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Billings Community Foundation celebrates new building during day of giving

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Helping charitable organizations was celebrated all over the state Thursday, including in Billings with the Yellowstone Valley Day Of Giving.

The Billings Community Foundation also unveiled its new building.

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Billings Mayor Bill Cole helped with the ribbon cutting on Thursday afternoon.

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"We are super excited to debut our Home of Philanthropy," said Lauren Wright, executive director of the foundation. "The Billings Community Foundation has been part of this community since 2006. And now we have an official home."

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The building at 404 N. 30th St. used to be George Henry's restaurant and more recently the Commons 1882 restaurant.

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Wright said it will be the offices for the foundation and a place for the nonprofit organizations.

"There are a lot of smaller nonprofits that don't necessarily have offices," she said. "And this really just provides a place that is affordable, accessible, centrally located, where we can just really revitalize this historic building and open that up to our community for whatever it needs."

The foundation also had a block party on North 30th and in the First Interstate Bank. It was a big day for the Billings Community Foundation, with a ribbon-cutting in the afternoon, and then next door a party to help out the nonprofits.

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"We are super duper excited to have Joyce From the Future, Gilda House and TALM playing tonight, she said. "It is a fundraiser for all of those 75 nonprofits that are participating. So we'll be raising money for the foundation but also the nonprofits as well."

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KTVQ photo

The building will help the foundation in its work with donors and organizations.

"One of the things that the foundation really prides ourselves on is the ability to just connect donors and individuals with nonprofits who are meeting needs who fit their passion," Wright said. "And then to be able to help direct money to them to support that. So definitely want to be a community connector in any way that we can."

Wright said the Home of Philanthropy will be a non-profit center with training, meeting places for boards and a place for networking.