The Bosers’ Blueprint for Building the Future

When Doug Boser, president and CEO of Inventure Properties, and longtime CentraCare Foundation donor, thinks about philanthropy, he keeps his family and the community’s future top of mind.

Doug has had a relationship with CentraCare spanning many years and created a donor-advised fund (DAF) that benefits CentraCare Foundation initiatives here in Greater Minnesota, where he and his family live and work.

Donor-advised funds are charitable giving accounts that allow individuals or families to make tax-deductible contributions which are then invested and managed by CentraCare Foundation. Over time, donors—like the Bosers—can recommend how the funds are granted to support causes aligned with their values, while enjoying the flexibility and tax advantages of this giving vehicle.

Doug always felt a responsibility to give back, but that expanding vision took place over time and grew with his family.

“CentraCare’s been a big part of my life. I started to work for the organization as a carpenter in 1989. In the early ’90s I got involved with Holly Ball. I had time, but I didn't have money. Yet I knew there were ways I could help, so I built the Holly Ball sets.” Over time, Doug deepened his involvement, inspired by other meaningful philanthropic investments—like the entry to Clara’s House and support for the Hospice Program, both early beneficiaries of Holly Ball. “I could put resources into something to benefit the community and build something that somebody could walk through, look up and say, ‘Thank God somebody built this.’”

Becoming a Door Builder

As Doug developed partnerships within CentraCare through his work, his ideas about how best to give back solidified. He became what he refers to as a “door builder”—a reference not only to building physical things like doors but also to developing plans and systems that are a portal or opening for new possibilities in the community.

Doug began to think in new ways about giving and giving back. “Mae Ellingson-Skalicky, daughter of Clara Ellingson, talked a lot about her mother and how the community, in building Clara’s House, was creating a place that did not exist anywhere else in the world,” he explained. “This idea of creating something innovative shaped how I think about philanthropy. I was wondering if I could create an account that was more for the whole family. I wanted my kids to have access to some dollars that would offer them insight into what it means to give. Our family now considers ourselves ‘door builders’ in our community, as we decide what to do with our funds.”

Doug involved his two daughters, Maddie and Olivia, from the start of the family’s DAF. “Early on, I would say to CentraCare, ‘Put together a list of things that you have the highest need for.’ We went as a family and toured the St. Cloud Hospital, and the Foundation explained to us the different funding options. It was the girls’ decision about where our funds went. They would collectively make those decisions.”

Both Olivia and Maddie remember those tours and enjoyed feeling some grown-up ownership of their choices. Olivia remembers they chose to fund stuffed teddy bears with cameras embedded in them for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), so new parents could peek in on their newborns when they weren’t there. The women also remember deciding to fund wagons with intravenous poles attached to them for the youngest hospital patients. They allocated dollars to purchase artwork for the hospital walls and clothing items for Dignity Closet, a program originally funded through the St. Cloud Hospital Auxiliary, for patients in difficult circumstances or without clean clothes to wear upon discharge.

These days, Olivia often reflects on how their fund allocations could have an impact on their own care, along with many others. “Last year, when my son was born,” she explained, “there was a chance we could have ended up in the NICU. We could have had use for some of those things our DAF funded in the past. I would have been grateful to have those extras when I needed them.”

Maddie said learning about various needs within the community and through CentraCare at an early age gave her a unique perspective at an impressionable time. “As kids, we were healthy and that’s a blessing, but we learned not everyone is so fortunate. We gained knowledge of people’s real needs. I realized a simple, clean shirt means the difference between someone feeling comfortable or uncomfortable and how much that can influence their outlook and healing.”

Learning the Power of Positive Impact

When Maddie and Olivia were young, their giving affinities often aligned with serving pediatric patients. As they grew, their choices changed, and they found themselves considering the needs that serve patients of all ages.

The women came to understand that helping others was a powerful way to positively influence the circumstances of those around them. “We would hear real stories about why patients needed certain items from doctors and nurses. It was cool to see things from the front lines,” said Maddie.

Olivia agreed and added that anyone can give in some way. “No matter what you're given in life, whether you have money or time, there's a way for you to assist somebody else, whether that’s volunteering at the hospital or bringing your children to make cards for the patients, you can brighten someone's day or make their life a little bit easier.”

The Bosers all agree that conversations about giving back should start when kids are young. “There’s no harm in having these conversations with someone who’s three, four or five years old and instilling ideas of being compassionate to people who have different needs than your own,” said Maddie.

Doug was intentional in exposing his young daughters to opportunities that help people in the community. “I thought, in 25 years when they’re adults, what are these girls going to take as their legacy to pass on to their own kids? We knew the girls would never meet most of the people they were helping, but if somebody had a medical situation and they could utilize something that we allocated funds for, that gift could mean the difference between people having a good or terrible experience.”

A Legacy of Giving

Doug said his own exposure to philanthropy came from his parents. “They spent time doing things for the Jaycees or the Knights of Columbus, and that was their way of teaching us kids. They believed it didn’t matter if you had money or not, you just helped people. I really wanted to instill that value in my kids: that we just help people, whether we know who the people are who benefit or not.”

The idea of generational giving and passing on a legacy of generosity continues to be at the forefront of Doug’s mind as the family makes DAF allocations. He wants Maddie and Olivia and their children to make philanthropic decisions that are truly their own. “The DAF dollars aren't mine. These are dollars that were created from a lot of hard work that now they get to do some amazing things with. You pass your values on to your children, but I want them to be individuals with decisions about using these funds. DAFs are a tool,” he said, “and the fund lives on. Your family can use that tool to create that perpetuity of whatever the Foundation is trying to build, like Clara’s House or a medical school or whatever that may be in the future. DAFs can span generations and the legacy from those funds never goes away.”

A Proud Dad Moment

Doug knows his family will continue to be community door builders long into the future. “Fast forward, these two women will be asking, ‘What can we do differently in this community?’ I'm happy that they listened and learned a little bit when they were young.”

Olivia and Maddie both nodded in agreement with their dad. “I feel like in everyday life my brain just automatically goes to ‘How can I help people right now? How can we turn this DAF into something that'll help people?’ versus ‘Look at all this money I have for me.’”

Doug smiled as he declared, “Proud dad moment.”

Every family’s giving journey is unique. To discuss how your philanthropy can make a lasting impact through CentraCare Foundation, reach out to our team at 320-240-2810 or foundation@centracare.com.