MISSOULA, Mont. (August 4, 2025) – Friends of the Children–Western Montana is proud to announce it has received a $40,000 Community Grant from the Taco Bell Foundation, thanks to a nomination from local franchise partner Crave Management, which owns and operates Taco Bell restaurants across western Montana. The funding will support long-term, professional mentoring for children facing the greatest obstacles in Missoula, Lake, and Ravalli Counties.

“This grant helps sustain our long-term commitment to youth and invests in their incredible potential to build bright futures,” said Ben Davis, Executive Director of Friends of the Children–Western Montana. “We’re especially grateful knowing these funds were raised by local Taco Bell team members and customers who believe in our community’s youth.”

The grant was made possible through Taco Bell’s Round Up campaign, in which customers at 12 Taco Bell locations across western Montana chose to round up their purchases to support youth-focused nonprofits. Thanks to the dedication of Crave Management’s team members and the generosity of thousands of local customers, these funds were raised right here in our community—making this investment in youth a true team effort.

The Taco Bell Foundation awarded a record-breaking $28 million in Community Grants this year to nearly 500 nonprofit organizations nationwide. Friends of the Children–Western Montana will use the funding to expand access to its unique, evidence-based mentoring model—helping youth build skills for long-term success and increasing family stability through its two-generation support approach.

This announcement comes as both Friends of the Children–Western Montana and Crave Management were recently recognized by the Montana Children’s Trust Fund for their outstanding contributions to child and family wellbeing. Crave Management received the 2025 Outstanding Corporate Citizenship Award for its leadership in preventing child abuse and neglect and supporting families across Montana. Friends of the Children–Western Montana was named Nonprofit Organization of the Year for providing trauma-informed, culturally responsive programming that builds protective factors and breaks cycles of intergenerational poverty and trauma.

“At Crave, we believe in giving back to the communities where our team members and guests live and work,” said Joe Sample, owner of Crave Management. “We’re proud to partner with organizations like Friends of the Children that are doing transformative work for kids and families right here in western Montana.”

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Friends of the Children Western Montana is an independent chapter of the Friends of the Children National Network. The western Montana chapter was established in 2021 and partners with families to break cycles of generational poverty and trauma for children who are facing the greatest obstacles through relationships with professional mentors from kindergarten through high school graduation, for 12+years no matter what. To learn more, visit friendswesternmt.org or watch this introductory video about our program.

Crave Management is a locally owned and operated franchise group based in Missoula, Montana. Proudly serving communities across western Montana, Crave owns and operates Taco Bell restaurants and also operates Bobby’s Burgers locations in Utah. With a focus on exceptional service, team member development, and community engagement, Crave is committed to giving back and supporting programs that help youth and families thrive across the region.