Pledge grain or livestock to help families fund Catholic education
April 16, 2025
As spring arrives and planting begins, the Catholic Tuition Organization is reminding farmers of their ability to pledge to make a grain or livestock gift before the end of the calendar year to benefit students attending any of the 16 Catholic schools in the Diocese.
Just like all donations to CTO, farm donations qualify for a 75% Iowa state income tax credit on their 2025 taxes.
Unlike other donations, farm donations also qualify the donor/farmers to avoid counting the donation as income and paying associated self-employment tax, and with pre-planning, production costs may also be deductible.
The 25% of the gift that doesn’t qualify for the Iowa tax credit, may qualify for a federal tax deduction for those who itemize on their federal return for 2025.
CTO donors making a gift during calendar year 2025 will be helping needy families to better plan for the 2026-27 school year; those families will know that donor/farmers want to help their children get an exceptional education in a Catholic school. Farmers clearly understand the importance of planning for the future, something these families often have limited experience with.
CTO tuition grants are the first dollars applied to tuition expenses at Catholic schools in the Diocese of Des Moines.
CTO tuition award applications are still being accepted for the first two weeks of April to assist families earning up to 400% of the 2025 federal poverty guidelines. The guidelines are specific to family size as reported on federal tax returns.
Farmers who are interested in making a gift of grain or livestock can visit the CTO website to learn more and download a Grain/Livestock Ownership Transfer Donation form to start the process of donating. Donations for 2025 must be received by Dec. 31.
Families can apply for a CTO tuition grant online by visiting the link fairapp.com. In order to complete the application, families will need to have their 2024 federal taxes completed.
Families needing assistance to apply can contact their local Catholic school for more information about this important source of tuition assistance. Applications for tuition grants must be received by April 15.