Starting life on the right foot

robert W. Minto, Jr.President and Ceo alPS Corporation

Many of you will never have heard of alPS. We’re a pretty quiet company

with business all over the world and deep roots in Missoula. We owe our existence to the lawyers and people of Montana and maintain a strong commitment to supporting all the communities where we do business; it’s a big world so we stay pretty busy. a few years ago when Dr. apostle kicked off the “graduation Matters” campaign, we started thinking about ways to get involved. it’s easy to write a check to the school district, but that wasn’t enough. alPS wanted to make a lasting contribution

that could actually help prove that graduation does matter so we approached the Missoula education foundation with the concept of an endowment that would provide scholarships for struggling students who actually tough it out and graduate despite the many hurdles they face. alPS believes every student deserves a step up to be able to gain skills to be successful in life. Beyond graduation is not just about scholarships to four year institutions, it’s about meeting the students where they are and helping them get the needed training to be successful at whatever they choose to do with their lives. the latest economic crisis counterpointed the fact that highly educated people can lack skills that make them employable in the work world of today. We need to provide as many opportunities for young people today to start out with the right skills that fit their individual employment goals and the market place. the emphasis may well be on apprenticeship programs, two-year skill training programs or training in the technical side of various health care fields. Whatever the field, society needs to provide resources to make this possible for all students, not just the ones headed for highly educated professions. every graduating student deserves a shot at his or her individual brass ring.

With the help of a large number of matching donors, the Missoula education foundation endowment that supports “Beyond graduation” can and will grow within a very few years to the point that it can provide meaningful support to a number of worthy recipients seeking to improve their skills and education. By providing alPS commitment over a five-year period with an annual matching component, we hope to encourage gifts, large and small, to join the fight for better lives for all graduates. twenty years from now i hope to see the Missoula education foundation endowment growing at an even faster rate, and providing more assistance than i can even imagine today as a new generation of donors and current recipients of “Beyond graduation” grants join in the joy of making life for the future generations better. the intangible rewards of paying it forward can’t be quantified, measured or even described; they simply have to be experienced. Please join me today in the experience by considering a donation to the Missoula education foundation endowment and Beyond graduation.

BeyonD graDuation SCholarShiP PrograMin 2011 the Missoula education foundation

established an endowment to fund aBeyond graduation scholarship program. the Beyond graduation endowed Scholarship Program was made possible by a generous lead gift from alPS. through the Beyond graduation endowed fund and Mef annual fundraising efforts, Mef will award scholarships to students who were at one

time identified as at risk for graduation but who persevered and now seekpost-secondary education in Montana. in 2012, five students will be selected to receive scholarships to Montana post-secondary schools. in addition to its leadership gift of $20,000, alPS has committed to contribute up to $20,000 annually to the endowment

for each dollar raised toward the endowment for the next four years. alPS has chosen to build this legacy for Missoula students because it appreciates that the students of today are the community leaders, neighbors and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. We encourage you to join us in supporting the success of future generations by giving to the Beyond graduation Program.

donate now: www.missoulaeducationfoundation.org

Bob

Robert W. Minto, Jr

ALPS Corporation

President and CEO

rminto@alpsnet.com

Marta Pierpoint Executive Director