MSU BILLINGS NEWS—The sixth annual ‘Jacket Giving Day at Montana State University Billings was one of the most successful since the event’s inaugural year in 2018.
Sponsored by the MSU Billings Foundation & Alumni, this year’s annual day of giving was spread out over 1,927 minutes in honor of the university’s founding year of 1927 and brought in over $115,000 from over 350 donors. Every donation will directly impact the student experience at MSU Billings in a variety of ways.
“I am thrilled to express my gratitude to the Yellowjacket Nation for their overwhelming support in making ‘Jacket Giving Day 2024 a success for MSUB,” said Nick Schmidt, director of annual giving and athletic advancement at the MSU Billings Foundation & Alumni. “This is a momentous achievement that truly reflects the recognition of something special happening on our campus: we are a valuable asset not only to the Billings community but also to Eastern Montana!”
Eight projects were fully funded over the two days of giving. Projects that were fully funded are:
- The Student Crisis Fund, a scholarship priority of the MSU Billings Foundation & Alumni, exceeded its donor goal; this program has awarded 17 individual Crisis Funds this year to safeguard students and keep them enrolled.
- The Yellowjacket Excellence Awards was able to far exceed its project goal amount to continue to award first-time freshmen for their high school success with a yearly, renewable scholarship based initially on their high school GPA; through a generous donation of $18,000 from Par Montana, the project came in with an over 300% goal funding amount.
- MSUB’s greatest needs met more than double its goal amount; this funding provides MSUB with the flexibility to support various initiatives.
- The College of Business funded two business programs through the Study Abord Fund: “Connected Classroom” and “Global Leadership Initiative.” These programs will provide students with opportunities to learn about international business, gain new cultural and business perspectives, and impact students’ personal and profession lives.
- Men’s and women’s basketball, who recently both netted sole regular season conference champion titles and both punched tickets to the NCAA DII West Regional Tournaments, met their goal to purchase two shooting machines for players to continue to work on their skillsets.
- Men’s soccer reached their goal of funding to help them purchase a complete, team-set of stadium coats, which will grant the team extra warmth at the Yellowjacket Soccer Field during night games: a new feature that was introduced to the program for the first time during the 2023 season.
- Yellowjacket Golf met their goal of raising funds to enhance program travel for both the men and the women in the ultra-competitive Great Northwest Athletic Conference and NCAA DII West Region.
- The recently reformed Yellowjacket Cheer & Stunt Team met their goal of fundraising and will look to use the funds to continue to grow their program and recruit new cheerleaders and stuntmen.
“We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support of ‘Jacket Giving Day,” said MSU Billings Chancellor Stefani Hicswa. “These gifts directly benefit students and enrich learning experiences at both of our campuses. Together, we are shaping a brighter future for our community and beyond.”
Gifts came from over 20 states, with the majority of donors located in Montana. Over twenty percent of donors were also alumni of MSUB.
About MSU Billings and the MSU Billings Foundation & Alumni
MSU Billings is known to be among the most competitively priced institutions in Montana and the nation. Founded in 1968, the Montana State University Billings Foundation & Alumni makes a quality education even more affordable for students beginning and continuing on their academic journey. The foundation is an independent, non-profit organization under Internal Revenue Service code 501(c)(3). It advances the goals of MSU Billings through the solicitation, investment, and stewardship of financial support and promotes philanthropy, partnerships, and educational opportunities.