Chris and Kim Cruickshank consider stewardship the fabric of their family story. In every stage of life and everything they do, the Cruickshanks have always sought to let gratitude guide their choices.

Their journey as a couple, parents, and now grandparents has been guided by the belief that everything they’ve received was entrusted by God to be used for good. That’s why the Cruickshanks see stewardship not as an obligation, but as a grateful response to God’s generosity. When they learned about donor advised funds (DAFs) through the Catholic Foundation of West Michigan, they recognized it as a meaningful way to carry that conviction into their giving.

For Chris and Kim, the DAF is a framework that allows their generosity to be intentional, enduring, and rooted in faith. It gives them confidence that their giving today reflects the values that have shaped their family and will continue to guide them for years to come.

Weaving Faith Into Family Values
Chris and Kim were raised in homes where Catholic faith shaped daily life. Daily family dinners encouraged meaningful conversation, and the practice of attending Mass together every Sunday instilled a rhythm of worship and gratitude. That shared foundation became the quiet thread that bound them together, even before they realized how central it would become to their marriage.

Their relationship began long before text messages and FaceTime. With Chris away at Michigan Tech University and Kim still finishing school downstate, they relied on handwritten letters and weekly late-night phone calls to connect. “We spent hours writing back and forth,” Chris recalls. “Looking back, it was such a gift. You really get to know someone when you’re putting your heart on paper.”

The traditions that shaped their childhoods became the blueprint for their own family. Faith guided their daily life, from dinner around the table to Mass every Sunday without exception. Even vacations carried that same expectation. “It was never, ‘Are we going to church?’” Chris says. “It was, ‘Where are we going to church?’ God has always been a priority, no matter where we are.”

Just as their parents had done for them, Chris and Kim instilled faith as the heartbeat of family life. Their children grew up knowing that prayer, community, and service were non-negotiables. And into their adulthood, they’ve carried that legacy forward by living out stewardship in their own way. “They’ve been given so much, and they’re using their gifts to serve others,” Chris says. “That’s what stewardship looks like. It’s not just money. It’s your time, your talents, your very life.”

Growing Into a Life of Stewardship
Like many Catholic couples, the Cruickshanks began their married life committed to practicing their faith as it was taught. For years, their faith was steady but sometimes compartmentalized — one commitment among many in the swirl of raising children, working, and managing daily responsibilities.

Over time, though, both Chris and Kim experienced a shift. What had once felt like obligation began to take root as something deeper: intentional stewardship. 

Kim recalls an early moment in their marriage when a couple at their parish spoke about the blessings of tithing. “They challenged us to think differently — that we couldn’t outgive God,” she remembers. Though money was tight, the Cruickshanks began giving to God first, a practice that has shaped their approach to stewardship ever since.

That conviction became a guiding force in how the Cruickshanks approached their parish life as well. When they joined Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Chris used his engineering background to help manage a major church expansion project. It was a tangible reminder that stewardship includes more than financial giving — it is offering one’s skills, time, and energy back to God.

Faith in Action
Chris and Kim believe that stewarding the Catholic faith requires more than just going through the motions or voting a certain way — it calls for putting faith into action. That belief has taken them down distinct but complementary paths of service, both rooted in the conviction that life is fullest when centered on faith.

Chris found that call through God’s Embrace, a ministry that teaches and empowers Catholics to experience daily the loving embrace of our Triune God. After completing the program, they later began facilitating groups themselves, walking others through Scripture, prayer, and Eucharistic life. Pilgrimages to the Holy Land further deepened their formation, reminding them that daily prayer and intentional discipleship are at the core of Catholic life. Chris believes, “If even one person’s life changes because of the time you invest, then it’s worth every effort.”

For Kim, stewardship has always meant showing up where her gifts are needed most. In 2019, she felt God nudging her toward HELP Pregnancy Aid. Already serving as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist at a local hospital, she wanted to extend her commitment to protecting life and supporting women in need. A series of “God moments,” including meeting HELP’s executive director Paula at a retreat and later at a housing luncheon, confirmed her call.

Since then, Kim has served weekly as a Client Advocate Volunteer, meeting one-on-one with women and their children. “I can’t fix all their problems, but I can bring a bit of calm and love in the midst of their chaos.” For her, the highlight is offering both practical resources and emotional and spiritual support, walking with mothers as they move from crisis to stability. “Being pro-life is about more than belief,” she says. “It’s about asking, what are we going to do about it?”

Together, Chris and Kim’s service shows that stewardship is meant to be a way of life that weaves faith into every decision — and that generosity is most powerful when it’s lived out in action. That same conviction ultimately led them to opening a DAF with the Catholic Foundation to make sure their giving could remain as intentional and lasting as the values they’ve built their lives around.

Donor Advised Funds: Flexible Giving for the Future of Our Faith
When Kim and Chris learned about DAFs, they quickly recognized how closely the concept aligned with their values. After decades of faithful giving on their own time, they wanted a way to make their philanthropy more simple, convenient, and impactful.

The decision came down to stewardship and practicality. “If we’re already giving, why not do it in the smartest way possible?” Chris posits. A DAF, they realized, not only maximizes the impact of each gift but also streamlines the process, consolidating countless year-end checks into a single, thoughtful plan. “Even if you’re donating small amounts to a number of causes, this is a way to be very efficient with your time,” he adds. 

The Cruickshanks also see their DAF as a way to extend their stewardship beyond their own lifetime. With their children able to serve as successors, the fund offers a path for generosity to ripple into future generations. To others discerning their own path of giving, Chris offers this perspective: “This isn’t just for the ultra-wealthy. It’s an accessible way for everyday Catholics to be intentional about their giving, and it gives our kids the option to carry it forward if they choose.”

Extending the Call to Stewardship
When asked what advice they would share with others discerning their own path of generosity, Chris and Kim keep it simple: start small, and trust God with the rest. “God has each of us right where we’re supposed to be, with the right people and the right resources. He only asks that we put them to use.”

They hope other families will experience the same joy and freedom in giving that has shaped their own lives. Through the Catholic Foundation, they’ve discovered a structure that helps them give with confidence today while ensuring their legacy of stewardship will carry on for generations.

Their story is a powerful reminder of what the Catholic Foundation seeks to nurture in every family: a life of faith expressed in generosity that helps strengthen the Church and transform our community for years to come.