THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF GIVING

Each of us has heard a story or two in our lifetime which detail a moment of generosity that changes the life trajectory of the recipient. More often, the giver is also positively impacted by their own act of giving. And I’m not just talking dollars and cents, folks. Giving comes in many forms; compassion, advice, time, teaching, encouragement, volunteering, and (yes, of course) financial gifts. I am very proud to know the people of the Wild Sheep Foundation as a community of people who are keyed in on these philanthropic values. Each of you are the hands and heart of this impactful organization. We all rally around our purpose to Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain®, but your generosity of spirit toward one another in addition to our purpose is powerful, it’s real, and creates a future of new possibilities.

In the coming year we are thrilled to be working on some big goals that will benefit wild sheep “today, tomorrow, and forever”. The Wild Sheep Foundation’s newly formed Endowment Development Subcommittee will do just that. I want to give a big “thank you” shout out to the talented and dedicated WSF members who have accepted the challenge of helping us build the Wild Sheep Legacy Foundation’s Endowment Fund to a total of $30 Million by the year 2027. Reaching this goal will allow WSF to distribute $1.2 Million each year to mission and program funding… FOREVER. Be on the lookout for ways that you can help us get there in the coming months.

The Marco Polo Society saw a giant leap in membership as we have welcomed 14 NEW $100,000 donors this fiscal year! We are racing to the finish line and will soon reach our 100-member goal. We are looking for those leaders in our membership to help us make the leap to the top! Who will make the commitment for wild sheep TODAY? Who will be MPS member #92?

Not to be forgotten are our eversteady Chadwick Ram Society (CRS) members. This year the

CRS membership grew by 11%, and it must be mentioned that the same percentage of existing members upgraded their pledges to the next level of giving. (Did I mention our membership is steeped in philanthropic values?) The CRS continues to grow and become an even greater force for wild sheep conservation every year.

Your gifts make an impact. Each minute spent volunteering, serving, or encouraging and every dollar donated and pledged to wild sheep conservation creates a future that otherwise would not exist. I invite each of you to engage a little deeper…to go one step further into the world of wild sheep. That step looks different for everyone, but all are equally critical as “the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

We hope to see many of you passing through Bozeman this summer. If you plan to be in our area, please reach out and make a plan to stop in to WSF headquarters to say hello. WS

by Greg Schildwachter WSF Lobbyist