• Donor Stories

The Road That Led Full Circle

Les & Sue Mach’s Life of Faith & Generosity

Raised in Rural Nebraska

Les grew up surrounded by wide-open spaces and tight-knit community. “I love being out in the country where you can see for miles and miles,” he says. “When you can see the horizon, you learn how to pay attention to what matters and value what’s right in front of you.” The grounded approach to life was also why Les was a perfect fit to represent the Catholic Foundation of Southern Nebraska throughout the state.

“Small-town parishes are just as important as those in Lincoln and Omaha, but they don’t often receive the same attention,” says Les. “As a foundation, we’re able to help make the hopes and dreams of those in rural parishes a reality.”

Meet People Where They Are

Parishioners welcomed Les not only for the message he brought, but for the person he was: present, curious, respectful of their lives. “Mostly, I learned how to listen,” Les says, reflecting on the many conversations he had around kitchen tables.

“Many Nebraskans have a heart for giving, they just don’t often know how to make it happen in ways that would make a difference in their community.”

—Les Mach

The relationships Les built were based on a smile and a handshake. “This is what I was meant to do,” Les laughs, “I sit around a table and talk.” He adds, “The Foundation doesn’t sell anyone and we don’t rush people, and I know our current Planned Giving Officers feel the same,” he says. “My job was pretty simple, just have conversations with people and help them give in ways that fit their life.”

Love Where You Are

For years, Les and Sue made their home and work lives blend. They both enjoy music (Sue and Les sing in the church choir), family gatherings, and travel. Their four children—and now fifteen grandchildren—became the heartbeat of their faith. In retirement, those ties are even more precious, yet the rhythm of intentional giving continues. “We have so many opportunities to give back to the parish and the groups that mean the most to us,” says Sue. 

Through the Foundation, Les and Sue established a Donor Advised Fund. “We’re able to give with intention to places like the Newman Center in Lincoln, student ministries like FOCUS, and even local arts initiatives that enrich small towns,” says Sue. “We’re also able to give whenever it makes sense for us financially, so we’re able to align our charitable giving with changing needs and family priorities. We’re able to support what matters most to us.” 

Family Focused Giving

The Machs also put in place a Charitable Wealth Transfer Plan, a way to carry their stewardship into the future without burdening their family with complex estate changes. With this plan, Les and Sue can adjust beneficiary percentages as life changes, ensuring that their support for the Church continues in a way that feels faithful and practical. “Whenever we want to make a change, we simply call Melanie at the Foundation,” says Sue. “There are no lawyer fees or hard conversations. We appreciate that we can adapt our plan however we want and that our donated money won’t be taxed—and will never be taxed.”

The Foundation’s Evolution

During his time at the Foundation, Les found that many donors wrestle with their own questions about legacy and impact. “Generosity isn’t only for the wealthy. I have had so many conversations with people who want to give, but they don’t know where to start,” says Les. “The Foundation makes it possible for anyone who is moved by faith and community to give, whether that’s one-thousand or one-million dollars.”

Even in retirement, the Machs keep company with the people and places that shaped them, including many of the wonderful people Les met during his time at the Foundation. “The generosity of this state is incredible,” says Sue, and Les agrees. “What I took away from my time is that giving is about relationships above all, and we’re happy to be at a place to support the relationships with the people and organizations in our lives.”