- Our Team
We Get Creative With Giving
When most people think about charitable giving, they picture writing a check or making a cash donation. At the Catholic Foundation, generosity comes in many forms. From farmland to livestock and valuable collections, we help donors transform their assets into dollars and cents that support parishes, Catholic education, and other faith-based organizations.
Creative Giving That Makes an Impact
Our Planned Giving Officer, Chaz Zurcher, has seen nearly everything:
- Real estate and farmland
- Depreciated farm equipment
- Grain, livestock, and agricultural products
- Precious metals and coin collections
- Entire estates
“If it has marketable value, we can help you turn it into a gift that supports your parish or favorite Catholic ministry,” Chaz explains. “Recently, we helped a donor give his entire estate—including his home and three cars, one of them a 1968 Boss Mustang—to his parish. It was an incredible blessing for the parish.”
Rethinking Generosity
For Planned Giving Officer Scott Yates, unconventional gifts and creative giving change the way people experience generosity.
“Farmers trade products like hay, silage, and feeder pigs every day,” Scott says. “Why not use those same transactions to bless the Church? Even manure can become a charitable gift. These gifts open up new opportunities and make giving more meaningful.”
Scott encourages donors to look beyond the checkbook and consider creative giving options that:
- Turn everyday transactions into generosity
- Enjoy potential tax benefits by giving non-cash assets
- Create a legacy that reflects your life and work
