Christian Advocacy Group Relocates to Helena with New Policy Center
The Montana Family Foundation, a Christian legal advocacy group, is set to relocate its operations from Laurel to Helena. The organization has announced plans for a new facility, the Montana Center for Christian Policy, situated just a few blocks from the state capitol building.
According to public records, a building permit has been issued for 1339 11th Ave., aligning with a site map shared in the organization’s news release. This permit outlines plans for a three-story structure.
Once completed, the new policy center will be positioned near a Department of Natural Resources and Conservation office and close to Montana’s new Heritage Center. Previously, the organization operated out of Laurel.
The Montana Family Foundation did not respond to requests for comments from its leadership or lobbyist Derek Oestreicher, who played a significant role during the legislative session. In an email, the foundation described the new building as being “located in the center of power in Montana,” housing a nonprofit incubator, offices for “Christian attorneys,” and a policy and strategy center on the third floor.
As a 25-year policy partner with organizations such as Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council, and Alliance Defending Freedom, the Montana Family Foundation aims to promote pro-life, pro-family, and religious freedom principles through legislative and legal avenues. Their efforts are rooted in a Judeo-Christian worldview.
The foundation’s connection to the Alliance Defending Freedom is noteworthy, especially since a member of this group recently joined the Criminal Justice Oversight Council, a position formerly occupied by the American Civil Liberties Union.
The organization has not disclosed a timeline for the project, which it describes as a “several million dollar project.” As a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, the Montana Family Foundation reported $133,000 in contributions and grants in its 2024 Form 990, a decrease from the previous year, ending with a net deficit of $56,538.
During the 2025 Legislative session, the foundation supported 47 pieces of legislation, with 22 successfully passing. Republican legislators, including Senators Daniel Emrich and John Fuller, and Representatives Kerri Seekins-Crowe and Caleb Hinkle, carried many of these bills. Some proposals originated from members of the Montana Freedom Caucus, such as Senator Carl Glimm.
The foundation backed legislation to make judicial races partisan, restrict voting rights, limit abortion access, promote the display of the Ten Commandments in schools, ban mRNA vaccines, and call for civil rights investigations into the Montana University System. They also supported a resolution opposing the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision on same-sex marriage and various laws targeting the state’s LGBTQ+ community.
“The bills that you lobby on as a lobbyist for the Montana Family Foundation and that Derek (Oestreicher) lobbies on, those are the at the heart of who the Montana Family Foundation is, those social conservative policy bills,” stated Jeff Laszloffy, the organization’s executive director, on a recent podcast.
All three bills the foundation opposed failed, including SB 139, which aimed to remove clergy exemptions from mandatory child abuse reporting laws. Oestreicher told the Senate Judiciary Committee, “We question whether the bill is necessary,” during a January session.
In the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, 47 priests and sisters have faced accusations of sexual abuse, and in the Diocese of Helena, 20 priests have been accused, according to publicly available lists. Recent incidents include Pastor Tony Aaron Shaw, convicted of sexual assault against a child, and lawsuits filed by survivors of abuse at Morning Star Baptist Church and Christian Academy.
Oestreicher argued against making everyone a mandatory reporter, suggesting it could deter people from seeking help. Despite collaboration with the Catholic Diocese on the bill’s language, the proposal failed. Bill sponsor Sen. Mary Ann Dunwell emphasized the foundation’s right to establish itself, stating, “It’s democracy.”
