For some Montanans, it’s the rippling blue water of their town’s swimming pool, offering a fun spot for everyone to cool down on a hot summer day.
For others, it’s the welcoming space of the local library, where families gather, students learn, and adults access helpful resources.
We all want to support the parks, programs, people, and more that unite our communities. Ensuring what makes your hometown feel special is still around for the next generation can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be — and you don’t need to be a millionaire to make a difference.
In Montana, even a small gift can shape the future of our communities. Setting aside just 5% of your assets or estate can ensure your children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors flourish for generations.
Montana Community Foundation (MCF) is helping Montanans as they Strive for 5, cultivating a legacy by leaving 5% of their estate to the communities they love and that helped shape their lives. There are simple ways to give, and it doesn’t always have to be money. Options include:
- Will or Estate Gift: Designate a percentage or dollar amount as a charitable gift.
- Financial Account: Donate directly or name a charity as a beneficiary.
- Life Insurance: Name a charity, like the Montana Community Foundation, as your beneficiary.
- Land or Property: Donate land, property, crops, or livestock.
- Gifts That Give Back: Create a gift that provides income for life while supporting causes you care about.
“It’s surprising how little money can go a such a long way and there’s a lot of it coming down the pipe with a lot of estates,” said Jim Woodring with the Cut Bank Community Foundation, an affiliate of MCF. “There’s a lot of assets tied up around here and a lot of people that are going to do have to do some tax planning and this is an awesome place for people to get a really good bang for their buck and get some tax benefit while they’re at it,”
One Montanan who gave back to his rural community is Gary Olszewski. A devoted Montana farmer who believed in hard work and the importance of skilled trades, he invested a portion of his estate to create scholarships covering trade school for two recipients each year, ensuring future generations have the support to build strong, hands-on careers.
For Kendra Owen and her family, the Eagle Family Endowment Fund honors the passion and grit of her grandparents, Sam and Ida Eagle, who helped found West Yellowstone and operated a local business there for 113 years.
“The value of education and the family faith is a core value that has been absolutely passed on to me, and the tenacity of working through challenges we worked through as a family business for all those years,” Kendra said.
Their giving supports educators and students in West Yellowstone and helps fund a program that sends local children into Yellowstone National Park each spring.
Strive for 5 helps keep what Montanans worked hard to earn here in the state, befitting the communities we live in. By 2030, $37 billion will change hands between generations in Montana. If just 5% stays local, that’s $1.85 billion for community endowments, funds that could provide $83 million annually for schools, nonprofits, and local projects.
Planning your giving doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and MCF can help you get started.
“We get to [help] people who want to dream big and do big, and they’re just not sure how to put all those pieces in place to make it happen,” said Heather Ohs, Gift and Estate Planning Director at MCF.
Heather meets people at kitchen tables, in diners, and out in their farm and ranch fields to talk about their goals and help pave the way.
“We’re an aging state and folks are starting to think about their legacies and they’re starting to think about how they want their town to look or their city. We’re evolving, Montana is, [and so are] what values are important to us,” Heather said.
MCF helps people think creatively about what they want to support and how to do it, beyond traditional gifts like cash or liquid assets.
“You’ve got cattle, crops, and a combine. How do we use something illiquid to either fund something in perpetuity for your community? Let us do all of the research, let us ask the hard questions and figure out options for you,” Heather said. “ … There’s no one recipe card, it’s a chance to put your own signature stamp on it. Let’s start with a conversation and go from there.”
For more information about Strive for 5 and to start your planning conversation today, visit mtcf.org or contact Montana Community Foundation at [email protected] or (406) 443-8313.