Catalyst Montana: Organizing for Justice is a left-of-center advocacy group formed in 2024 through the merger of advocacy groups Montana Women Vote and the Montana Human Rights Network (MHRN). The group advocates for left-of-center policies at the state and local level in Montana while issuing legislative scorecards rating how Montana legislators vote on left-of-center policy priorities. ¹

The organization has advocated on policies regarding criminal justice, LGBT interests, gun control, health care, immigration, and birth control. Affiliated organizations of the group include Love Lives Here, Montanans for Immigrant Justice, the Montana Interfaith Network, and the Montana Gender Alliance. ^{2 3}

The group is led by executive director SJ Howell, who also serves as a Montana state representative and was the first non-binary person to be elected to the Montana state Legislature. ⁴

Background

Catalyst Montana was formed in December 2024 from the merger of advocacy groups Montana Women Vote and the Montana Human Rights Network (MHRN) in order for the two groups to pool resources. ⁵

Catalyst Montana’s organizing work provides services to affiliate organizations such as technical support, fundraising, campaign strategy, and trainings that include topics such as “Organizing 101, LGBTQ/Trans 101, Far-right movement, and Media 101.” ⁶

The organization claimed its policy priorities include “Montana Medicaid; healthcare access and reproductive justice; voting rights; economic justice and housing affordability; LGBTQ2S+ equality; tribal sovereignty; criminal legal reform; tax fairness; and protecting the Montana Supreme Court.” ¹

Prior to the formation of Catalyst Montana, Montana Human Rights Network’s (MHRN) focus was on alleged far-right and white-nationalist groups within the state. The organization also released a “Hate Incident Rapid-Response Guide” it claimed was meant to help communities confront “Far Right activity.” It worked other left-of-center groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center, Political Research Associates, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Center for New Community, People for the American Way, Life After Hate, and Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. ⁷

Montana Women Vote was listed as an affiliate of Fair Share America, a coalition that coordinates left-of-center efforts to raise taxes on corporations and high-income individuals. It was created by the Rockefeller Foundation and is supported by the National Education Association (NEA), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and other labor unions and left-of-center public policy advocacy organizations. ^{8 9}

Affiliated Organizations

Organizations listed as affiliates of Catalyst Montana and its predecessor organizations have included Love Lives Here (Flathead Valley), Anaconda Coalition for Tolerance Education – ACTE! (Anaconda), Montanans for Immigrant Justice, Missoula Rises (Missoula), Flathead Reservation Human Rights Coalition (Flathead Reservation), Not in Our Town Billings – NIOT (Billings), Montana Interfaith Network, Helena Youth Against Gun Violence, and the Montana Gender Alliance. ¹⁰

Leadership

SJ Howell is the executive director of Catalyst Montana and a Democratic state representative representing Missoula in the state legislature. Howell identifies as transgender and non-binary, and was the first self-identified non-binary person to be elected to the Montana Legislature. ⁴

1. Szpaller, Keila. “Catalyst Montana Forms from Merger of Montana Human Rights Network, Montana Women Vote.” Daily Montanan. December 23, 2024. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://dailymontanan.com/briefs/catalyst-montana-forms-from-merger-of-montana-human-rights-network-montana-women-vote/.
2. “Home.” Montana Human Rights Coalition. Accessed April 3, 2025. https://mhrn.org/
3. “2023 Legislative Report and Scorecard. Montana Human Rights Network. Accessed April 3, 2025. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/640b935865ce13585bbdb6a0/t/6557a7e50495997180910607/1700243467709/MHRN+Legislative+Summary+2023+Landscape.pdf
4. Girten, Nicole. “SJ Howell on Delivering for Missoula and Being the ‘Last Transgender Voice’ on the House Floor.” Daily Montanan. May 4, 2023. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://dailymontanan.com/2023/05/04/sj-howell-on-delivering-for-missoula-and-being-the-last-transgender-voice-on-the-house-floor/.
5. “Home.” Montana Women Vote. Accessed April 3, 2025. http://www.montanawomenvote.org/
6. “Community Organizing. Catalyst Montana. https://www.catalystmt.org/programs/community-organizing
7. “Right Wing Research.” Montana Human Rights Coalition. Accessed April 3, 2025.  https://web.archive.org/web/20211127203332/https://mhrn.org/right-wing-research/
8. Hamilton, Masha. “Born at Bellagio: A Fair Share Tax Coalition.” The Rockefeller Foundation, September 19, 2024. https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/grantee-impact-stories/born-at-bellagio-a-fair-share-tax-coalition/
9. “Introducing Fair Share America.” State Revenue Alliance, September 16, 2024. https://www.staterevenuealliance.org/introducing-fsa.
10. “Home.” Catalyst Montana. Accessed April 3, 2025. https://www.catalystmt.org/