Cultivating Connections Montana
Position Type: VISTA
Service Commitment: August 10, 2026 – August 9, 2027
Final Application Deadline: July 12, 2026
Car required? Recommended
Driver’s License Required? Yes
Position Summary:
Cultivating Connections Montana (CCMT) is a Bitterroot Valley-based nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to nutritious local food, reducing household food costs through home gardening, and strengthening work-readiness pathways for at-risk youth and underserved community members. CCMT’s programs, including MAYDAY! Gardens, Youth Internship, Farmstand, and the GIVEBACK! Initiative, serve low-income families, at-risk youth ages 14–17, adults with special abilities, elders, and rural households across the region.
CCMT seeks an AmeriCorps VISTA Communications & Impact Systems Specialist to build the durable organizational infrastructure needed to extend the reach and long-term sustainability of its community food and youth programs. By developing consistent communications systems, volunteer coordination workflows, and data collection tools, this VISTA will directly support CCMT’s mission to break cycles of poverty and food insecurity in the Bitterroot Valley.
The VISTA member will develop and implement an organization-wide communications and evaluation framework, including a content calendar, branded Canva template suite, brand style guide, Mailchimp email campaigns, and partner cross-promotion directory. The member will also design and deploy volunteer recruitment and onboarding workflows, convene micro-focus groups to identify participation barriers, build program-specific toolkits and one-pagers, and create data collection protocols and monthly KPI dashboards. A key goal is cultivating a partnership with Montana State University’s Department of Food Systems, Nutrition, and Kinesiology to inform research-based practices. All tools and workflows will be documented in step-by-step SOPs so that staff and volunteers can sustain them beyond the service year.
Montana Campus Network for Civic Engagement (MCNCE) serves as the intermediary for this project. MCNCE is a coalition of colleges and universities dedicated to fostering civic engagement, service learning, and volunteerism across Montana. Led by CEOs from participating institutions, MCNCE works to improve community life and educate students on civic and social responsibility, preparing them to be thoughtful, compassionate, and engaged leaders.
Benefits Include:
- $24,962 VISTA Living Allowance (full year) = $957.46 bi-weekly
- $7,395 Education Award or $1800 cash award
- Relocation Allowance
- Health Insurance
- Personal & Medical Leave
- Non-Competitive Federal Hiring for one year
- University of Montana access & resources
- Access to regular professional trainings through MCNCE & University of Montana
Professional Skills You Will Gain
- Communications
- Indigenous Community Outreach
- Intercultural Relations
- Leadership
- Marketing
- Partnership Development
- Partnership Management
- Post-Secondary Education
- Program Assessment
- Program Development
- Public Speaking
- Student Affairs
- Teamwork
- Time Management