Economic Impact Studies
Show funders, partners, and your community the full impact of your work—not just the stories, but the numbers behind them.
What Our
Impact Studies
Can Do
Our team specializes in complex, high-value projects and social programs. Using proven economic modeling tools, we help you:
Measure how your programs support local jobs and income
Demonstrate how dollars circulate through the local economy
Compare different program or project options
Make more objective, data-driven decisions
The result is a clear, professional Impact Report you can share with funders, donors, boards, and community partners.
Fiber as Economic Infrastructure – Economic Impact Analysis of Yellowstone Fiber
In July 2025, Yellowstone Fiber and the City of Bozeman partnered with the Northern Rocky Mountain Economic Development District to assess the organization’s financial footprint and its role as critical public infrastructure. The analysis evaluated the network’s development across three benchmark periods: 2015, 2022-2024, and 2025-2027.
Key findings showed Fiber as Economic Infrastructure:
Serves as a “Fourth Utility”: Much like roads, water, and power, the fiber network provides the symmetrical, high-capacity connectivity essential for Montana State University’s research and Bozeman’s tech-driven economy.
Retains wealth locally: More than 80% of the economic value generated is retained within Gallatin County through wages, business earnings, and tax revenues.
As Bozeman and Gallatin Valley continue to grow, the Yellowstone Fiber network: enhances regional resilience, supports workforce participation, enables new business formation, and expands digital opportunity for residents and institutions.
Yellowstone Fiber’s nonprofit, open-access model is a defining strength. By separating infrastructure from service provision, the network embeds competition and affordability into its design—expanding consumer choice, reducing service costs, and ensuring that revenue recirculates locally rather than flowing to national Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
The Ripple Effect – Big Sky Economic Impact Report
In 2023, the Big Sky Resort Area District and the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce commissioned an in-depth analysis of Big Sky’s economic contributions to Gallatin and Madison Counties, as well as the state of Montana.
Key findings showed that Big Sky:
- Generates 4% of Montana’s total GDP, and 14% of GDP in Madison and Gallatin Counties
- Influences 1 in 5 jobs across the two-county region
- Contributed more than $58 million in property taxes in 2022
Creates $2.50 in economic impact for every $1 spent in the community
- The report also highlighted challenges that come with rapid growth—such as infrastructure needs, workforce housing, transportation pressures, and complex tax structures—helping local leaders make informed, data-driven decisions about future investments.
Organizations We Have Worked With
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