FCFC and Wildlife Biology Benefit from Campaign Montana Donations
Photo: Wildlife Biology students at graduation
The University of Montana has concluded the most ambitious and successful higher education fundraising campaign in state history.
Over seven years, the comprehensive “Campaign Montana – Think Big. Be Bold.” inspired $450.9 million in giving from more than 34,000 donors to elevate every UM student, college, school and program. The campaign exceeded every goal, including the initial $320 million goal set during the quiet phase that began in July 2013, the $400 million goal announced when the campaign launched publicly in October 2018 and the aspirational goal of 110% ($440 million) established during the campaign’s final year.
The philanthropic support Campaign Montana inspired is vital to achieving the UM mission. Private gifts from individuals, families, businesses and foundations augment state support, student tuition and fees, research grants and other operating revenue. Donor giving translates into scholarships and investments in learning environments and academic programs, providing resources that enhance access to higher education, deliver critical applied learning and career preparation experiences, and transform lives. From its inception, Campaign Montana focused on inspiring support for student success.
In addition to University-wide leadership fundraising priorities and goals, each UM college and school, as well as Grizzly Athletics, the Flathead Lake Biological Station, the Montana Museum of Art and Culture and other programs, established fundraising objectives for the campaign. Together, each donor and every gift – no matter the size – made a difference in the campaign.
Donations made to the Franke College of Forestry and Conservation and to the Wildlife Biology Program during Campaign Montana helped provide scholarships for students, hired new faculty members, expanded our Native American Natural Resource Program and supported many other initiatives.
Donations to the Wildlife Biology Program supported:
Student Recruitment Scholarships – During Campaign Montana, philanthropic support allowed us to recruit top students with financial need from all over the U.S. while also helping our recruitment efforts to diversify our student body. For example, the Susan and Roy O’Connor Student Recruitment Scholarships provide four-year awards that give financial certainty to families that would otherwise struggle to send their students to UM. Scholarships were especially impactful in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted families and created considerable uncertainty.
Graduate Fund for the John J. Craighead Chair – The Agnes Kirkpatrick Godchaux Graduate Fellowship Fund for the John J. Craighead Chair helps to conserve biodiversity for generations to come. This transformational gift will greatly benefit global conservation efforts by allowing the John J. Craighead Chair to support graduate students and conduct innovative research on diverse wildlife species. Through his research and engagement with governmental leaders, Craighead Chair Dr. Jedediah Brodie is helping conserve one of the last remnants of intact and ancient rainforests in southeast Asia.
Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum Renovation – The Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum is the largest zoological collection in Montana, home to over 22,500 specimens of primarily birds and mammals from the northern Rocky Mountains and around the world. The museum provides important resources for undergraduate teaching, K-12 education and outreach, and research at UM and worldwide. Support from alumni and friends during Campaign Montana funded major renovations to the Museum, including the construction of a Research Collections Room. This renovation doubles storage capacity, allows easier access to the collections, and improves security and climate control to preserve the specimens, ensuring many more decades of collection and growth.
Donations to the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation supported:
Elevating Excellence within the College - During Campaign Montana, UM received its single largest gift, $24 million from Bill and Carolyn Franke and their family. Their generosity continues to support the college, including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, research and innovation. Support from friends and alumni like the Frankes during Campaign Montana provides students with more scholarships, funds graduate fellowships and significantly expands opportunities to study sustainability issues abroad. Philanthropic giving to support freshwater conservation, forestry, watershed hydrology, internships and innovation will have a lasting effect on our students, faculty and conservation community.
Parks, Tourism and Recreation Management Program – Philanthropic support during Campaign Montana ensures the Parks, Tourism and Recreation Management Program at UM maintains its current standard of excellence and builds upon its legacy. Joel and Patti Meier’s generosity, for example, established a professorship and will establish an endowed chair to increase the program’s capacity for research and provide a holistic undergraduate experience. This program impacts not only the state’s tourism economy, but also communities across the world that are striving to protect their wild areas with parks and recreation uses.
Student Support – Donor gifts of all sizes contributed to scholarship support for Franke College of Forestry and Conservation students during Campaign Montana. Private giving now allows us to provide nearly $300,000 in student scholarships each year. These awards help us recruit a more diverse student body and allow students to complete internships and research in addition to affording the cost of attending UM.
Native American Natural Resource Program – NANRP provides a range of services while focusing on cohort building with Native students within the FCFC, cultivating connections to the Montana Native community and college faculty and staff. NANRP also provides additional support with academic services, facilitating internships, scholarships and job placement. Donor support during Campaign Montana helps expand the program’s capacity and established a student internship fund.
Visit www.campaignmontana.org or contact the UM Foundation at 406-243-2593 to learn more about the impact of Campaign Montana and to find an ongoing fundraising priority that aligns with the impact you would like to make in the world. Read more about Campaign Montana.
Thank you for your continued support!














