As the owners of Seed Source in Toston, Tom and Alieda grow and then sell certified alfalfa seeds across Montana and the country. Their heart for helping children comes from Alieda’s time spent as a schoolteacher in Miles City and from the adoption of their three children from South Korea.

After a few years of continued success in their business, Tom and Alieda began to search for a meaningful way to give back and support the causes that are important to them, like helping children and families locally and globally.

They were connected to the Montana Community Foundation through the Broadwater Community Foundation and, in 2015, made their first planned gift, a Deferred Gift Annuity (DGA) to provide future benefit to a new Donor Advised Fund. That fund, the Seed Source Endowment, opened last year after the 5-year waiting period. This spring, Tom and Alieda made their first grants from the fund.

"Tom and I were very excited to learn that we could be so involved in directing money to help others through this fund, especially while we’re alive to see it! We are looking forward to making more grants to support families and children, our local community, and other causes that are dear to our hearts,” says Alieda.

The first three grant recipients of the fund include the Friendship Center (Helena), the Broadwater Community Foundation, and the Bible Project.

The Seed Source Endowment is one of more than 140 Donor Advised Funds held at the Montana Community Foundation. As an endowed fund, the Seed Source Endowment will continue to support the causes Tom and Alieda care about forever.

Learn more about Donor Advised Funds here.