Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Foundation

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Peace of Mind

Leaving on vacation this summer? 

Sail into the sunset with peace of mind – prepare your Will or Trust today!

You can plan for your future like you plan for your vacation – packing everything you need and making sure you don’t forget anything important.

We can help. 

Visit our Wills & Bequests page for helpful information and printable guides to assist you in providing for your family and supporting the causes you care about. 

Each person is given the gift of time on this earth . . . to Live . . . to Learn . . . to Love . . . and to Leave a Legacy.

Auction June 3, 2023

Yellowstone Foundation is offering a beautiful original Montana bronze sculpture at auction.  This 1992 work by Montana artist, Ron Herron, is entitled “The Escape” and features three wolves after a moose.  The artwork measures 27” high x 40” wide x 18” deep.

The Escape will be featured at Rick Young & Sons Auctioneers’ Spring Consignment Auction:

  • Saturday, June 3, 2023, 10:00 AM
  • Event Center, 2878 Highway 78, Absarokee, MT
  • 4 miles South of Absarokee, on Highway 78

The June 3rd auction will feature other artworks, farmhouse antiques, farm equipment, boats, bikes and so much more. 

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Foundation is the owner of “The Escape.”  The bronze sculpture was donated to Yellowstone Foundation, and it is our intention to sell the piece for the benefit of the 1,200 children currently enrolled in YBGR mental health programs.

Here To Stay

2023 Montana Legislature has made permanent the Qualified Endowment Tax Credit and Governor Gianforte signed Senate Bill 506 into law on May 17th. 

The maximum credit Montana taxpayers can claim for a Qualified Charitable Endowment Gift increases from $10,000 to $15,000 per taxpayer in 2024.

Originally enacted in 1997, the Endowment Tax Credit has generated long-term financial support through endowments for education, social services, health care, economic development, the arts and more, in communities across the state of Montana.

Endowment gifts are held by Montana charities in a permanent irrevocable fund where the interest and appreciation earned are used for current operations.

Visit our Montana Endowment Tax Credit page for more information.

Summer Selling Season

If you are thinking about putting a home, farm, or rental property up for sale this summer, consider a Yellowstone Charitable Remainder Trust.

Selling property or retiring your business can trigger significant tax consequences.  Transferring all or a portion of your property to a Charitable Remainder Trust offers these benefits:

  • Bypass Capital Gains Tax on appreciated property.
  • Save Income taxes with a generous Charitable Income Tax Deduction
  • Generate Trust Income for you and your family.
  • Leave a Legacy of Caring for YBGR kids.

With a Yellowstone Charitable Trust, the future’s so bright you’ll have to wear shades!

SAMANTHA

Samantha* struggled in school. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own, often resulting in very exaggerated gestures. She didn’t have any friends because she was the “weird kid” who often felt too big, and sometimes too small, for her own body.

Thanks to a referral from the school counselor, Samantha started working with Tammy, a YBGR therapist in her school trained in Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Therapy (SMART).  Using SMART modalities and equipment, Samantha quickly learned that she needed help to regulate her body and keep herself in the “window of regulation,” a window on the first floor of her metaphorical house.

When Samantha was feeling out of control and her body was making big gestures, she was shooting into the attic of her house.  Using a body sock or a weighted blanket helped to bring her down. After she was back on the first floor, she was able reflect with Tammy and examine what triggered her to feel things in that big way.  Together, Samantha and Tammy also examined the things that made her feel down and small, things that put her in the basement of her house.  Using fidget spinners and other sensory objects helped Samantha to relax and share feelings and emotions more openly.

After several months of working with Tammy, Samantha is better able to regulate herself and relies less on outside tools.  Samantha is now doing better in school, has joined the soccer team, and has made friends.  She still has her moments, but she is better able to work through them and ask for help when she needs it.  Sometimes, it’s a big hug and sometimes, it’s some space.

Donate Today!

*For the privacy of the youth served at the Ranch, names have been changed. Image(s) shown here are a representation of those served at the Ranch.

Raise the Roof for UC

This summer the Uihlein Recreation Center (UC) on the YBGR campus celebrates 50 years of providing recreational opportunities to at-risk youth.

But like many 50-year-olds, the UC needs some maintenance.  The roof has been patched and repaired many times over the years. 

But the increasing leaks this past winter have made it clear that the time has come.  

The Uihlein Center needs a new roof and we are asking for your help! 

Learn more about the Raise the Roof for UC campaign, and Thank You for your support!

“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” – John F. Kennedy

Activity Fund

The YBGR Activity Fund allows for off-campus outings throughout the year, from ski trips in the winter months to hiking the Beartooth Mountains or floating the Yellowstone River in the summer.  Although these outings are certainly fun for the kids, they are much more than simply an enjoyable outing.

Only boys and girls who are considered “high trust” are allowed to go on these trips.  Special off-campus outings are an earned privilege which give youth an incentive to commit to their treatment plan and work towards getting well. 

In addition, most kids served by YBGR’s programs are considered low income and have not had the opportunity to experience the myriad of recreational opportunities available in Montana.

Finally, physical activity and time in the great outdoors is also particularly beneficial for children dealing with mental health issues.

Consider a gift to support the Activities Fund and continue the tradition of special outdoor adventure for YBGR kids.  Call us for more information on how you can participate.

Backpack Program

Yellowstone Academy (YA) is the fully accredited K-12 school located right on YBGR’s scenic campus.  All children in the residential treatment program attend school at YA.

In addition, youth in the Day School Program attend YA.  These are special needs students from the surrounding communities who need a higher level of support to succeed academically.

Over 90% of the children in the Day School Program are considered low income.

The donor-funded YA Backpack Program allows YA teachers and staff to identify students facing food insecurity and send home backpacks filled with nutritious, easy-to-prepare meals for children and their families.

Help us continue to help children and their families receive food assistance by making a donation today, or call us for more information on how you can participate.

IRA-Rollover-To-Gift-Annuity

The Secure Act 2.0 allows for a once-in-a-lifetime distribution from your IRA to a qualified Charitable Gift Annuity.

  • Applies to IRA owners age 70 1/2.
  • Maximum allowable distribution of $50,000 in 2023.
  • Qualifies for your annual Required Minimum Distribution.

The IRA-to-Gift-Annuity generates income for life for the IRA owner and spouse based on the rate guidelines we follow as sponsoring members of the American Council on Gift Annuities.

Increase Your Retirement Income and Help Yellowstone Boys & Girls!

Call us today to find out what an IRA-to-Gift-Annuity can do for you.

BLAKE

Blake came to YBGR very insecure and was often picked on by his peers. He struggled to focus on his own treatment because he was so concerned with what others were thinking of him. Blake spoke openly with his therapist about how hard working on his treatment was when he felt like, everywhere he goes, nobody likes him and how he doesn’t feel “chosen” by anyone… ever.

At the recommendation of his therapist, Blake went to Equine Therapy (ET) one day, even though he had no idea what it was. As Mackenzie, the Equine Specialist, introduced him to the horses, he noticed a much smaller horse in a pen with one other horse.  They were separated from the rest herd. He asked if he could meet her and so they went in the pen with Presley, the 9-month-old filly, and Sophie Sue, one of the YBGR mares. Mackenzie explained that Presley was new and not used to people yet, and as they talked, Presley walked up to Blake and waited for him to scratch her.  He later shared with Mackenzie that, in that moment, for the first time, Blake felt “chosen.”

Equine therapy continues to help Blake with his confidence and has been an integral part in him making progress with his treatment.

Donate Today!

*For the privacy of the youth served at the Ranch, names have been changed. Image(s) shown here are a representation of those served at the Ranch.

Don’t Hang Up!

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Foundation DOES NOT solicit donations by phone.

If Yellowstone Foundation is calling, it is to say THANK YOU for your recent gift!

Who’s calling?  It could be Gary, Keslie, Jim, or Janell – just to name a few – calling to say thank you for supporting Yellowstone’s boys and girls.

We love visiting with our donors and welcome the opportunity to say thank you, answer your questions, and share with you the Yellowstone mission.

We welcome your calls and are happy to answer your questions about the YBGR programs and projects your gifts make possible.

CHRIS

When Chris arrived at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, he literally had nothing but the clothes on his back. Chris is an Alaska Native youth that had been bounced around the foster care system his entire life.  Because of his mental health struggles, he was never able to find a forever home. “I felt so unloved and unwanted.  Everything I ever got was second hand.  I was an afterthought and that only made my struggles worse. I didn’t have anything that was just mine and that wouldn’t just go away when I was moved on to another place,” recalls Chris.

“That all changed within hours of arriving at YBGR.  During my admission, I was given a handmade quilt, my first ever new piece of bedding that was mine. Then my Program Manager got my sizes, and we went online.  She ordered me a bunch of new clothes, a pair of shoes, and boots since it was winter. I had never been clothes shopping before, just watched others.  She went and picked it all up later that day at the store and told me that I get to keep it all. I cried that night.  I could not believe that someone gave money to the Ranch just so I could have something all my own to wear. There is something different about this place.  I now feel that I have worth and that is helping me to heal.”

Donate Today!

*For the privacy of the youth served at the Ranch, names have been changed. Image(s) shown here are a representation of those served at the Ranch.

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