 It's happening - the transfer of wealth benefiting Montana forever. For nearly three decades, Montana Community Foundation has been committed to keeping wealth in Montana. We are all about the role philanthropy can play in building communities. Our long-term objective has been endowment building and local community leadership development, which are two critical elements for sustainable communities and organizations. We commissioned the Intergenerational Transfer of Wealth Study which brings to light the reality that over a 50-year period, $123 BILLION is estimated to transfer from one generation to another in Montana. We also pride ourselves on being the objective agent of the philanthropist; we are here to help families and their professional advisors meet their philanthropic goals and objectives. We are committed to working with those generations to ensure some of that wealth continues to benefit the communities that helped build it.
Today, I'm pleased to celebrate a special family gift that is doing just that.
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Mary K. Rutherford, MA, CFRE
President & Chief Executive Officer
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Leaving a Legacy for Montana
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| | Charles Anceney III
(Photo courtesy of the Gallatin History Museum) |
A Montana cowboy from a family with a strong and storied past has left an incredible gift to benefit the state he loved. Charles (Chuck) L. Anceney created a trust in 2001, establishing a legacy gift to MCF to benefit charitable and conservation purposes in the Gallatin Valley. The $450,000 estate gift will create a permanent endowment. It's estimated within three years this gift will generate nearly $20,000 annually for grants in the Gallatin region.
Chuck's grandfather Charles Angelique Anxionnaz emigrated from France in the late 1800s and settled in the Gallatin Valley. He soon changed his name to Anceney, as many found the original French too difficult to pronounce. Through incredibly hard work, determination and the help and faith of others through the years, the family was able to found and cultivate what became the more than 100,000-acre Flying D Ranch - one of Montana's most beautiful and famous.
Chuck spent the first 20 years of his life on the Flying D. He was a competitive and medal-winning skier for alpine jumping and slalom racing in Montana and Sun Valley in 1939-40 and had a life-long love affair with the sport. Chuck married his wife Polly in 1941 and served as a naval aviator in the Pacific Theater during World War II, winning several distinguished flying medals. He later served at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., returning to Big Sky country in 1960 where he lived until his passing in 2006.
"This gift is a testament to the power of legacy and legacy giving," said Mary Rutherford, MCF President & CEO. "The Anceney family has been part of the fabric of Montana for generations and through this donation, their legacy will continue to benefit the Gallatin Valley and Montana forever. We're grateful and humbled to be entrusted with this gift and the important work of ensuring Charles' wishes are carried out."
Competitive grants from the Charles L. and Polly Anceney Fund to benefit charitable conservation purposes in the Gallatin Valley will begin in fall 2017.
Interested in learning more about leaving your own legacy for Montana?
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How did generosity in April look? How about 21 grants representing nearly $170,000! From local theaters and rural schools, to food banks, museums and more, donors' generosity made a huge impact across Montana.
You too can help us put generosity to work. If you're interested in finding out more about establishing a fund or supporting an existing fund, visit the Giving section of our website.
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Philanthropy Northwest Seeks Nominations for Board of Director Candidates
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Philanthropy Northwest is seeking nominations for board of director candidates to be elected this fall. Philanthropy Northwest strives to maintain diversity on their board to represent the range of communities they serve. This includes, but is not limited to: race, gender, organization size, type of philanthropic entity, role within the organization, geographic location and urban/rural diversity. Currently, their greatest priorities to maintaining a diverse board include:
- Racial and ethnic diversity
- Idaho- and Wyoming-based organizations
- Trustees of philanthropic organizations
- Corporate foundations or giving programs
- Community foundations
All nominations will be considered. Candidates who are not selected for this round will be kept in the pipeline for future consideration. Qualifications: They seek strategic philanthropic leaders committed to building strong, equitable and inclusive communities. Candidate must be a director, officer or employee of a Philanthropy Northwest member organization. Responsibilities include:- Upholding the basic legal responsibilities of a nonprofit board of directors.
- Adding to the board culture by bringing a strategic perspective to an evolving organization.
- Being comfortable with ambiguity.
- Promoting and serving as an ambassador of Philanthropy Northwest and the broader community, including attending Philanthropy Northwest conferences and programs.
- Maintaining active membership in Philanthropy Northwest.
- Attending at least 75% of board and committee meetings in person (preferred) or by phone.
- Serving on at least one board committee.
- Providing leadership in securing financial gifts to support the annual goals and programs.
- Making a personal contribution at a level that is meaningful to you.
To nominate a qualified candidate or yourself, please email Erin Thomas with the candidate's name and a short explanation of what makes this person an ideal candidate by May 27, 2016.
A slate of board members will be presented and voted on at their annual conference and membership meeting this fall in Missoula, Montana.
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Montanans Rise to the Occasion in Spite of Technical Difficulties
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If you follow your local news, there's little doubt you read, heard or watched stories recently about a technical problem causing significant challenges with MTGives and the other give local efforts in Montana and across the country. There's no denying the online platform failure that led to give local sites being unable to process online donations or at best, process them with huge delays, led to a significant reduction in the number of donations and funds raised for nonprofit organizations in our state and many others. Montana Community Foundation apologizes for this - plain and simple. While we did not provide the technology and had no control over the events which led to the technical issues with the MTGives site and other give local websites, as an organizer and promoter of the event we feel terrible this happened.
What we don't feel terrible about is the determination and resilience of our fellow Montanans. Despite a website crash many would have said there was no recovery from, MTGives and the other give local events in the Gallatin Valley, Flathead, Helena, Missoula and Yellowstone saw some extraordinary successes. By pulling together, sharing ideas and information, acting quickly, getting creative, and most of all, showing the strength Montanans have in the face of adversity, the giving day turned into a success few could have imagined.
Columbus, a town with fewer than 2,000 residents whose goal was to raise $1,000 in their first give local effort raised more than $25,000. Helena, who raised $55,000 last year, raised $62,000 or more this year. And the Bozeman Area Community Foundation's Give Big Gallatin Valley give local event? Their goal was to raise $300,000 this year and they managed to shatter that by raising an incredible $420,000. While the final numbers won't be tallied for some time due to the technical issues and alternative methods of donating we all employed, we're happy to report Montanans came together and raised approximately $880,000 through MTGives and other give local events across the state. We firmly believe if it weren't for the website crash, we would have certainly met and likely exceeded our $1 million goal for the state. These funds go to support nonprofits that are so vital to our communities.
If there's a silver lining to the malfunction itself, it's that the problem was caused by an overwhelming number of people going online to give to their communities through a charitable donation to a local nonprofit. As Meredith Printz of the Missoula Community Foundation put it, "We didn't expect you to break the Internet with your generosity, but you did."
Who could have imagined we would still raise $880,000 or more for Montana nonprofits? Who could have imagined communities would raise more than they did last year? Who could have imagined there were nonprofit organizations and communities that would surpass their donation goals? I don't think anyone imagined those things were possible in the thick of a website crash that began at 8 a.m. and continued the entire day, but those things did happen.
How did they happen? Montanans are a remarkable group of people and this is a remarkable place. Even when we're down, we still find ways to make the best of things and still strive to, and succeed in helping one another. That's not something any of us have to imagine, that's something we are privileged to see and experience regularly in our great state. So thank you Montana - thank you for your support and generosity. It is a powerful, wonderful thing to behold.
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One of the Easiest and Most Impactful Ways to Give
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 Demands on your time and wallet increase daily, and it's easy to become overwhelmed with all the obligations that come up. Perhaps one of the items on your to-do list is to send a donation to help support your favorite charitable organization, but because you are already stretching your funds in many directions, you may not be sure you can be as generous as you would like at this time.
Adding a bequest provision to your will or living trust could be the answer. By making a gift of your assets at death - be it cash, stocks, real estate or other property - there is no need to affect your current cash flow. And since the bequest doesn't go into effect until after your lifetime, you can change the provisions in your will or trust at any time.
If you wish to give a percentage of what is left of your estate after other beneficiaries have received their share, you can. By making a gift of a percentage of your estate, your gift will remain proportionate to the size of your estate, no matter how it fluctuates. Plus, there are no estate taxes owed on amounts left through a charitable bequest. You can also choose to leave a set amount or the remainder of your estate. In many cases, bequests offer the best of both worlds. You retain full control of your assets without depleting them now, while helping ensure the causes you care about most continue to grow and thrive in the future.
*This information is not intended as legal advice. For legal advice, please consult an attorney.
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Rule on Overtime Regulations Mean Nonprofits Need to Evaluate
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On May 18, President Obama and Secretary Perez announced the publication of the Department of Labor's final rule updating the overtime regulations. This rule can have an important impact on you and your organization.
The final rule focuses on updating salary and compensation levels needed for Executive, Administrative and Professional workers to be exempt. Specifically, the final rule:
- Sets the standard salary level at the 40th percentile of earnings of full-time salaried workers in the lowest-wage Census Region, currently the South ($913 per week; $47,476 annually for a full-year worker);
- Sets the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (HCE) subject to a minimal duties test to the annual equivalent of the 90th percentile of full-time salaried workers nationally ($134,004); and
- Establishes a mechanism for automatically updating the salary and compensation levels every three years to maintain the levels at the above percentiles and to ensure that they continue to provide useful and effective tests for exemption.
Additionally, the final rule amends the salary basis test to allow employers to use nondiscretionary bonuses and incentive payments (including commissions) to satisfy up to 10 percent of the new standard salary level.
The effective date of the final rule is December 1, 2016. The initial increases to the standard salary level (from $455 to $913 per week) and HCE total annual compensation requirement (from $100,000 to $134,004 per year) will be effective on that date. Future automatic updates to those thresholds will occur every three years, beginning on January 1, 2020.
Additional resources:
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10 Questions for the Staff - Jessica Stewart-Kuntz
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Who are the people that spend their days working for Montana's future? Let's find out!
1. Where are you from originally?
I was born in Portland, Oregon and grew up in Vancouver, Washington.
2. What's your position at MCF and what do you do?
I manage MCF's operations and grants program.
3. What's your favorite hobby/what do you do with your free time?
Hiking and exploring lost and forgotten places.
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4. If you had to choose a different profession, what would it be and why?
I would be a public historian and make history come to life for everyone.
5. What's something not very many people know about you?
I sang backup in a disco band for a little while.
6. What are three things you can't live without?
My family, old country western and bluegrass music, good books and good food.
7. How did you first get involved in the nonprofit sector?
I started volunteering at a homeless youth drop-in center in Portland. They gave me a job and I have been working for nonprofits ever since.
8. If there was one thing you wanted people to know about MCF, what would it be?
Every person who works for MCF is truly passionate not only about what they do, but also about keeping Montana "the last best place."
9. What's your favorite place in Montana?
The Kuntz Family Farm near Yellow Bay on Flathead Lake or Paradise Valley.
10. What's your favorite thing about Montana/Montanans?
Montana is the best place to be outside and I love being outside, especially exploring all the old ghost towns.
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