Good For Business And The Kingdom

In the 80s, Phil and Jamie Holtje started a screen printing business in the barn behind their Wisconsin home. From the beginning, the couple had a heart for charity that they infused into their work. God blessed their small operation and it grew exponentially, so Phil and Jamie set up a "Giving Back" committee of employees to vet new nonprofit organizations, and choose which to support through the company. Phil says, "The company has grown fabulously and we feel it's in some part because of the dedication to charitable giving."

Over time, the Holtjes began spending more and more time traveling to visit Giving Back projects, which led them to do something revolutionary. They sold their company to their employees through an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Program). As part of the sale, Phil and Jamie used a Charitable Remainder Trust to support the charities they cared about most. Phil says, "By doing the ESOP, along with a Charitable Remainder Trust, we were able to delay or eliminate all the capital gains on the sale of the business. It was a great way to maximize the funds available to donate to charity."

Because of their desire to see people meet Jesus in their own language, Phil and Jamie chose Wycliffe as one of the charities that would benefit from the Charitable Remainder Trust. Jamie says, "We first got affiliated with Wycliffe through their partnership with the "JESUS" film, called the Luke project. Wycliffe translates the Book of Luke first as the film's script. When you watch people come to the Lord and grow in their faith, you can't help but want to give."

Phil and Jamie want to encourage other business owners to consider how God might be leading them to use their resources. Phil says, "There are giving tools available that are good for business and for kingdom building — our story shows there is a way to do both!"

If you would like to learn more about Charitable Remainder Trusts or other tools for using assets for kingdom building, please call us toll-free at 877-493-3600, or email [email protected].