Montana Tech Foundation

What Montana Tech Foundation does

The Montana Tech Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1967 that operates as the official development office for Montana Technological University. The foundation stewards private philanthropy on behalf of the university — soliciting, managing, and disbursing donations — and is structured as a component unit of Montana Tech (itself a component unit of the State of Montana). Its core offering is a portfolio of giving products: the Annual Fund for recurring yearly donations; Endowed Gifts (minimum $25,000) managed professionally with a 4% annual payout and a 2% administrative fee; Student Scholarships supporting over 90% of undergraduates who rely on financial assistance; the Lance Scholars Program ($16,000 four-year scholarships to 50 Montana students annually, totaling $800,000/year); the Tech Vision Endowed Scholarship; the Digger Athletic Fund plus sport-specific societies (Tech Hoops Champions Club, EMETAD Club); and Planned Giving vehicles (charitable annuities, trusts, estate gifts) accessed through a FreeWill-powered legacy portal. The foundation also operates the Highlands College welding program in partnership with the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation and Montana Resources, and is part of the $41M Headwaters Tech Hub consortium developing a photonic sensor and unmanned systems test bed at Montana Tech's 150-acre field campus.

The foundation's revenue model is non-commercial: it raises charitable contributions through direct donor engagement, employer matching programs (via Double the Donation), faculty/staff payroll deduction, crowdfunding (impact.mtech.edu), and planned giving. It monetizes fund management through a 5% fee on all gifts received and a 2% per annum administrative fee on endowment balances, assessed quarterly. Its customer base is highly distributed across individual alumni donors, friends of the university, corporate partners, and athletic supporters — segmented horizontally by motivation rather than industry. Distribution occurs through the foundation.mtech.edu website, regional Tech on Tour events, email/newsletter outreach, and LinkedIn. The organization employs approximately 12 staff led by CEO Jaime Heppler and CFO Lance Allen, with two Vice Presidents of Development and supporting prospect research, board relations, and administrative functions.

Growth signals are present but incremental: scholarship endowments have grown substantially (the Class of '62 fund moved from $10K to $100K+), new athletic giving societies have been layered on, and new corporate/tech partnerships have been added. No revenue figures are publicly disclosed; financial activity is consolidated within Montana Tech's Combined Financial Statements. No AI/ML capabilities, M&A activity, or external funding rounds are present — consistent with the foundation's structure as a fee-and-donation-driven nonprofit rather than a venture-backed entity.

Name

Montana Tech Foundation

Legal name

Montana Tech Foundation

Website

https://foundation.mtech.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Montana Tech Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1967 that serves as the official development office for Montana Technological University, stewarding private philanthropy — including annual funds, endowed scholarships, athletic giving societies, and planned gifts — to support over 90% of undergraduates who rely on financial assistance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Fundraising & Endowment Management

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Athletics Fundraising, Sponsorships & NIL Support (EDALAIAN)

Keywords

• Higher education fundraising
• Endowment management
• Scholarship programs
• Planned giving services
• Nonprofit development

Headquarters

HQ city

Butte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Gifts: The foundation receives cash donations, gifts of stock, IRA charitable distributions, gifts of property, and gifts in kind from individual donors, alumni, corporations, and foundations. Donations may be designated to specific programs or unrestricted.
2. Endowment Management: Endowed funds are professionally invested with approximately 4% awarded in earnings annually. The foundation charges a 2% per annum administrative fee on endowment funds, assessed quarterly based on the moving average of the past twelve quarter-end balances.
3. Planned Giving: Deferred gifts including life income gifts such as annuities and trusts, estate gifts, and charitable remainder trusts that provide ongoing support for the university.
4. Gift Fee: The foundation imposes a 5% fee on all gifts received, used to conduct outreach and fund development efforts to advance the university.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Montana Tech Foundation is the official development office and 501(c)(3) nonprofit fundraising arm of Montana Technological University, raising and stewarding private charitable contributions. It manages annual giving campaigns, endowed scholarships and program funds (minimum $25,000), faculty/staff payroll deductions, athletic fundraising through the Digger Athletic Fund, planned/estate gifts, and employer matching gift programs, distributing proceeds to student scholarships, faculty recruitment, academic programs, and athletics.

Product overview

Montana Tech Foundation operates as a higher education nonprofit development office offering a portfolio of giving products centered around fundraising and donor engagement for Montana Technological University. The core offerings include the Annual Fund for yearly giving, Endowed Gifts for permanent scholarship and program support (minimum $25,000), and Student Scholarships supporting the majority of undergraduates. Athletic fundraising is channeled through the Digger Athletic Fund, with sport-specific giving societies like the Tech Hoops Champions Club and EMETAD Club. The Foundation also manages the Tech Vision Endowed Scholarship and the Lance Scholars Program (50 students at $16,000/year). Planned giving vehicles, faculty/staff payroll deduction, and employer matching gift programs complete the giving infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Digger Athletic Fund: The official fundraising arm of Montana Technological University Athletics, channeling philanthropic support to enhance Montana Tech's 12 athletic programs.
• Tech Hoops Champions Club
• EMETAD Club

Products and services

• Annual Fund Annual giving campaign providing consistent yearly donations to support Montana Tech's priorities, including student recruitment, retention, academic programs, and institutional advancement.
• Endowed Gifts Permanent endowment funds established with gifts of $25,000 or more, professionally invested to provide annual support for designated purposes while preserving long-term fund value. Approximately 4% of earnings are awarded annually.
• Student Scholarships Scholarship programs supporting over 80% of Montana Tech undergraduates who rely on financial assistance, including tuition, fees, room and board, and work-study opportunities.
• Faculty and Staff Giving Payroll deduction and installment giving program allowing Montana Tech faculty and staff to contribute to various university funds including student scholarships, departments, and athletics.
• Digger Athletic Fund Official fundraising arm for Montana Tech Athletics, supporting 12 athletic programs through endowed scholarships, annual fund, and athletic facility improvements.
• Tech Hoops Champions Club Exclusive philanthropic giving society for Montana Tech Men's Basketball offering tiered membership levels ($500-$2,500) with access to coaching staff events, practices, and exclusive gear.
• EMETAD Club Exclusive philanthropic giving society for Montana Tech Football, with tiered membership levels (Silver $500 to Copper $5,000) supporting program expenses identified by the Head Football Coach.
• Tech Vision Endowed Scholarship University-wide endowed scholarship fund available to any student in any course of study, supporting tuition, fees, room and board, and work-study programs, with 1:1 matching from alumni donors.
• Lance Scholars Program Prestigious scholarship endowment established by Ryan and Lisa Lance providing $16,000 four-year scholarships to 50 Montana students annually.
• Planned Giving Gift and estate planning options including charitable annuities, trusts, and deferred gifts enabling donors to support Montana Tech through planned arrangements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% of Montana Tech students receive financial assistance
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Headwaters Tech HubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Part of $41 million Headwaters Tech Hub funding to develop a rugged terrain test bed facility for unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles, and robotics with photonic sensor systems at Montana Tech's 150-acre Energy, Environment, & Innovation Field Campus.
• Food Recovery NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit partnership to address student food insecurity by recovering surplus food and redirecting it to individuals in need at Montana Tech.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Montana Technological University Alumni Association: The affiliated alumni organization for Montana Tech, which works closely with the foundation on donor engagement, alumni events, and giving society membership. Closely aligned mission and overlapping donor base with the foundation.
• Missouri University of Science and Technology Foundation: Development office for Missouri S&T, a STEM-focused technological university comparable to Montana Tech. Similar mission, donor structure, and program focus around engineering, sciences, and student scholarships.
• South Dakota School of Mines Foundation: Foundation supporting another regional STEM-focused technological university. Comparable as a small, specialized technical university foundation raising endowed scholarships and program support from a similar rural/state-based donor base.
• Montana State University Foundation: Philanthropic foundation supporting Montana State University in Bozeman. Closely comparable structure and mission — state-university-aligned foundation raising scholarships, endowed funds, and athletics support from alumni and donors across Montana.
• University of Montana Foundation: The fundraising and endowment arm of the University of Montana, the state's other major public university. Directly comparable as a Montana-based higher education foundation managing scholarships, endowments, and planned giving for a regional public university with similar student demographics.
• Michigan Technological University Fund: Philanthropic foundation supporting Michigan Tech, another technological university with strong engineering, mining, and applied sciences focus. Closely comparable structure as a STEM-university-aligned foundation managing scholarships, endowments, and donor engagement.
• Colorado School of Mines Foundation: Philanthropic foundation for Colorado School of Mines, a leading STEM-focused technological university. Comparable as a foundation serving a STEM-specialized public university with strong emphasis on engineering, mining, and energy disciplines and similar scholarship-driven student aid model.

Peers

• Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montana-tech-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Montana Tech Foundation