Bernadette and Dick Miller take great joy in seeing their children flourish in adulthood and become parents themselves. So why, with nine children and 29 grandchildren, do they give their money away to people they do not know?

"We give back to the community because it's an extension of our Catholic faith," Dick said. "We try to assist the poor, disadvantaged, elderly and ill. That is important to us. We are also committed to education at all levels and to the arts."

The couple established the Bernadette and Dick Miller Charitable Fund at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. The focus of their support for education is providing scholarships for individual students to attend Catholic high schools and colleges, and paying the tuition for entire classes of urban youth to attend Catholic schools. They also provide tickets at no charge for hundreds of high school and college students to attend the Lyric Opera and the Kansas City Symphony, which encompasses both of their interests in the performing arts and education.

"We have a small foundation, but we do what we can," Dick said. "It's amazing to watch how even the smallest gift can change a person's life. We receive far more in return than we give."

Dick also oversees the Catholic Family Foundation Fund, established at the Community Foundation in 2006.