Trust for Montana Libraries Receives Six-Figure Donation

An anonymous donor has committed more than $100,000 to the Trust for Montana Libraries. The Trust will receive this funding in May of 2022. The donor has expressed that the funds are dedicated to building the capacity of the newly formed Trust.

Founded in 2019, the Trust for Montana Libraries is a nonprofit organization that serves as the state’s library foundation. The goal of the Trust is to increase private support for all libraries, as well as Geographic Information Services, through the State Library so that all Montanans have access to high quality information and library services.

“It is more important than ever to be able to access quality information since it’s a driver of our education system, our communities, and our economy,” said Sara Groves, President of the Trust.

“Libraries create opportunities for people who may not have access to the information they need to move forward with their lives – in one way or another. Our donor understands this need and has very graciously provided funding to help us do more throughout the state of Montana to provide vital access and services.”

The Trust has helped to fund a statewide project to loan Wi-Fi hot spots through Montana’s public libraries, which was especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic when access to public computers and free Wi-Fi were essentially unavailable.

“The Wi-Fi hot spot lending program provided free Wi-Fi hot spots to Montanans through their public libraries and helped to address an unmet need for people who couldn’t afford wireless connectivity in their homes,” said Groves. “This program allowed children to attend school, adults to work remotely, and people to attend doctor’s appointments, connect with family members and their communities, and more. These are exactly the types of opportunities the Trust will work to expand in the future so that all Montanans have access to information and library services.”