Montana State University Foundation, Inc.

What Montana State University Foundation, Inc. does

The Montana State University Alumni Foundation, Inc. (MSUAF), also doing business as MSU Alumni Foundation and MSUAF, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation organized under the laws of Montana (Tax ID: 81-6001649). It operates as a component unit of Montana State University, which is itself a component unit of the State of Montana. The foundation cultivates lifelong alumni relationships and secures private philanthropic support to advance Montana State University through scholarships, faculty positions, facilities, academic programs, and athletics. Headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, the organization runs a comprehensive fundraising operation including gift processing, endowment administration, planned giving, alumni chapter networks, and an event program (Homecoming, Reunion, CatTreks travel, Watch Parties, Football gatherings). It also publishes the Collegian magazine and maintains social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, and LinkedIn.

The foundation's core technology consists of a constituent relationship management and website platform licensed from iModules Software, a third-party engagement and fundraising vendor serving educational institutions. It does not develop proprietary technology products. Its product surface is fundamentally services-based: donation processing, scholarship and endowment fund management, alumni engagement programming, and donor stewardship. Major institutional gifts recently include $50M+ from the Gianforte Family Foundation, a $101M pledge from Mark and Robyn Jones for nursing education, $1M from the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, and $2M from Northwest Farm Credit Services, with a comprehensive campaign that exceeded its $300M goal two years early.

MSUAF's business model combines charitable giving with administrative fee revenue. It accepts one-time, scheduled, and sustaining/perpetual gifts with a $10 minimum, across named designations covering scholarships, endowments, athletics, excellence funds, and academic support. Revenue is generated through (1) charitable donations and gifts from alumni, corporations, and foundations; (2) a one-time 5% operational support fee on all gifts and grants; (3) an annual 1.75% endowment management fee assessed quarterly at 0.4375% on invested balances; and (4) a one-time 5% service fee on non-charitable receipts from programs, events, ticket sales, auctions, and raffles. Go-to-market is sales-led via direct outreach to alumni and donors across multiple channels, including events, volunteer networks, chapter organizations, faculty/staff giving programs, and digital platforms. Governance is provided by a Board of Governors, with Christopher D. Murray serving as President/CEO since September 2014 and Fran Albrecht selected as his successor in 2024 (also serving as MSU Vice President of Advancement).

Name

Montana State University Foundation, Inc.

Legal name

Montana State University Alumni Foundation

Website

https://msuaf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Montana State University Alumni Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that cultivates alumni relationships and secures private philanthropic support through donations, endowments, planned giving, and fundraising events to advance Montana State University's students, faculty, and programs. It serves MSU alumni, donors, students, and Montana communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Advancement and Fundraising Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Major Gifts, Planned Giving & Endowment Development (EDALAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB), Alumni Relations & Alumni Engagement Programs (EDALAOAA), Alumni Events, Reunions & Regional Chapters (EDALAOAG), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• University fundraising services
• Donation processing
• Endowment management
• Alumni engagement programs
• Planned giving services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bozeman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Gifts: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation, the organization raises funds through charitable donations from alumni, friends, corporations, and foundations to support Montana State University programs, students, and facilities.
2. Operational Support Fee: A one-time 5% operational support fee assessed on all gifts received regardless of restricted purpose. For cash gifts and grants, the fee is assessed immediately upon receipt. For noncash gifts, the fee is assessed on gross sales price or appraisal when liquidated.
3. Endowment Management Fee: An annual 1.75% endowment management fee charged on all funds held in the foundation's endowment, including quasi endowments and Agency Funds. The fee is assessed quarterly at 0.4375% of the total invested balance.
4. Service Fee: A one-time 5% fee assessed on non-charitable receipts from programs or fundraising events, including ticket sales, auction items, and raffles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Montana State University Alumni Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable foundation that cultivates lifelong relationships with alumni and secures private philanthropic support to advance Montana State University. It accepts and processes donations (one-time, scheduled, and sustaining/perpetual gifts), administers endowments and scholarships, manages planned giving and estate gifts, and operates alumni engagement programs including chapters, events, lifelong learning, and travel programs. It functions as the primary fundraising and donor stewardship organization for Montana State University.

Product overview

MSUAF is a nonprofit alumni foundation organization that provides fundraising and alumni engagement services for Montana State University. Its primary offerings include donation processing, scholarship fund management, and alumni relations programs rather than commercial technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donation Processing and Fund Management Accepts and processes one-time, scheduled, and sustaining/perpetual charitable gifts from alumni and supporters, designates funds across scholarships, athletics, excellence funds, colleges, departments, and programs, and applies a one-time 5% operational support fee. The minimum gift is $10 and is intended for individual donors and supporters of Montana State University.
• Endowment Administration Services Administers endowed funds, quasi endowments, and Agency Funds on behalf of donors and the university, including gift processing, investment management oversight, and stewardship. The foundation charges an annual 1.75% endowment management fee assessed quarterly at 0.4375% of the total invested balance, with oversight by a Board of Governors.
• Planned Giving and Estate Gift Services Provides estate and gift planning resources for donors who wish to include Montana State University in their wills or estate plans, including a Will and Estate Planning Guide. These services support planned and legacy giving arrangements administered through the foundation.
• Corporate and Foundation Relations Services Manages institutional donor relationships, secures corporate and foundation gifts and grants, and supports major gift commitments from companies, family foundations, and other institutional funders for specific MSU colleges, programs, and initiatives.
• Alumni Engagement and Chapter Network Operates the foundation's alumni chapters (including geographic chapters such as the Twin Cities Chapter), lifelong learning programs (Bringing the U to You, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, MSU Retirees & Associates), volunteer opportunities, the Advocate Network, and alumni perks for MSU alumni and friends.
• Alumni Events and Travel Programs Coordinates in-person alumni events, including Homecoming with awards and a schedule of events, class reunions, Bobcat Club events, football gatherings, watch parties, and CatTreks travel programs for alumni and friends. A 5% service fee is assessed on non-charitable receipts from programs and fundraising events such as ticket sales, auction items, and raffles.
• Scholarship Administration Administers donor-funded scholarships for Montana State University students, including endowed and annual scholarship funds and the annual listing of scholarship recipients, connecting donor contributions to student financial support.
• Matching Gift Program Processes employer matching gifts that multiply individual employee donations to the foundation, supporting donor participation from MSU faculty/staff and employed alumni whose employers offer matching gift programs.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 minor.

• Montana Stockgrowers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with MSUAF to raise $1 million in private support for graduate fellowships to complement the Nancy Cameron Chair in Animal and Range Sciences.
• Non Profit Support Services (NPSS)minorOthersProfessional compliance firm that partners with MSUAF to ensure charitable registrations and renewals remain current with applicable state regulatory agencies. Located in Ladera Ranch, CA.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• University of Wyoming Foundation: Comparable land-grant state-university foundation in a neighboring rural state. Same mission (private support for a state-funded public university), similar donor demographics (alumni, ag/energy interests), and identical fee-based endowment model.
• Boise State University Foundation: Idaho-based state university foundation running an analogous advancement operation; useful peer for benchmarking digital fundraising, young-alumni engagement, and comprehensive campaign execution at a similar scale.
• University of Idaho Foundation: Another Pacific-Northwest land-grant university foundation operating in a similarly rural state with comparable alumni-base economics and a fee-based endowment model.
• Oregon State University Foundation: Land-grant university foundation with parallel programs in agriculture, engineering, and forestry — directly mirroring MSUAF's emphasis on the Gianforte School of Computing, College of Agriculture, and rural/community workforce initiatives.
• Montana Technological University Foundation: Another Montana state-system alumni foundation performing the same fundraising, endowment, and alumni engagement functions for Montana Tech — directly comparable business model and regulatory structure.
• Washington State University Foundation: Peer land-grant university foundation in the Pacific Northwest with comparable scale, multi-channel alumni engagement, and an active comprehensive campaign. Often benchmarked alongside MSUAF for fundraising performance metrics.
• University of Montana Foundation: The direct in-state counterpart — another Montana public-university 501(c)(3) advancement organization competing for the same Montana-resident donor pool, running endowment management, alumni chapters, and comprehensive campaigns on behalf of the University of Montana.

Broad incumbents

• University of Oregon Foundation: Larger, more established Pac-12 state-university foundation. Demonstrates the upper bound of what a regional state-university foundation can scale to in AUM and campaign size, offering a forward-looking strategic benchmark for MSUAF.

Others

• Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE): Industry association serving educational advancement professionals; not a competitor but a peer ecosystem participant that provides benchmarking standards, fundraising metrics, and donor-trend data used across the university-foundation sector including MSUAF.
• Granite (formerly iModules + Convio): Technology vendor that licenses the constituent relationship management and online giving platform currently used by MSUAF. Adjacent rather than competitive, but the partnership is a core operating dependency for donor engagement and online fundraising.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/msuaf
• Facebookfacebook.com/msu.alumni.foundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montana-state-university-alumni-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/msuaf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 State University Foundation, Inc.