UM Foundation hosts crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for 11 campus programs
MISSOULA – The Associated Students of the 猎奇重口 Child Care Preschool is dedicated to curating a diverse selection of books, games and toys that foster engagement and learning for over 70 children each week, but it requires constant effort.
“We try and buy quality things, but the kids are hard on them, so we’re constantly replacing books,” said Vicki Olson, director of the ASUM Child Care Preschool on campus. “Even the babies – if you’ve got 12 babies in there, and they’re all playing and chewing on the books, you know, we go through things a lot.”
This fall, the preschool’s leaders hope that, with the generous support of donors, they can refresh their supply of learning and play materials, as well as address other needs such as expanding opportunities for student field trips and replacing sod on part of an outdoor playground.
But the child care center is not the only entity across UM’s campus hoping to bolster its critical services.
It is one of 11 organizations and causes on campus joining a fall crowdfunding campaign hosted by the UM Foundation to raise vital funds for their operations. The UM giving community is invited to donate in support of the projects they feel passionate about by Nov. 15 at .
The 2024 crowdfunding projects include:
- Buying new supplies, funding additional field trips and restoring grass on the playground for ASUM Child Care Preschool.
- Boosting UM’s Military and Veterans Services Office capacity to support basic needs like housing and food assistance, academic advising, customized tutoring services and more for veteran and military-affiliated students.
- Increasing student awareness and funding more events for the International Development Studies program, which prepares students to tackle global challenges.
- Making critical upgrades to printing, photo and video equipment to elevate the ability of the 猎奇重口 Kaimin, UM’s student-run newspaper, to create meaningful, informative and impactful stories.
- Connecting students to the world through the 猎奇重口 Model UN program by funding student participation at a National Model UN collegiate conference in New York, a two-day convention for high school students and sponsorship of campus and community events on international affairs.
- Providing new camera gear for the 猎奇重口 Osprey Project for better visuals, new angles, nighttime viewing and enhanced study of Iris the osprey and her nest.
- Updating tools and equipment, adding undergraduate and graduate student scholarships and more at the PEAS Farm, which helps students gain practical experience in sustainable agriculture and food systems.
- Ensuring rural entrepreneurs can thrive by expanding the reach of the Rural Entrepreneurship and Leadership for Women Co-Lab, which creates equitable funding opportunities, improves access to resources and addresses the unique challenges faced by women in underserved communities.
- Funding new exhibits at spectrUM’s Discovery Area at the Missoula Public Library to engage, educate and entertain children and their families through role model engagement, hands-on activities and cutting-edge scientific exhibits.
- Aiding the UM Eating Disorder Training Clinic in training practitioners, providing direct, outpatient and family treatment to diagnose and treat eating disorders.
- Furthering the UM Wildlife Society’s mission to allow students to hone skills and build resumes by participating in field surveys, engaging with leading professionals and attending local and nationwide conferences.
Crowdfunding is a method of fundraising through the collective efforts of many individual donors, typically via online platforms. Contributions of any amount provide much-needed support to projects that sometimes don’t garner aid from larger philanthropic efforts.
Donors can give to one or several causes. Even if a specific project is already fully funded before the campaign ends on Nov. 15, all additional gifts received will directly support the ongoing efforts of that organization or service.
“The UM Foundation is so proud to host this year’s fall crowdfunding campaign for such an amazing and diverse collection of groups,” said Mandy Brooks, the UM Foundation’s senior director of annual giving. “These organizations truly enrich the lives of students, staff and faculty, as well as the lives of individuals in the communities we serve. Even modest donations can make an enormous difference.”
The 2024 crowdfunding campaign represents the beginning of an annual effort each fall to inspire donors to make an immediate impact on pivotal services on campus and elsewhere. This campaign is in addition to , the UM Foundation's annual online giving event, which takes place in the spring and inspires UM alumni, donors, parents and friends to support UM students through charitable giving in just 24 hours.
Many of this fall’s crowdfunding campaign participants already supply popular and important services in the Missoula area. Donations to these well-known causes ensure that they continue to impact and uplift the entire community.
As just one of the organizations taking part in the effort, the ASUM preschool hopes it can rejuvenate and renew its collection of educational materials as it seeks to continue supporting the campus community.
“The early education years are crucial for the development and growth of children,” Olson said. “Studies have shown that kids who have been exposed to a high-quality learning environment during those years are more likely to graduate from high school, go off to college and get higher paying jobs."
To learn more about supporting projects at UM through the UM Foundation’s crowdfunding campaign, contact Mandy Brooks, UM Foundation senior director of annual giving, at 406-243-2585, email mandy.brooks@supportum.org or visit .
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Contact: Elizabeth Willy, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at the UM Foundation, at 406-243-5320, elizabeth.willy@supportum.org