A self-described “incredibly shy kid,” Joe Golding was a Missouri FFA member who participated in FFA Creed speaking and prepared public speaking contests—which he says enabled him to overcome his timidity. But it was his time as a Missouri state FFA officer—traveling around and speaking in front of a variety of crowds—that helped him gain confidence.
Although he had grown up around FFA (his father was a longtime ag teacher) and had the life-changing experience of membership, Joe didn’t stay in touch with the organization after college. But he would carry the skills he had acquired in FFA throughout life to have a thriving career. He and his wife, Cindy, founded several companies, including Advancement Resources, which became a global leader in philanthropic strategy, research, training, and implementation.
Cindy was not an FFA member, but FFA and agriculture play an important role in her life. For more than 22 years, she has served on the board of the Farm Bureau and actively supports Agriculture in the Classroom. Joe and Cindy own several farms, including Sweet Maple Farms in Iowa. The Goldings have six children; two daughters were FFA members, and all of their children worked on the family’s farm and in the businesses. One of their daughters used Sweet Maple Farms products as her supervised agricultural experience and was awarded the American FFA Degree.
Both Joe and Cindy understand the vital role that FFA can play in preparing young people for productive lives.
Joe says that, in his experience, lessons taught through disappointment are just as enlightening as those instilled by winning outcomes.
He quotes American inventor and businessman Charles Kettering: “Virtually nothing comes out right the first time. Failures, repeated failures, are on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success.”
Joe explains, “The great thing about FFA is that it gives students goals, but in the process of striving for those goals, they will also experience some setbacks or failures. In turn, they will learn the hard lessons of why they didn’t do well and learn how to do better.”
When it came time for the Goldings to consider their philanthropy, Joe and Cindy relied on their many years of research and training in the field. Both agree that supporting organizations that fit within your values and commit to sustainable impact is important. That’s how they came up with a short list of qualifying organizations that included the National FFA Organization.
“Philanthropy is such an individual choice,” Joe says. “Investing for positive change begins with going back and looking at what organizations have been impactful to your life or the lives of others.”
Though their initial contribution was in support of the National FFA Officer program, the Goldings wanted to make larger contributions to FFA. They decided that the most impactful gift they could make would be to leave a percentage of their estate to the organization. As Joe explains, “An estate gift is risk-free: You are giving what you are guaranteed not to need for your own care. In my opinion, every person who has been impacted by FFA should make an estate gift to the organization.”
The impact of supporting FFA can make a positive difference on the macro level as well, the Goldings believe. “If you want to see a better world, it all begins with children,” Cindy says.
“It is essential to support young people to succeed in their own lives and help build a better society. Our ROI [return on investment] on philanthropy is knowing we are helping make a better place for the future. Investing in FFA is a great investment.”
