How Montana Native Growth Fund Launched a Website Built for Community Growth

Helping a Local Nonprofit Build More Than Just a Website

When I started working with Montana Native Growth Fund (MNGF), they weren’t just looking for a website. They wanted a digital presence that reflected their mission: empowering Native communities through lending, financial education, and mentorship. That’s a big task—and it deserved more than a cookie-cutter template.

The Challenge

MNGF had been doing great work on the ground, but they didn’t have a central hub to showcase their services, share success stories, or make it easy for people to apply for loans. For community members, information was scattered across PDFs and word-of-mouth. For potential donors and partners, it was hard to see the full impact MNGF was making.

In short: they needed a site that was functional, professional, and welcoming, while staying true to their cultural identity.

The Approach

I built the site on a modern stack (Next.js + Sanity CMS), which gave us a balance between performance and easy content management. But the tech was only half the story—the design needed to feel rooted in MNGF’s values.

• Branding: We worked with their chosen color palette (Pantone 330, 124, and black) and professional fonts to strike a balance between trust and cultural relevance.
• Content Structure: Loan applications, financial education resources, and blog posts are front and center, so visitors don’t have to dig to find what they need.
• Features: An online loan form that connects directly to Salesforce, space for success stories, and a financial education blog that will grow into a full resource hub.
• Accessibility: Built with ADA compliance in mind so everyone in the community can access the content.

The Result

The site went live earlier this summer, and it’s already helping MNGF share their story more effectively. Now, instead of sending out scattered links or paperwork, staff can point people directly to nativegrowthfund.org. It’s streamlined, professional, and ready to grow as their programs expand.

One of the biggest wins? It finally gives MNGF a place to highlight their success stories—showing real proof of the impact they’re having in Native communities. That’s powerful not just for their clients, but also for donors and partners who want to see results.

Why This Matters

For me, this project was about more than code. It’s proof that digital tools can amplify the good work being done in our communities. When a nonprofit like MNGF has a strong online presence, it creates a ripple effect: more people find resources, more partners get involved, and more Native businesses thrive.

Next Steps

If you’re running a small business, nonprofit, or community project and your website doesn’t feel like it’s pulling its weight, that’s an opportunity. The right site isn’t just a place to “be online”—it’s a tool that can save time, attract funding, and actually help people.

Want to talk about building something like this for your own organization? Get in touch here.