• Donor Stories

A Simpler Way to Give from the Farm

Mike grew up on a nearby dairy farm and now works there with his brother and father. Mary Kate grew up in Lansing, Michigan, went to Hillsdale College, and served as a FOCUS missionary, where she and Mike met. Now married for 13 years, they are raising six children, sending them to Guardian Angels Central Catholic, and staying active in parish life through Holy Cross in Beemer and the larger West Point Catholic community.

Faith Meant to Be Shared

Before they were married, both Mike and Mary Kate served as FOCUS missionaries. For Mary Kate, that experience helped form a way of seeing faith as something meant to be shared in daily life.

“FOCUS just gave us the capacity to have more of an outward vision in our faith,” Mary Kate says. “We’ve received so much in our lives, from both our family and our faith. We’ve been given all these gifts and these graces, and now, we’re able to consider things like “how am I constantly looking out at the people around me?” or “How can I share that with others?”

A Gift That Fit the Farm

For the Guenthers, charitable giving is one way to live what they learned in FOCUS. They support their parish, Catholic education, the Archdiocese, and other religious and mission-based organizations. 

When initially considering what to donate, Mike had heard how farmers donated grain directly to charitable causes. He understood why the idea made sense. “Donating grain is probably the most practical way to give,” he says. “Most farmers around here have their grain sitting at the local elevator, and donating it is something many could do.”

Because grain is already measured, priced, stored, and sold in portions, it can fit naturally into how many farmers already manage their operations. “With grain, you can separate bushels really easily,” Mike says. “If I have 5,000 bushels at the elevator, for example, it’s really easy to say, I want to donate 500 bushels to lower my taxable income.” Many elevators here in Nebraska are also familiar with grain gifts, which can make the process even smoother.

One Fund, Many Catholic Causes

The challenge, the Guenthers had found, was how to give to several places in a way that was organized, simple, and sustainable. When Planned Giving Officer Chaz Zurcher told them about the work of the Catholic Foundation, Mike saw a connection right away.

“Basically, we tried to donate to different charities through our church and obviously, different avenues throughout our community,” Mike says. “Before I talked with Chaz, the process was complicated. Most farmers donate by paying through the elevator, and then, they write a check somewhere else as a way to lower their income tax.”

Supporting What They Love

Through the Catholic Foundation, the Guenthers established a Donor Advised Fund, which now gives them a central place to make charitable gifts. “It’s the simplest way to recommend grants to the parishes, schools, missionaries, and ministries we want to support,” says Mary Kate.

For Mike, the Donor Advised Fund helped solve the problem of giving to several causes from one organized account. “With the fund at the Catholic Foundation, we have this pool of money, and we can control how much is donated to different places.” More importantly, Mike and Mary Kate can intentionally consider giving at the local level to their parish and school, while also supporting the Archdiocese, FOCUS missionaries, and other mission work.

For the Guenthers and their busy life, the ease of giving matters, and they think many farmers can relate.

“People want to give, but they may not know the best way to connect what they have with the causes they love.”

Mary Kate

New Possibilities on the Farm

As Mike learned more about The Catholic Foundation, he began to see how charitable giving could extend beyond grain. “Talking to Chaz, my eyes were opened to ways of giving that I never knew as a possibility,” he says. The Guenthers started with grain because it was simple, but Mike can also imagine other agricultural assets becoming gifts in the future, including cattle or machinery.

“We have cattle, which could also be a source of a charitable gift,” he says. “I could also donate old machinery that isn’t being used anymore.” That shift has helped him think differently about the resources already around him. “If it has no value to me anymore, or I’m not using it, I can donate that,” Mike points out.

For farmers, ranchers, and producers, the Catholic Foundation can open a new way to look at giving. A charitable gift may already be sitting in a bin, a pasture, a machine shed, or another part of the operation. A Planned Giving Officer can help donors think through those options and direct the gift toward the Catholic causes they care about. “You could rethink the way you’re giving,” Mary Kate says.

Generosity Goes Further Here

The Guenthers’ giving is closely connected to the people and places around them. Guardian Angels Central Catholic helped them find community as young parents. Their parish family continues to connect them to Catholics across Beemer, West Point, and the surrounding towns.

“One of our greatest gifts was just having kids attend school where the community is active and welcoming,” Mike says. “It was really easy to find this wonderful community and a lot of support and a lot of friends.”

Now, through The Catholic Foundation, Mike and Mary Kate have found a practical way to support that same kind of life for others. For families in agriculture, the opportunity may already be close at hand: grain in an elevator, cattle in a pasture, equipment in a shed, or a cause they have wanted to support for years.

“It’s strategic giving,” he says. “It allows me to basically just give the money before I ever have to see it.” For the Guenthers, this also creates room for greater generosity. “If I’m able to save money in the process, that’s more I have to give.”