Tom and Clara Dupree began their stewardship journeys from vastly different backgrounds.  She learned about tithing growing up as a Southern Baptist.  He had a limited church background and for years rejected Christianity.

"I had a degree from Yale, ran a successful financial advisory business, and was a terrible phony," confesses Tom.  "But God graciously, gradually called me, sometimes using supernatural experiences.  Eight years into our marriage, I was able to put all that worldly stuff behind me and commit my life to Christ."

"In the early years of our marriage, Tom and I compartmentalized our lives a bit," recalls Clara.  "He concentrated on his business; I ran the house and raised our four kids.  My stewardship journey began with small steps.  I first pledged five dollars a month to Campus Crusade for Christ, which was a big deal at the time. Then I started giving proportionally to the church out of my household account, because that's what I had been taught as a child to do."

Over time, as God became more real and important to Tom, he also began giving to the church.  Initially he gave about 4 percent of his income.  As his faith grew, so did his commitment to Biblical stewardship.

"I decided that I needed to get serious with God," says Tom, "so one Sunday I gave a full tithe.  God was blessing my business, so that was a substantial amount of money, at least for me at the time.  In fact, I panicked so much that I almost got up out of my seat to grab that offering plate and get my check back!"  

In 2003, Tom and Clara each opened a Giving Fund at the Kentucky Christian Foundation (KCF) in Lexington, an affiliate of The National Christian Foundation (NCF).

"Our Giving Funds make giving a joy," testifies Clara. "Before KCF, the paperwork was a nightmare.  In order to give our CPA the documentation he needed to do our taxes, we had to personally collect all our receipts and match them to checks.  Receipts are often hard to collect from charities, so we'd start that tedious process in November, and we wouldn't finish until February.  Now the paperwork is painless, because KCF writes the checks and gives us one receipt at the end of the year that details all our contributions to our Giving Fund."

Tom and Clara each own half of Dupree & Company, an investment advisory firm that provides financial advisory and management services for nine tax-free bond mutual funds.  The business generates a substantial amount of cash.

"When I sat down with Tom and Clara to plan their estate," recalls Mark MacDonald, an attorney and Executive Director of KCF, "it was immediately obvious to all of us that they had more than enough income to cover their lifestyle needs.  So, they decided to increase their contributions to their Giving Funds during their lives."

By increasing their annual giving, the Duprees accomplished three important objectives:

• The money became available for the Lord's work immediately, instead of only at the end of their lives as part of their estate.
• They received current-year combined Federal and state income tax deductions of approximately forty cents on every dollar they contributed to their Funds.  This freed up significant sums of money for Kingdom purposes that otherwise would have gone to the government in taxes.
• They removed substantial amounts of cash from their estate, so it would not be subject to estate taxes upon their deaths.

"Estate tax regulations generally permit married couples to distribute $2 million each, tax-free to their heirs at death," explains Mark.  "Everything above that is taxed at a rate of 45 percent.  Therefore, many people wisely plan to avoid estate taxes by giving to charities at death.  But the Duprees benefited from an additional aspect of wise strategic stewardship by increasing their giving during their lifetimes."

As time went on, the Duprees gave more and more generously.  They raised their giving to 15 percent of their income, then 20 percent.  Last year they increased their contributions to their Giving Funds to 50 percent of their income.  This enabled them to divert substantial amounts of money from taxes to Christian charities.   

"The IRS allows tax deductions only up to 50 percent of income," says Tom.  "But we aren't necessarily stopping there. It feels good to be at that level now, but we may go over that in the future."

"We really appreciate the flexibility our Giving Fund affords us," testifies Clara.  "We no longer have to rush at year-end to make giving decisions.  We contribute a portion of our income to our Giving Funds every month, and get tax deductions in the current year.  Then we can take our time to prayerfully consider our distribution recommendations. Meanwhile, the assets in our Giving Funds are appreciating."

"It couldn't be simpler," adds Tom.  "We make most of our giving recommendations on-line, and we've set up several monthly grant recommendations that the Giving Funds handle automatically.  That gives us more time to consider new giving opportunities."

In 2004, the Duprees opened an additional Giving Fund, which they named The Close Endowment Fund.  It receives contributions from their other two Giving Funds, and it will receive additional assets from Tom and Clara's estates upon their deaths.

"We wanted a vehicle to carry out our giving objectives in perpetuity," explains Tom.  "A committee that includes Mark MacDonald and two of our four children oversees its operations."

"Our endowment fund will disburse grants to many different causes," adds Clara, "but one of the nearest to our hearts is The Close Wilderness Retreat Center we started south of Lexington, Kentucky.  ‘Close' is an Old English word that means ‘an opening in the woods.'  The Close Endowment Fund will ensure that the retreat center continues to operate even after we're gone." 

Tom and Clara started from vastly different places.  Have the years brought them closer together?

"Clara has her own bank account and her own Giving Fund," says Tom, "and she makes her own giving decisions. But we share our thoughts with each other, and we trust each other's judgment.  With bigger amounts, if we don't agree, we don't give."