Investing in God-Sized Dreams
It started with an unfamiliar name in a database and developed into a $1 million gift.
About a decade ago, the development team at Ozark Christian College noticed a previously given, very generous gift—yet the partner family was unknown to them. David Duncan, Executive Director of CDF Capital Foundation (formerly Co:Mission Foundation), was on staff at Ozark at the time and sought to meet this family and learn their story. The initial contact launched a strong friendship and Kingdom camaraderie between David, other Ozark staff members, and the Rick Bronson family.
Many years earlier, Rick had attended Ozark for a semester but felt he wasn’t called into full-time ministry. Still, he wanted to offer his “five loaves and two fish” to help spread the gospel. So he gave to Ozark because the college trains men and women for Christian service.
“When I first met Rick and Vicki at their home in Oklahoma, they were so happy that their youngest son, Chad, was a student at Ozark,” David recalled.
A few years later, Vicki Bronson lost her 10+ year battle with cancer—but her faith and passion for mission work now lives on in the form of a scholarship at Ozark for missions students. After Vicki’s passing, Rick met and married a fellow cancer widow, Kathleen, and together they continue the goal of honoring God with the family resources.
“The Bronson family story is one of great tragedy, God’s abiding love, and the triumph of the human spirit surrendered to Jesus,” David said.
“This gift sends a message: people believe in you and your work and in the mission you believe in.” —@SergioRizo9
Rick & Chad Bronson, Matt Proctor
Sergio Rizo, Vice President of Development and Community Relations at Ozark, met Rick and David about three years ago and discovered their shared passion for resourcing Kingdom work. “When people talk about what they want to give their lives to—in time, energy, or financial resources—most people want to know their giving will bear much fruit. We want to see that the gospel is proclaimed so that more people will hear—so that more people will be invited into the Kingdom of God,” said Sergio.
Rick’s favorite expression is: “We’ve got to have God-sized dreams.” So when Sergio approached Rick last year about Ozark’s God-sized ministry dreams, “Rick didn’t bat an eye. He said, ‘Give me time to think about this.’”
Because CDF Capital Foundation’s purpose is to work at the intersection of ministry and financial entrepreneurs, for about a year Rick worked with both the Foundation and his legal counsel to position his non-cash resources so that he, Kathleen, and Chad could present Ozark with a $1 million gift.
Commenting on the process, David noted, “Sometimes the desire to give is present, but careful work is required to assure that the gift consists of the best assets, the most tax-efficient strategies, and the proper timing. That’s what we do at CDF Capital Foundation—help God’s people invest (primarily) non-cash assets into Kingdom enterprise.”
An additional blessing to Ozark is that the Bronson gift is divided three ways—as a result, it funds student scholarships, jump-starts a major dormitory renovation, and seeds projects that will result in additional resources for the college.
“We’re grateful for CDF Capital Foundation and David Duncan as valued ministry partners,” said Matt Proctor, President of Ozark Christian College. “David is a generosity champion and played an integral part in this gift. Over the years, he’s helped direct millions into Kingdom purposes, and only eternity will tell the full story of the lives changed by those dollars.”
The Bronson gift goes beyond tangible expenses listed on a ledger. It also provides tremendous encouragement to those who give their lives to Kingdom work. “There is a different spirit about us this year,” Sergio noted. “The Ozark faculty sacrifice to be here. Students choose to prepare for ministry here. This gift sends a message: people believe in you and your work and in the mission you believe in.”
When people give, they can be viewed as a name and a number on a list. But there is heart and a story within each act of generosity. There is teamwork among people and organizations behind the scenes so that a gift can come together. Above all, there is a belief in a dream, in a mission, and in a Kingdom that will last for eternity.
