Bushels for Care

"Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” - Galatians 6:7

This Is Your Land

Through the OSF St. Mary Foundation, the land you've dedicated your life to can help those in need - by turning bushels you donate into a charitable contribution for the community.

Any bushels you harvest are eligible to donate to the Bushels for Care program. It's up to you how many you wish to give. Whether you choose to donate a set bushel amount or a set dollar amount, the donation process is easy. There's no additional cost and 100% of the value of your grain donation will benefit the program.

You may donate grain you haven't yet harvested or donate grain that is already in storage; how much you donate is up to you.

What Your Land Provides

Through your generosity, the bushels you donate can be used to fund more advanced treatment or programs to help those in need and provide excellence in health care to your patients, their families and our community.

OSF St. Mary is dedicated to providing the services and care that your community, friends and neighbors need, be it increased levels of care, greater access or improved health benefits to our community. OSF St. Mary is asking for your help to make this possible. Please consider making this donation, knowing what it will mean to the health and well-being of your community.

How to Donate

Please Note: The following donation guidelines are available in PDF format.

Ways to Give | Bushels for Care BannerThere are specific steps that need to be followed in order to receive the intended tax benefits from a gift a grain. Failure to follow these steps may result in the IRS treating the transaction as a sale by the farmer. The donor will need to take the following steps to insure that ownership of the gifted grain is transferred prior to the sale and he/she receives recognition for their gift.

  • Donors considering making a gift of grain are encouraged to consult their tax adviser and the office of development at OSF St. Mary.

  • Gifts of grain may be used to make outright gifts or gifts with reserved life income, such as gift annuities or charitable remainder unitrusts.

  • Gifting grain to the OSF St. Mary Foundation is a creative way to support quality, compassionate health care while at the same time providing donors with favorable tax benefits. Gifts of grain may eliminate or avoid taxes yet retain 100% of the value for a charity. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved.

  • Farmers may avoid federal and state income taxes on their gift of grain, and they may also avoid paying the 15.3% self-employment taxes on the income which they would have recognized on the amount of grain gifted.

Steps to Making a Gift of Grain:

  1. Donor contacts one of the following individuals at the OSF St. Mary Foundation to advise us that a gift is being made and a Bushels for Care pledge form has been sent.
    1. Linda Hawkins, Director of Development - Phone: (309) 344-3161 x4450
    2. Robin Borgione, Development Associate - Phone: (309) 344-3161 x4492

  2. Donor delivers the grain to the grain elevator or notifies elevator employees if the grain is already in storage. If the pledge form hasn't been sent to the OSF St. Mary, the donor must complete the "Letter from the Donor Regarding a Gift of Grain" and send it to the OSF St. Mary Foundation at the address provided below.
    1. Donor requests the grain to be transferred to the OSF St. Mary Foundation.
    2. Elevator staff complete the warehouse or storage receipt and sends to the OSF St. Mary Foundation. Please Note: The storage receipt is evidence that ownership of the grain was transferred from farmer to the OSF St. Mary Foundation.

    Please Note: The donor should have no involvement in the sale of the commodity or direction of the income once the ownership has been transferred.

  3. Donor instructs the grain elevator to send the contract to sell the grain to the OSF St. Mary Foundation for signature. If the elevator does not use written contracts for grain sales, a "Instructions to Grain Elevator for Gift of Grain" form will need to be completed. Please Note: Because OSF St. Mary is the owner of the grain, the producer may not instruct the elevator to sell the grain.

  4. The grain elevator gives the farmer a receipt of the number of bushels that was transferred to the OSF St. Mary Foundation.

  5. The grain elevator issues the check for the sale of the grain to the OSF St. Mary Foundation along with the "bill of sale" indicating number of bushels and sale price to the address provided below.

  6. The OSF St. Mary Foundation staff sends a thank you letter to the donor indicating the number of bushels of grain donated, the market value of the grain on the date of donation, which indicates the total contribution to the OSF St. Mary Foundation and the amount of sale. Donors will be recognized according to the size of the contribution.

Donation Forms

Mailing Address/Phone Numbers

OSF St. Mary Foundation
3333 N. Seminary Street
Galesburg, Illinois 61401

For more information on the Bushels for Care program, please call Linda Hawkins, Director of Development, at (309) 344-3161 x4450 or Robin Borgione, Development Associate, at (309) 344-3161 x4192.