The Montana State University Alumni Foundation has developed a new way for farmers to support Montana State University: through donations of grain.

The new program, called Bushels for Bobcats, allows Montana farmers to donate a portion of their grain harvest to support MSU. Funds generated by this program will be counted toward MSU’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, What it Takes, and will fund MSU’s people, places and programs. Farmers who donate to MSU through the Bushels for Bobcats program can direct their gift of grain to support any area within MSU, including student scholarships and research programs, such as the Montana Plant Sciences Chair.

The new initiative provides farmers the opportunity to directly invest their crops to fund students and research that directly benefits them, said Charles Boyer, MSU vice president of agriculture and dean of the College of Agriculture.

“Our university and college serve Montana through students, research and outreach,” Boyer said. “Montana’s agricultural family has always been a transformative supporter of MSU, and Bushels for Bobcats shines a light on our farmers’ contributions to feeding the world.”  

When producers donate a portion of their crop to the MSU Alumni Foundation, the foundation will sell the gifted grain for its full value and direct those funds to the area determined by the donor. The grain donor is not required to include the gifted grain in his or her income for the year, and therefore doesn’t pay taxes on it.

“Bushels for Bobcats provides a unique opportunity for farmers to invest in MSU’s future,” said MSU Alumni Foundation President and CEO Chris Murray. “It provides a tax-savvy way for donors to impact their land-grant university.”

For more information, or to learn how to donate, visit msuaf.org/bushels or contact Samantha Beebout at samantha.beebout@msuaf.org or 994-7099.