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What the Helena 2021

What the Helena is Coming?

Join us on March 18th, 2021 at 12:00 PM MST. Executive Director Kiersten Iwai, Program Director Amara Reese-Hansell, and Issue Advocacy Manager Abby Sophir will discuss Forward Montana’s efforts during the legislative session. We will be discussing lessons learned, bills, youth mobilization, and more! Once complete, you will receive a confirmation email with the relevant…

Job Opportunities

Development Director

This new position will play a critical role in building up our organizations’ operating reserves, strengthening our individual donor base, and managing our grant portfolio. If you have a knack for writing grants, a love of storytelling, and a desire to change the world, then this position might be for you!

What the Helena 2021

What the Helena – Week 6

*February 14th 2021* It’s getting hot in Helena It’s Valentine’s Day and things are heating up in Helena. If you thought we were coming in with candy hearts and sweet nothings, think again, loves. You might be asking: “With SO MANY bad things happening, where do I even begin?” First things first, we hear you….

What the Helena 2021

What the Helena – Week 5

*February 7, 2021* Let’s get our priorities straight We’re in the thick of a pandemic and an economic crisis, yet our Republican-controlled legislature seems more concerned with attacking individuals’ rights (voting rights, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ+ rights, to name a few) than focusing on bills that would help Montanans through these tough times. We’re as…

What the Helena 2021

What the Helena – Week 4

*January 31, 2021* A Glimmer of Hope It’s been a whirlwind of a week and we’re happy to be on the other side of some exciting wins. In this week’s edition of What the Helena, we’ll be covering updates on voting rights, equality, student debt, and energy accountability. Engaging in the legislative session doesn’t have…

What the Helena 2021

What the Helena – Week 3

*January 24, 2021* When the going gets tough… We huddle up As President Biden moved into the Oval Office last week, Montana legislators continued trucking away in Helena. A full slate of legislation came at us, and a lot of it was, well, alarming. Deep breaths. Before we dive in, we want to invite you to Forward…

What the Helena 2021

What the Helena – Week 2

*January 17th, 2021* Holy smokes, welcome back folks! An attempted coup on our nation’s democracy as COVID-19 deaths continue to surge – 2021 is shaking out to be quite the year. How is it only January?! As Inauguration Day for President-elect Joe Biden approaches on January 20th, there have been threats of armed marches at all…

What the Helena 2021

What the Helena – Week 1

*January 10, 2021* Welcome to What the Helena! We’ll be hitting your inbox weekly with everything you need to know about Montana’s 67th Legislative Session and how it affects young Montanans. Was your New Year’s resolution to be a better activist? You’re in the right place. Thanks for joining us! The legislative session kicked off…

Voicing Our Values

Keystone XL Talking Points

  Background: This April, a Montana Judge canceled a national permit for the TransCanada Keystone XL tar sands pipeline giving blanket approval to construct the pipeline across hundreds of rivers and streams. This was a substantial blow to pipeline construction, but not a final end to this dangerous project. In September, TransCanada applied for a…

Notes from the Field

2020 Post-Election Statement

Please see the below statement from Kiersten Iwai, Executive Director and Amara Reese-Hansell, Program Director:   As an organization that fiercely believes in a just and equitable world where all Montanans can thrive, we’re disappointed in this week’s statewide election results. We’re grappling with the fact that our generation is now represented by Montana politicians…