About University of Montana Foundation
The mission of the UM Foundation is to inspire philanthropic support to enhance excellence and opportunity at the University of Montana. Vision: The Lives We Change Will Change the World.
Focus Areas
Higher educationScholarshipsStudent support and accessResearchArts and cultural programsConservation/forest conservation (endowed chairs)
Who They Fund
colleges and universitiespostsecondary students
Funding Style
capital fundinginstitutional/core supportdirect scholarships/student financial aidcapital project grants
About University of Montana Foundation
The University of Montana Foundation’s giving is defined by a repeating annual transfer to The University of Montana, with three consecutive grants above $24 million for academic and institutional support, capital projects, and scholarships. Those awards show a funder built around the university’s core needs rather than a wide external grant portfolio. The latest grant, at $28,491,654 in 2025, continued the same support pattern seen in 2024 and 2023, when the foundation granted $25,612,301 and $24,734,767 to the university for the same broad purposes. That consistency aligns with the foundation’s stated mission to inspire philanthropic support that enhances excellence and opportunity at the University of Montana. The foundation also sits behind a substantial asset base of $424,989,549 and reported annual grants of $78,838,722. Its grantmaking is concentrated on postsecondary education, especially institutional support, student scholarships, and capital funding tied to the university’s academic and campus priorities. In practice, the recent record shows a funder focused on sustaining one institution through large-scale operating, construction, and student-aid support.
What University of Montana Foundation Funds
Academic and institutional support is central to the foundation’s recent giving. In 2025, it awarded $28,491,654 to The University of Montana for academic and institutional support, capital projects, and scholarships, showing how core university needs are funded together rather than separately. Scholarship support is part of that same pattern. The 2024 grant to The University of Montana, at $25,612,301, included scholarships alongside academic and institutional support, indicating that student aid is embedded within broader institutional funding. Capital projects are another clear theme. In 2023, the foundation gave $24,734,767 to The University of Montana for academic and institutional support, capital projects, and scholarships, linking campus improvements with program and student support. The stated focus areas also include research, arts and cultural programs, and conservation through endowed chairs.
How University of Montana Foundation Gives
The foundation gives in very large, highly consistent installments. Its typical grant size is clustered tightly around the mid-$25 million range: p25 is $25,173,534, the median is $25,612,301, and p75 is $27,051,978. The recent record suggests repeated support rather than isolated one-off awards, with the same recipient appearing in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its grantmaking pattern is institutional and university-centered, with awards structured around academic support, capital projects, and scholarships.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$43M
Total Assets
$459.1M
Total Revenue
$58.7M
Total Expenses
$54.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $25.2M and $27.1M, with a median of $25.6M.
25th Percentile
$25.2M
Median
$25.6M
75th Percentile
$27.1M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
CINDY WILLIAMS
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