Mike and Peggy Bullinger Philanthropists of the Year
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ike and Peggy Bullinger are sure a long ways from when they were briefly on food stamps. In fact, last November this couple was awarded the Philanthropists of the Year award from the North Dakota Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Mike, who is the president and CEO of Western Products, and his wife Peggy were awarded this prestigious award for their work with Medora and several organizations across the community and state. However, they weren’t always capable of the generosity they currently show. The couple first met when they were in high school in Mandan, North Dakota. Mike’s mother died when he was only 14-years old and his dad only had an eighth-grade education, but this didn’t stop Mike. The couple got married when Peggy was only 18-years old and they soon enrolled in college. This formative time shaped their outlook on life. “Back in our college days, Peggy and I were barely getting by and were in need of help,” said Mike. “We had no money and we really appreciated it when help came through for us. I received a scholarship award for a couple hundred dollars at Bismarck State College and for a short period of time, we were even on food stamps. These things are what have inspired us to provide scholarship awards at both the University of North Dakota and BSC.” Mike even recounted a story that illustrates how little they truly had. “My sister called us one evening to see how we were doing and she asked what we had had for supper. We said, ‘A can of beans and a can of corn’ because that was all that we had in our cupboards.”
As they advanced in their career, the Bullingers tried to always remember where they had come from. In fact, anytime they moved into a new house, the first meal they ate was always beans and corn. Once they moved to Fargo, Mike got a job at a CPA firm and volunteered to work on the United Way campaign. During that time, he was given 10 names to call on to ask for money. One of those calls would stick with him. “I had never asked people for money before, and it wasn’t easy,” said Mike. “One of the accounts I called on was Charlie Bertel of Union Storage. Charlie knew why I was there and before I even asked him, he wrote a check to the United Way. I was so impressed. I remember thinking how neat it would be to one day be able to do that.” And the Bullingers are now able to do just that. They now actively give back to a variety of organizations, including Peggy serving on the board for Medora and the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation for nine years, Catholic Church, United Way, YMCA, YMCA youth program, North Dakota Autism Center, March of Dimes and many more. Charitable giving is something that the couple has kept close to them and is trying to actively teach others, including their grandchildren. “We also hope to foster the importance of giving within our grandchildren and help them all realize how good it feels to be able to help others,” said Mike. “Sometimes at church, I will give each grandchild a dollar to put in the collection. As the basket is coming down the aisle, I will say to them, ‘You can put the dollar in the basket for Jesus or keep it for candy.’ You can always see the wheels turning before they finally decide to drop their dollar into the collection basket.”
They want that sense of hospitality to spread to others, no matter what they do. “I would tell anybody that everyone has something that they can give,” said Mike. “Sometimes, the best ways a person can give or help others is through sharing his or her time, special talents, qualities or knowledge—each of which we have been blessed with by our Creator. In the case of financial giving, the amount of the gift is not as important as the simple fact that you believe in something enough to give to others from what little you might have.” And while the Bullingers have given their life to giving back, they look at it as a long-term investment to help out someone else. “Though giving is not always easy and it is never required—it is always a great opportunity to help other families make ends meet so that someday they, in turn, will be able to pay it forward and do the same for others,” said Peggy.
PRO TIP Mike and Peggy and their three daughters have two family endowment foundations setup through the Dakota Medical Foundation and the FM Area Foundation. The income from both these foundations is given away annually to local charities. If you are able to do this, you can receive a North Dakota state income tax credit of 40 percent for amounts put into these endowment funds, which in turn allows you to put more money into the fund.
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