Montevallo 130 Campaign Launches with Unified Call to Invest in University’s Future

October 8, 2026

University of Montevallo leaders, trustees, Foundation directors, alumni and friends gathered Oct. 7 to officially launch Montevallo 130: Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow, a campaign designed to celebrate the University’s 130-year legacy while strengthening its future.

The $1 million campaign is bringing the Montevallo community together around a shared investment in the University’s future. The UM Foundation plans to match every dollar raised through the campaign, with the full $1 million match directed to the University’s reserves. If the campaign reaches its $1 million goal by July 1, 2027, the Foundation will contribute an additional $500,000 to the University’s reserve fund.

“This is not simply about celebrating 130 years,” said Amy Nenadovich, chair of the UM Foundation Board of Directors. “A legacy is not something we simply look backward and admire. A legacy is something we inherit, strengthen and pass forward.”

That spirit was evident among Montevallo’s leadership. Both the Board of Trustees and the Foundation Board have already achieved 100% participation in the campaign, demonstrating a shared commitment to leading by example.

“Those numbers matter,” Nenadovich said during the campaign launch. “It’s certainly not a competition. It’s simply about leadership going first.”

The campaign comes at a particularly significant moment for Montevallo as the University begins a new chapter under President Dr. Michelle R. Johnston.

Johnston said she began the year with a personal theme of “together,” drawing on the familiar proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

“That really resonates for us,” Johnston said. “We have incredible momentum. Everything is pointing in the right direction.”

That momentum is reflected in a series of recent achievements for the University. Montevallo was named Alabama’s top school in the U.S. News & World Report Best Value category for the sixth consecutive year, remaining the only institution in Alabama ranked among the nation’s top 10 in the category for six straight years.

The University also recently received reaffirmation of its A- bond rating with a stable outlook, was named the best university in Alabama in Alabama Magazine’s Best in Bama awards and received reaffirmation of AACSB accreditation for the Stephens College of Business. Montevallo’s elementary education program also earned an A+ rating from the National Council on Teacher Quality.

That progress is beginning to translate into growing interest from prospective students. As Montevallo builds its fall 2027 class, the University has already admitted 831 students, an increase of 298 over this time last year, while deposits have increased 20%. Admitted students from Shelby County have increased 89.5% compared with the same point last year.

For Johnston, the momentum surrounding Montevallo 130 is part of a larger opportunity to build on that progress.

The University is also beginning a new strategic planning process and will be seeking input from the broader Montevallo community.

“We need you,” Johnston told those gathered for the campaign launch.

Nenadovich echoed that call, challenging everyone who has been touched by Montevallo to consider how they can help shape what comes next.

“If this University has changed your life, changed the life of someone you love or simply made a difference in your community, I challenge you to consider what you can do to help write its next chapter,” Nenadovich said.

The campaign’s $1 million goal is intentionally tied to the significance of Montevallo’s 130th anniversary. Supporters are encouraged to consider commemorative gifts of $130 or $1,300, representing the University’s 130 years of history, growth and community.

But the campaign’s message is broader than any particular gift amount. The campaign represents something larger than a fundraising goal. It is an opportunity for the entire Montevallo community to move forward together, building on the institution’s history while investing in the students and generations who will follow.

“Tonight, we stand between what has been and what will be,” Nenadovich said. “Where tradition meets tomorrow.”

Montevallo 130 is underway, and the next chapter begins with you.

Make a gift to the UM Foundation.