Building Something That Lasts

Wyoming PBS has always been here for Wyoming. Through decades of change in media, technology, and public life, we have kept our commitment to local storytelling, education, and the communities we serve. That commitment now has a permanent foundation.

The Legacy of the West Endowment has been established.

This is not the finish line. It is the beginning of something lasting. An endowment grows over time, and every gift added to it strengthens Wyoming PBS for the next generation and the one after that. In June 2026, the John P. Ellbogen Foundation approved a $300,000 grant to grow the endowment, and the Wyoming PBS Foundation Board committed to matching that gift dollar for dollar. Now we are asking Wyoming donors to join us. The goal is $300,000 in private gifts. Every dollar given before that goal is met is doubled.

How We Got Here

The Legacy of the West Endowment began with a vision, not a crisis. The Hughes Charitable Foundation believed in the long-term future of Wyoming PBS and issued a $500,000 matching challenge to help establish a permanent endowment—one that would provide stable, independent support for our work no matter what the future holds.

The Wyoming PBS Foundation board met that vision with their own bold act: voting to move $500,000 from the Foundation's board-designated reserves into the permanent endowment. It was a declaration of confidence in Wyoming PBS and in the donors who would join them.

When federal funding for public media came under threat, that vision became urgent. Wyoming donors and partners rallied. The Wyoming Community Foundation played a key role in helping direct a $250,000 gift toward the match, a powerful example of how Wyoming's philanthropic community shows up when it matters. Individuals across the state stepped forward as well. The challenge was met, and the endowment was born.

What started as an act of foresight became a demonstration of what Wyoming does when something worth protecting needs defending.

The story did not stop there. In June 2026, the John P. Ellbogen Foundation approved a $300,000 grant to the Wyoming PBS Foundation, paid over three years, to accelerate the endowment's growth. The Wyoming PBS Foundation Board responded immediately, committing $300,000 of its own reserves as a dollar-for-dollar match. The endowment stood at $1,682,312 as of May 31, 2026. With the Ellbogen grant, the Foundation match, and the support of Wyoming donors, it is on its way to $2.5 million and beyond.

The Campaign Today

The Legacy of the West Endowment currently stands at $1,682,312. The Ellbogen Foundation's $300,000 grant and the Wyoming PBS Foundation's $300,000 matching commitment add $600,000 to that base. Now we are asking Wyoming donors to match the Ellbogen gift with $300,000 in private donations.

That means every dollar you give right now is worth two. The Wyoming PBS Foundation will match your gift dollar for dollar until the $300,000 goal is reached.

To give, contact Judd Rogers at judd@wyomingpbs.org or 307-855-2367.

What the Endowment Does

The principal is invested and protected. The earnings fund Wyoming PBS year after year, supporting local productions, community outreach, education programming, and the infrastructure that keeps us on the air and in your home. It is a source of support that no budget cycle, political shift, or funding disruption can take away.

That is what an endowment is for. That is what this one will do, permanently.

Voices from Our Community

"The Ellbogen Foundation is delighted to support the telling of Wyoming stories and our history, the sharing of perspectives and in making our voices heard. Wyoming PBS brings our people together in our love for this place we proudly call home. Thank you for your excellent work." — Mary L. E. Garland, President, John P. Ellbogen Foundation

"Wyoming Community Foundation connects people who care with causes that matter. We were proud to partner with our fundholders to provide a $250,000 match to the Hughes Challenge grant and help build a permanent endowment supporting the excellent work of Wyoming PBS." — Samin Dadelahi, Wyoming Community Foundation

"We support Wyoming PBS because the high-caliber programming not only feeds our intellect and curiosity, but also intrigues us with statewide local stories, global scientific exploration, and cultural diversity. An evening with our Wyoming channel is filled with wonderful surprises, from theater to cooking instruction." — Carole Nunn, Donor

Keep It Growing

The match is live. The goal is $300,000 in private gifts, and the Wyoming PBS Foundation will match every dollar until we get there.

Your gift to the Legacy of the West Endowment does not get spent. It gets invested, and it generates support for Wyoming PBS every year from here forward. Whether you give $1,000 today or include Wyoming PBS in your estate plans, you are planting something that will outlast all of us, in the best possible way.

This is a rare moment. A lead gift from one of Wyoming's most respected foundations. A dollar-for-dollar match from our own board. And an open invitation for Wyoming donors to be part of something permanent.

Ways to Give

WY PBS is proud to share stories that bring our state's treasures and remarkable experiences to light. If you are interested in supporting daily operations, please consider becoming a sustaining member.