Charles L. and Polly Anceney Gallatin Valley Fund

Opens April 1, 2025, and Closes May 30, 2025

Charles (Chuck) L. Anceney and His Legacy

A Montana cowboy from a family with a strong and storied past left an incredible gift to benefit the state he loved. Charles (Chuck) L. Anceney created a trust in 2001, establishing a legacy gift to MCF to benefit charitable and conservation purposes in the Gallatin Valley.  

Chuck’s grandfather, Charles Angelique Anxionnaz, emigrated from France in the late 1800s and settled in the Gallatin Valley. He soon changed his name to Anceney, as many found the original French too difficult to pronounce. Through incredibly hard work, determination, and the help and faith of others through the years, the family was able to found and cultivate what became the more than 100,000-acre Flying D Ranch – one of Montana’s most beautiful and famous.  

Chuck spent the first 20 years of his life on the Flying D. He was a competitive and medal-winning skier for alpine jumping and slalom racing in Montana and Sun Valley in 1939-40 and had a life-long love affair with the sport. Chuck married his wife Polly in 1941 and served as a naval aviator in the Pacific Theater during World War II, winning several distinguished flying medals. He later served at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., returning to Big Sky country in 1960 where he lived until his passing in 2006. 

Charles L. and Polly Anceney Gallatin Valley Fund Program  

The Charles L. and Polly Anceney Gallatin Valley Fund Program (Anceney Gallatin Valley Program) is dedicated to supporting conservation efforts that promote the protection and preservation of our natural environment in the Gallatin Valley. Through the Anceney Gallatin Valley Program grant program, we aim to provide financial assistance to projects and initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to biodiversity conservation, habitat restoration, and sustainable resource management. 

The Gallatin Valley 

Historically, the Gallatin Valley was a common hunting ground for many members of different tribes, including Blackfeet, Sioux, Crows, and Bannock, among others. There was an early tradition that Gallatin Valley, known as the “Valley of Flowers” was neutral ground. Lasting conservation must actively involve people and partners linked to the natural systems we seek to protect and conserve, and their voices must be at the center of what we do. The Anceney Gallatin Valley Program will work to honor this traditional land and the people that relied on the land for centuries, and support efforts that are committed to conserving the Gallatin Valley.  

Fund Guidelines

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We're Here to Help

For additional help, questions or comments, contact Elisa Fiaschetti, Impact Programs Director.

406-441-4953 Email Elisa Fiaschetti