Reflections: A Personal Journey of Generosity with Laurie Bossert

NCF’s team members are some of the brightest, most passionate experts in charitable giving. We share your biblical view of generosity which inspires our work every day. We’re here to walk alongside your family as you navigate giving, and we take that honor seriously. 

At NCF, we’re often motivated by what we’ve experienced on our own generosity journeys. Laurie Bossert, relationship manager at NCF Rocky Mountains, shares her story. Laurie’s journey includes unexplainable acts of generosity, God continuously showing up for her family, an opportunity to use her passions for the Kingdom, and a lot (and we mean a lot!) of housemates. 

Laurie, what or who helped shape your beliefs about biblical generosity? 

I was born into an alcoholic, abusive household. Throughout my life, people just kept showing up for me. By the grace of God, an acquaintance invited and paid for me to go to Young Life camp, and there I asked God into my heart at 14 years old. At 16, I left my unsafe home and was taken in by a generous Christian family that loved me through high school. With the help of federal aid, I attended Grove City College in Pennsylvania. Upon learning I would unexpectedly lose that funding, a generous giver gifted the college a private scholarship so I could graduate. 

Matthew 25:40 has been my lifetime verse: “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (ESV). Growing up the way I did, I felt like “the least of these.” Time and time again, God placed faithful people in my path to teach me how generosity can change hearts and lives. God owns it all, and if we live openhandedly with all He’s given us, He can do incredible things through us. 

It’s all by the grace of God! How has your family experienced financial generosity?

My husband Mike and I have three boys who are grown and married. When they were in college, Mike lost his job and was unemployed for about 18 months. Despite the significant blow to our financial stability, we remained committed to donating as we always have. Knowing our situation, one of our sons even offered to drop out of school to ensure we’d be able to afford to support his siblings through to graduation. We said no way! It was important for Mike and me to show our boys that they have a team behind them to cheer them on in their education – something I never got from my parents. We trusted that God would provide, and he did. Mike eventually got a job, and all three boys completed college. Together, God allowed our family to experience his reliability and grace every step of the way. 

You have story after amazing story of others showering you with generosity. How do you live out generosity in your daily life? 

Mike and I have been married for 34 years. In that span, 30 people have lived with us. Others have borrowed our car. It goes back to my earlier comment about living openhandedly and Matthew 25:40. You never know how doing something for someone else – as big as a place to live or as small as a kind word – can change their life forever.  We also give to organizations that have been meaningful to our lives, including Young Life, Compassion International, and The Joshua Fund. We serve with AWANA and premarital counseling ministries in our church. 

You mentioned your three boys and their families. How are you and Mike leaving a personal legacy of generosity for them? 

When our boys were little, Mike and I took the opportunity on a family vacation to teach them about budgeting. We spread out 1,000 pennies and separated them into giving, saving, and spending piles. Since all of our giving is online these days, we invited the boys into conversations about where our dollars go and encouraged them to speak up if there was an organization they wanted to add or remove from the list. We set a foundation of financial generosity for them that matched our home’s outward displays of generosity. As our grandkids grow, we hope to share the same lessons and examples with them. 

How do you uniquely contribute to building the Kingdom through NCF? 

I graduated with a humbled heart and degrees in accounting and religion. My career began with Price Waterhouse, then I subsequently took a break from full-time employment to homeschool our boys and run a home-based tax practice. Before joining the NCF Rocky Mountains team, I spent 12 years with Compassion International as a Senior Tax Accountant. I am excited to combine my passions for people, teaching, tax-smart strategies, and generous giving to help others achieve what God is calling them to do. 

To me, the role of relationship manager is exactly that – building relationships to see hearts and lives changed through the joy of generosity. NCF Rocky Mountains has a heart for growing in our engagement and connectedness with women givers, and I look forward to serving our community’s ladies (and gents!) with my knowledge and experience.Ready to discover how your family can get creative with your Giving Strategy? Get in touch with Laurie.