Scholarship Thank You Letters

Many scholarships awarded to University of Montana students are made possible by the generous support of donors. We encourage you to write a thank you letter to the donor(s) who supported the scholarship(s) you have received.

Your personal outreach is a meaningful way for you to share with them your academic achievements and proud moments you feel scholarships helped make possible. Your words have the power to inspire more philanthropy, expanding opportunities for outstanding students like you in the future.

Once you’ve written your letter(s), please follow the instructions below to submit your draft letter. For more information, please see the frequently asked questions section located below.

Writing Your Letter

  • Please see this template (Word doc) or this template (PDF) for guidance.
  • Your letter should be at least two to three paragraphs in length, between 100-200 words total. 
  • Please see these letter samples for additional guidance.
  • Letters may be typed or handwritten.
  • Date your letter with the current academic year rather than the calendar date.
  • Create a copy of your letter for each donor of your scholarship(s).
  • If you do not know the name of your scholarship donor(s), please email thankyou@supportum.org to request that information. Include the name of the scholarship(s) you received.
  • If possible, please sign your letter before submitting it. If you handwrite your letter, please sign and print your name.
  • Please be sure to proofread your letter, using spell check and grammar tools.
  • Save your letter(s) as PDF(s) or Word document(s).
  • If you have questions or would like help or accommodations, please contact the UM Foundation at thankyou@supportum.org.

Delivering Your Letter

Please submit your thank you letter within two weeks of being awarded your scholarship(s) by following these specific instructions.

UM Scholarship Portal Awards

  • If you have learned of your scholarship(s) via the UM Scholarship Portal, your letter should be uploaded back into the Portal. Once the letter is uploaded, your scholarship status in the Portal will be updated to "Submitted," indicating you have completed all necessary steps of the process.

Awards from College or School

  • If you have been notified of your scholarship(s) through your college, school or program, and they have asked you to send your letter directly to a specific representative, please do so. Once the letter is submitted to your college, school or program, the scholarship thank you process is complete.

Recurring Scholarships

  • If you are receiving a recurring scholarship, and were notified via email of this scholarship, please submit your thank you letter to thankyou@supportum.org and include the name of the scholarship you received. Once the letter is submitted via email, the scholarship thank you process is complete.

You may also mail your letter to the UM Foundation:

University of Montana Foundation
Attn: Donor Relations and Stewardship
PO Box 7159
Missoula, MT 59807-7159

OR bring it to our office:

University of Montana Foundation
Office hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Attn: Donor Relations and Stewardship
Gilkey Building, 2nd floor
Next to Gallagher Business Building
University of Montana, Missoula, MT

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipients will be notified of the letter(s) required and to whom they should be addressed via the UM Scholarship Portal or by email. Please submit your thank you letter within two weeks of being awarded the scholarship. If you receive a scholarship award later in the academic year, please submit the thank you letter as soon as you can.

UM Scholarship Portal Awards

If you have learned of your scholarship via the UM Scholarship Portal, your letter should be uploaded back into the Portal. Once the letter is uploaded, your scholarship status in the Portal will be updated to "Submitted," indicating you have completed all necessary steps of the process.

Awards from College or School

If you have been notified of your scholarship through your college, school or program, and they have asked you to send your letter directly to a specific representative, please do so.

Recurring Scholarships

If you are receiving a recurring scholarship, and were notified via email of this scholarship, please submit your thank you letter to thankyou@suppportum.org and include the name of the scholarship you received.

Yes, please write a letter to each donor. You may use the same text and change the salutation, but it is recommended that you personalize each letter for the specific donor. Please note: A donor couple only needs one letter.

Yes, please write a letter for each scholarship you've received. However, if you are not notified of the need for a scholarship letter, you can assume one is not needed. Pro tip: Save a copy of your letter to refer back to!

You should have received the name of your donor within the UM Scholarship Portal or in the email informing you of your scholarship. If you do not know the name(s) of your scholarship donor(s), please email thankyou@supportum.org to request donor information. Please include the full name of the scholarship(s) you received.

While donors provide the funding for scholarships, they do not choose scholarship recipients (that is done by University administrators, who select recipients based on the specific criteria for each scholarship). Please thank the donor(s) who made the scholarship possible and for supporting students like yourself in your academic endeavors.

You can submit the thank you letter either electronically as a Word document or PDF file, or as a legible handwritten note.

There are several ways you can add a signature to your letter: You can insert a digital signature into your Word document; you can print your letter and sign it, then scan and upload the signed version or you can use an online electronic signature program.

If you need support in writing your letter, please visit the Writing and Public Speaking Center. Please contact the Office for Disability Equity if you would like to request reasonable accommodations in writing your letter. For all other questions, please email thankyou@supportum.org.

The Donor Relations and Stewardship team at the University of Montana Foundation oversees the scholarship thank you letter process. One of our team members will respond to your emails sent to this email address. For any questions regarding financial aid and billing, please email: finaid@umontana.edu