city to implement the Garden Walk Neighborways pilot, enhancing our urban landscape.
• We held our fall delegates assembly and accountability session at Free Cycles with 85 folks in attendance and asked both Mayoral Candidates to continue the city's commitment to working with us and our members committed to growing power within Missoula and strengthening their core teams.
• We advocated for interim zoning code changes to promote affordable housing growth, including amending the ADU square footage up to 1200 square feet.
• We empowered over 50 new leaders through our Fundamentals of Organizing Leadership Intensive.
• We hosted an International Leadership Intensive, bringing together local and global leaders for transformative dialogue.
• 15 leaders from Missoula attended the International Leadership Intensive
• We strengthened our core teams to amplify the voices of everyday residents after a fall core team training.
• We hired Susan Mason to organize part time and Gisele Forest to do administrative work a few hours a week.
• We advocated tirelessly for community interests through meetings with city staff and elected officials.
• We supported our member organizations in growing their power and reaching their mission goals.
• We conducted grassroots research on pressing issues like affordable housing and transportation.
• We started working with Missoula County on creative housing solutions and understanding property tax reform.
• We held a public meeting at our spring delegates assembly at Montana Rail Link park with 150 people present and sat in the tension and gave everyone a chance to speak and we are supporting F2FNIA and the F2F leadership team in table talks to bridge differences within their neighborhood. 
• We engaged in training contracts with Missoula County and UCC.
• We started organizing in new neighborhoods - River Road, University area, and Rose Park - and will have house meetings this summer. 
• 3 Leaders are attending national training for 8 days this summer to further understand power and how to build it locally.
• We were asked to review EPA organizing grants for approval with the recognition that we understand true grassroots organizing and could help make sure the money went to actual grassroots organizations.

Some highlights since founding:

• Over 75 delegates from our member organizations came together in September 2022 to discern our collective priorities and reach a consensus. Leaders decided to begin work on Housing Justice, Community Safety, Connectivity and Planning and to keep climate and Indigenous justice themes woven throughout as we launched our Campaign for a Just, Equitable, and Connected community. 
• Nearly 250 new leaders have been trained in the Fundamentals of Organizing since May of 2022. This two-day training experience teaches critical thinking about power, negotiation, civics, and reconnecting and rehumanizing our communities. Participants leave excited, inspired, and ready to engage in positive change-making for themselves and for our community. 
• Over 230 residents have completed Wrestling With the Truth of Colonization Training, creating a welcoming space where Indigenous leaders and settler leaders can work together as their whole selves to create the positive change we need.
• Over 250 members and community members joined us for the Civic Academy to launch the Our Missoula Code Reform Initiative. Through relationships, Common Good leaders were able to build trust with City of Missoula staff and consultants to model a paradigm shift for what citizen engagement can look like. Through this good work, the everyday folks of Missoula are in on the ground floor of this initiative, providing feedback and input right as the project begins. 
• Spring of 2023 our members are held table talks to hear how Missoula's growth is impacting folks and what it is like to live in Missoula. How has past land use planning and zoning impacted our neighborhoods and everyday life here? We've already heard from over 150 people and with events scheduled through June, we listened to over 300 people and hear their real stories and provide input to the city collectively.
• Through these table talks, issues emerged and we began work on the Neighborways campaign and input into interim zoning code reform, the growth policy, and other housing issues in the city.

Thank you for supporting this great work!