BCF Legacy Supporters - Rooted in community, committed to Montana.
Generational giving.
Tancy and I have called Billings home since 1987. During that time, we have established our lives here, raised our three boys here, and been blessed by so many of the wonderful opportunities this community has to offer – great schools, hospitals, colleges, theaters, and arts – Billings is a great place to live and raise a family!
For ten years, I had the pleasure of serving as a member of the Billings Community Foundation (BCF) Board of Directors, and I am proud of what has been accomplished over the life of this organization. In 2019, Tancy and I made a $300,000 matching challenge to the community because we have seen firsthand how communities thrive when local organizations support community efforts and embrace collaboration. We are thrilled the challenge was successfully met and for the added services and programs that will be made possible by purchasing the BCF “Home of Philanthropy.”
We are also pleased that the BCF Home of Philanthropy will include the “Mary John Spence Community Room” as a meeting space for nonprofit activity named after my Mother. Mary John Spence lived in Tyler, Texas, served on multiple community boards, and received the “Outstanding Philanthropist Award” from the East Texas Communities Foundation. In 2015, only months before she passed away at age 94, she sponsored the “Art of the Brick” Lego exhibit at The Tyler Museum of Art. She loved encouraging children’s interest in art and worked extensively to bring the opportunity to Tyler, TX, after hearing of its success in Billings, MT.
Mary John Spence provided a fantastic example of commitment to the community through a lifetime of service that we hope will inspire others. The Billings Community Foundation exemplifies her dedication to the support of philanthropic activities in our region.
We are delighted to have the opportunity to assist BCF in establishing a permanent home from which to serve the philanthropic needs of our community and strongly encourage others to join us in supporting this exciting step toward future growth!
Sweat Equity.
Jack is a third-generation Montanan whose roots run deep along the Missouri River in rural northeastern Montana. After graduating from Nashua High School, he built a career on his family’s ranch, developing the knowledge and work ethic he now brings to helping clients buy and sell commercial, farm and ranch, recreational, and residential properties.
His commitment to community extends well beyond his professional work. Jack has served as a gubernatorial appointee to Montana’s Energy Advisory Commission, Montana Arts Council and the Montana Economic Development Advisory Council. He has also contributed his leadership to local, state, regional, and national boards and belongs to the Montana, Billings, and National Associations of Realtors.
As a founding member of the Billings Community Foundation, laying the groundwork in 2006, Jack has helped shape its commitment to local donors and rural communities. His deep regional connections and steady guidance help keep BCF rooted in the communities of the greater Yellowstone Valley. He helped produce the Foundation’s annual report and continues to serve as chair of Yellowstone Valley Gives, strengthening support for nonprofits across Eastern Montana.
Giving Knowledge.
Obert Undem was a force for generosity in the Yellowstone Valley. A career guiding people in the community on thoughtful and carefully planned giving benefitted individuals and organizations who received generous gifts. As a board member, Obert guided the processes for sustained giving through the community foundation practices and guidelines that developed our robust giving programs. Obert left a personal legacy that continues to show the value of “playing the long game” through a matching endowment program gift that we provide annually to organizations focused on sustainability in funding their mission for the future.
A Legacy of Leadership and Generosity
In 2005, Teresa Darnielle-Morse stepped into a leadership role that would help shape the future of charitable giving in Eastern Montana. With a deep commitment to serving donors and strengthening communities, Teresa understood that generosity was about more than making gifts.
It was about building relationships, inspiring others, and creating lasting opportunities for people to invest in the places they call home. When Teresa took the helm of the Greater Yellowstone Region of the Montana Community Foundation, she asked an important question: What would best serve our communities when donors from Eastern Montana stepped forward to give? Her answer was simple but powerful: local service for local giving.
With that vision, Teresa brought together a dedicated group of community leaders to establish the Billings Community Foundation (BCF), committed to helping local donors improve the quality of life throughout Eastern Montana. Drawing on her experience as a licensed financial advisor, Teresa understood both the financial and personal sides of charitable giving. When organizational changes at the Montana Community Foundation created uncertainty in the region, she recognized an opportunity. Teresa, alongside four other local philanthropists, made a personal financial commitment that helped bring BCF to life in 2006.
Under Teresa’s leadership, BCF hired its first staff member, launched a website, and developed its first brochures and stationery. More importantly, she helped donors discover new ways to make a lasting difference through charitable bequests, gift annuities, scholarships, and endowments. As gifts began to arrive and relationships grew, so did BCF’s reputation as a flexible, friendly, and trusted community partner.
Teresa served as President for the first five years and later returned to this role for another two years during a period of growing pains and uncertainty. Under the tutelage of co-founder Obert Undem, she took on the role of BCF’s second Planned Giving Officer for several years.
Today, Teresa and her husband, Mark, continue their commitment to giving through their own Donor Advised Fund at BCF, demonstrating the same generosity and leadership that helped establish the foundation two decades ago.
