Frequently Asked Questions
What is the North Yellowstone Education Foundation?
We enhance the Gardiner community by serving Gardiner Public Schools and associated programs.
What is your mission?
Our mission is to work with the community to build sustainable support and enhance innovative educational opportunities for students, teachers and community members in partnership with Gardiner Public Schools.
Are you a 501(c)(3) organization?
Yes, and contributions made to NYEF are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
It seems like there are a lot of nonprofits in Gardiner. How is NYEF unique?
We are the only nonprofit organization dedicated to meeting the needs of Gardiner Public Schools.
History of NYEF
Why does our school need a nonprofit? The following information was taken from Successful Gardiner Community Profile Section 3: The Future of Gardiner Schools: “Gardiner Public Schools enrollment has been on the decline for the past decade, dropping by about 33% in the past ten years, from a kindergarten through high school graduation enrollment of 255 in 2008–2009 to 171 in 2018–2019 . . . . If this continues, it will have a significant impact on school funding. One fewer student in each elementary grade will cost Gardiner Schools more than $100,000.” However, the school’s expenses are the same – for example, if one less second grade student is enrolled, the school still pays to have a second grade teacher regardless of class size. Currently Gardiner Public Schools has an enrollment of 145 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. NYEF exists to fill some of the funding gaps and maximize the quality of education we are able to provide and to perpetuate the level of excellence we value for our students. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we have the ability to raise funding in ways that the school does not, or cannot. We work in close collaboration with the school administration to meet the needs of GPS through our programming.
When was NYEF founded? In 2016, an impassioned group of parents, community members, and teachers joined forces to continue the tradition of excellence at Gardiner Public Schools by raising money and garnering in-kind support. NYEF officially filed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2018.
What have you accomplished? For an organization that has been around less than a handful of years, our list of accomplishments is staggering. Below is just a brief selection. Please visit GardinerNYEF.org to learn more! Since inception, we have raised 1.8 million dollars to support Gardiner Public Schools and associated programs. NYEF founded the Connect! Grants classroom grants program. By the end of this school year (2022-2023), we will have allocated $100,000 in grant funds. In November 2020, NYEF acquired property in Gardiner, Montana, which was formerly used as a Bed and Breakfast. In 2021, NYEF completed $300K in renovations. In August of 2021 three Gardiner School teachers moved in. In July 2020, NYEF became the fiscal sponsor of Park County Rural Schools 360 (PCRS360), a mental and behavioral health coalition created to meet the needs of rural Park County. With our support, PCRS360 was awarded a prestigious grant from AMB West Philanthropies for $350,000 over three years. In January 2021, NYEF hired a full-time Director to focus on fundraising.
NYEF Today
Who is your Board of Directors? What do they do? Our current board of directors consists of community members, business owners, teachers, and parents. Our current board members are as follows: Jess Warren (Board Chair), Lloyd Krueger (treasurer), Maria Rogers (secretary), Miriam Watson (board member), Willa Fouts (teacher representative), Kaitlyn Parsons (Student Representative), Kat Zeibig (board member). We are currently seeking additional board members who share in our passion and mission of supporting Gardiner Public School. Our board members meet bi-monthly. They volunteer their time to provide oversight (both financial and logistic) for NYEF as a whole. They often volunteer their time to help with fundraisers and various other activities. We proudly share that 100% of our board members contribute financially to NYEF’s mission.
Who is your advisory council? What do they do? Our advisory council is made up of individuals from the Gardiner/Paradise Valley community. These are folks who provide particular skills that we can draw upon. For instance, we relied heavily on the advice of Kathy Nichols (an HR professional) when we underwent the process of hiring our first official staff member. To provide an additional example, advisory council member Bianca Klein created the templates we use for our quarterly newsletter.
Do you have any paid staff members? We have one full-time paid staff member. This is our Director, Laura Chastain. Laura manages the daily operations of NYEF and leads all fundraising efforts. As the only employee, it is fair to say she does a bit of everything. You can reach Laura at admin@gardinernyef.org We also have one independent contractor, Katie Getz. Katie's areas of expertise are grant writing, social media, and communication, so her efforts are focused in those areas. She also supports Laura on multiple fronts and you can reach Katie at info@gardinerNYEF.org.
NYEF Programs
What are your programs? Our programs are created to meet the needs of Gardiner Public Schools. The needs of GPS aggregate along three areas: enhancement of programs, affordable teacher housing, and mental health. Each of our programs is designed to meet one of these needs.
What are Connect! Grants? Connect! Grants is our classroom grants program. Connect! Grants support projects that fill educational gaps, promote health and wellness, and reach a wide range of students. Connect! Grants are community driven (meaning they respond to community needs), community funded (meaning they are funded entirely by donations and grants), and community evaluated (meaning funded projects are chosen by a committee of community members). Connect! Grants are evaluated three times per year, at the end of the first three school quarters (Nov 1, 2024, January 26, 2025, and April 6, 2025). These grant funds are reimbursable upon receipt of a final report. To learn more about specific projects funded through our Connect! Grants visit our Connect Grant page under programs.
How does NYEF support Mental Health? Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tell us that Montana is facing a mental health epidemic. Figures from the Health Resources and Services Administration estimate that current mental care providers are only able to meet 12.5% of Montana’s needs. In July 2020, NYEF took on the role of fiscal sponsor for Park County Rural Schools 360 (now known as Rural Resilience), a coalition dedicated to addressing mental and behavioral health concerns in rural Park County. Thanks to our support, Rural Resilience received a generous grant of $350,000 over three years from AMB West Philanthropies. Rural Resilience currently provides mental and behavioral health services and support to youth and families across five communities in rural Park County, Montana. Services are provided by a behavior analyst and collaborative community networks that otherwise would not be accessible due to geographical, socioeconomic, and historically rooted barriers. These resources have been carefully crafted through relationship building and networking to meet the needs of five very unique rural communities over the last two years across Park County, Montana, and have spurred other rural communities' desire for our programming and services. NYEF is now continuing to support Mental Health through our Connect! Grant program by dedicating $10,000 annually to these efforts. Rural Resilience is our primary mental health partner, and for the 2023-2024 school year, we were able to increase our support to $20,000, which was matched by a grant from AMB West. Learn more about mental health programming under our programs tab. .
What is the teacher housing initiative? Gardiner is in the midst of a housing crisis. Affordable housing was identified as the #1 concern for residents through the 2019 Successful Gardiner Campaign, and statistics backs this. The average price of a home in the state of Montana is $440K. In Park County, the cost rises to $650k. In Gardiner, the average home costs $847K, if one can be found for sale at all. This situation has impacted the Gardiner Public School's ability to hire and retain teachers with a starting salary of $35,777. NYEF is working to alleviate this problem through our Teacher Housing Initiative. In 2020, NYEF was approached by a local property owner who wanted to see their housing used for teachers. A generous donor offered us a personal loan for the $500,000 asking price. Although we did not have the money upfront, we felt it was crucial to act fast, as this property would sell for well over $1 million dollars. As of October of 2023, we have completed $300,000 worth of renovations on the property and paid off our mortgage. We currently provide subsidized housing to three Gardiner Public School teachers and are in the process of updating our 3rd-floor apartment for the incoming special education teacher. Phase Two of this initiative is to identify local rental properties to be used in the shorter term for teachers. Phase three will be to provide long-term affordable housing for three additional teachers by 2027. By providing affordable housing to teachers, we are reinforcing the stability of our school, setting a positive example for the entire community, and restoring Gardiner to its roots. The most tangible outcome of this project is the ability to recruit and retain teachers for our school by offering comfortable, affordable housing. We believe that the successful acquisition of this property will create positive lasting change, encouraging more vacation rental owners to house long-term residents. Learn more about our Teacher Housing Initiative under our programs tab.
Funding Sources
Where does NYEF's money come from? NYEF’s funding comes from grants and individual donations. Notable grant funders have included: AMB West Philanthropies, Park County Community Foundation, and the Gardiner Area Resort District.
Who does NYEF consider a Community Partner? I see that Connect! Grants have been awarded to other schools and groups. Why is that? Our mission is to support Gardiner Public Schools, and the majority of Connect! Grants applications come directly from GPS teachers and staff. NYEF also considers applications from local educational institutions, extracurricular groups, and organizations that are not directly affiliated with Gardiner School, if the project can be shown to benefit Gardiner Public Schools and the Gardiner community. For example, we believe that by supporting pre-primary and elementary “feeder” schools, we bolster the educational ecosystem of our community, thereby supporting Gardiner Public Schools long term. Furthermore, there are also some instances when a program is stronger because small rural schools band together. Ultimately, it is the job of our Grant Selection Teams to determine if the spirit of a project aligns with our mission. Recommendations made by our Grant Selection Team are then further evaluated by the NYEF board to ensure that Connect! Grant funds are used in accordance with our goals. Some auxiliary groups that have received funding include Arrowhead School, Little People’s Learning Center, Snoopy School, and the Gardiner XC Ski Team. Do you collaborate with other groups in the Gardiner Community? Our primary partner is, and will always be, Gardiner Public Schools (GPS). Supporting GPS is the cornerstone of our mission and focus. Everything we do comes back to this. In terms of housing, there are two other organizations dedicated to affordable housing in Gardiner - Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) and the Gardiner Housing Cooperative. We are in talks with both organizations to determine how we might best strive toward our mutual goals. Although the exact nature of our coordination with these entities is still evolving, we have established open communications and an intention to work together.
Specifics of the Teacher Housing Initiative
Is NYEF developing land the school owns? Yes. In February 2025, we signed an agreement with the school to develop their property so we can add three manufactured homes.
What are the goals of the housing project? NYEF's current goal for teacher housing is to provide eight affordable housing units for teachers by 2025. We are using a three-phased approach to achieve this goal. **Phase 1** involved the purchase and renovation of a 1908 bed and breakfast, which has been transformed into three separate apartments. As of 2021, all three apartments have been made available for rent to teachers. In October 2023, we made the final payment on the mortgage. **Phase 2** has been made possible by an incredible donor, allowing us to acquire a second home that contains two apartments: a two-bedroom unit and a studio. We are now remodeling the studio into a one-bedroom unit with the support of a grant from the Park County Community Foundation. **Phase 3** will take place in February 2025, when we have reached an agreement with the school to add three additional manufactured homes on the school property. By August 2025, NYEF will have a total of eight apartments and homes available for teachers and staff. We will continue to assess and address future housing needs in collaboration with the school board.
Is NYEF developing the land on Jardine Road? NYEF did not purchase the property (formerly owned by Yellowstone Forever) on Jardiner Rd. This land (and the one existing structure) were bought by the Human Resources and Development Council (HRDC) based out of Bozeman, MT. They are committed to using this property for affordable housing in the Gardiner community. We have been in discussions with both HRDC and the Gardiner Housing Cooperative to help determine the best practices for the development of this property. At this time, however, NYEF does not have the resources to take this project on.
How is teacher housing determined? At this time we have three units that are used for affordable teacher housing. We work with Gardiner School to determine the best use of these units.
What do you mean by affordable housing? The federal government typically defines housing as affordable when it consumes no more than 30 percent of a household’s income. Also, it’s referenced in the “We Will Park County” report on Housing and Affordability. We are committed to providing year-round affordable housing, targeting an amount no higher than 30% of a renter’s salary.
Is NYEF paying property tax on their properties. Yes, NYEF pays full property taxes. We requested exemption status but were denied due to local regulations.
Will you allow pets? Yes. We consider pets to be part of the family. There will be an additional deposit required for renters with pets and only one pet per unit is allowed.
What if you don't have a teacher for a unit? In the event that we cannot find GPS teacher or staff to fill these units, we will extend the offer to GPS staff and administration. After this, we will consider teachers from our local pre-primary schools (Snoopy School and Little People’s Learning Center).
Community Involvement
How can I get involved with NYEF? At this time, we are seeking members for our board of directors. We are also seeking volunteers to assist with different projects that are presented throughout the year. Volunteers to help with communication efforts and multiple fundraising efforts. We always seek folks to join our Grants Selection Team to help determine which Connect! Grants applications get funded. Please visit our Get Involved page to become a volunteer. You are also always welcome to provide direct feedback by email to admin@gardinerNYEF.org.
How can I make a donation? Go to https://www.gardinernyef.org/donate or you can mail a check to P.O. Box 166, Gardiner, MT 59030
Where can I learn more? Visit gardinerNYEF.org or email us at admin@gardinerNYEF.org or give Laura a call at 928-679-0204.