Montana Historical Society Receives $15,000 Gift from Stockman Bank for Education Endowment

• February 13 2026

Helena, MT — The Montana Historical Society (MTHS) received a $15,000 donation from Stockman Bank during the grand opening of the bank's newest Helena branch on February 12, 2026. The gift supports the Montana History and Civics Education Endowment, which provides grants to Montana schools for educational field trips to the Montana Heritage Center and State Capitol.

The donation continues Stockman Bank's support of MTHS, following a previous $100,000 contribution to help construct the recently opened Montana Heritage Center.

“Our roots are based in Montana and history is very important to us” said Bill Coffee, CEO of Stockman Bank. “We value learning from the past to focus on the future.”

Stockman’s gift will help provide grants to schools across the state, enabling students to travel to Helena for immersive educational experiences at the Montana Heritage Center and State Capitol. During their visits, students receive curated tours of both the Capitol Building and the museum galleries inside the newly opened Heritage Center, all coordinated by MTHS staff who work closely with teachers to create meaningful learning opportunities.

Since the program launched field trips in January 2026, dozens of schools have already been awarded grants and visited Helena, with a full schedule of additional trips planned throughout the spring.

"We are deeply grateful to Stockman Bank for this generous contribution," said Darby Bramble, education officer with the Montana Historical Society. "Their support brings us closer to our vision of making these transformative educational experiences available to all Montana students, regardless of their school's location or resources."

The endowment seeks to raise $10 million in total funds to ensure long-term sustainability and provide equitable access to Montana's history for students from every corner of the state. To date, approximately $3.5 million has been raised toward this goal. Applications for the next round of field trips will open again in the fall.

For more information on the History and Civics Endowment or application details, visit mths.mt.gov/joingive/ or contact Darby Bramble at darby.bramble2@mt.govor 406-444-2412.