Friends of the Story Mansion
The Friends of the Story Mansion officially became a nonprofit organization in August 2008, having started with an initial vision for public use of the Mansion in 2007.
Mission
The Friends of The Story Mansion is dedicated to preserving Bozeman's historic landmark as a thriving educational, cultural and social center, while enhancing community and economic vitality.
A Collaborative Partnership
Holiday Tea 2009
Currently the Friends organization is partnering with the City of Bozeman is to ensure the Mansion's successful transition from private to public use. The Friends are working closely with the City of Bozeman staff, the City Commission and regional preservation organizations to preserve and renovate The Mansion, Carriage House and mansion grounds. The evolving partnership between the City of Bozeman and The Friends of The Story Mansion is an essential tool to securing an ongoing return on the City's initial investment in the Mansion.
The Friends are currently assisting the City in creating a vision for use, securing anchor tenants, and will provide support in marketing the Story as a venue for events and meetings. The goal is for venue rental fees and tenancy to eventually cover the City's operating costs.
Active Fundraising
The Friends in collaboration with the City are also actively pursuing funding (fundraising events, private foundations, individual donors, historic preservation grants and ongoing Friends of the Story membership fees) to underwrite the completion of the 1st floor renovation and subsequent renovation of the Mansion 2nd and 3rd floors and carriage house.
Initial Trustees
The current board of directors includes:
- Amanda Drysdale is the great great granddaughter of Nelson Story. She is a sociologist and has worked in administration at MSU, the City of Bozeman, the State of Montana, and the U.S. Senate.
- Jane Klockman is retired from a long career as a public relations executive, with special expertise in community relations. A neighbor of The Story Mansion, she is active in the Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory Board and the MSU Arts and Letters Advisory Board, and is a founder of the South Central Association of Neighbors.
- Dede Taylor, also a Story neighbor, is a professor of Art History at MSU. She served as Chair of Friends of the Bozeman Public Library, a member of the Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory Board for 6 years and aided the Library's capital campaign from 1998 to 2002.
Volunteer Committees & Staffing
Friends of the Story Mansion currently has ten, active, well-organized working committees, chaired by diverse and influential community leaders. If you are interested in volunteering with Friends of the Story Mansion, contact us at 406-570-9336. The Friends of Story Mansion is contracting with a professional Development Director to develop a fundraising plan which will include a major capital campaign. It is anticipated that this interim Development Director will be hired full time in late 2009 or early 2010 as a full-time staff person.
