Help Solve Guthrie Family Mysteries…Including Yours.

Many Guthrie lineages remain unproven or blocked by “brick walls.” Your contribution to our Sponsorship Fund helps provide Y-DNA testing for descendants of critical, unrepresented lines. We also facilitate crowd-funding or cost-sharing (multiple cousins) sponsoring a Y-DNA test or upgrade.

🔍 Guthrie DNA Project: Most Wanted Status Board

Every Guthrie lineage in an Ungrouped Family Status belongs on this Most Wanted Board. Guthrie men, if you are interested in representing your cousins across the globe by participating in Y-DNA testing, please contact us. Include details on your ancestry in the email for review by the Project Administrator.

🧬 The Power of the Paternal Line

These mysteries are solved using Y-DNA testing. Because the Y-chromosome is passed down from father to son with very few changes, it acts as a digital thumbprint for the Guthrie surname.

High Priority: Acquiring a Y-DNA test will potentially verify or debunk origin theories.

Seeking Sponsor: We have a lineage ready to be tested but need donations to cover the cost of the laboratory kit.

Seeking Candidate: We have the interest (and often the funds), but we need a direct male Guthrie to provide a DNA sample.

🤝 Take Action

The Sponsorship Fund exists to ensure that lack of funds never stands in the way of a major genealogical discovery.

• Donate: Specify that your donation will be used to sponsor an individual, upgrade an existing kit, be used to benefit a specific Guthrie Ancestor or established group, or left to the administrator’s discretion.
• Volunteer to Test: If you are a male Guthrie from a lineage in an Ungrouped Family Status, your DNA is the most valuable contribution you can make. Contact the Project Administrator if you need clarification about your family line.
• Network: Collaborate with your immediate and extended family or your genealogical contacts to arrange to identify a Guthrie for Y-DNA testing. Come up with a group cost-sharing plan with the admin to sponsor his test..

The Solution: Cost-Sharing & Sponsorship

DNA testing can be a significant investment for a single person. However, a Y-DNA test doesn’t just benefit the person taking it—it provides answers for everyone descended from that ancestor.

By sharing the cost among cousins, siblings, and extended relations, we can sponsor a test for a male Guthrie representative of an ungrouped line.

Our Testing Strategy: Step-by-Step

To ensure we use project funds and family donations wisely, we follow a specific two-step testing strategy:

Step 1: Establish the Baseline (The Priority)

We recommend that all Ungrouped lineages start with a Y-37 or Y-111 marker test.

• Why? These tests provide enough data to determine if a lineage belongs to an existing Guthrie Family Group or if it represents a brand-new branch.
• Goal: To establish “Baseline Data.” It is the most cost-effective way to get an initial answer and prove which group the family belongs to.

Step 2: The Deep Dive (The Future)

While the Big Y-700 is the “gold standard” for DNA testing, we generally recommend it as an upgrade later on.

• Why? The Big Y-700 is best used once we already know which group a person belongs to. It helps refine the specific “branch” of the family tree and identifies unique mutations (SNPs) for that direct line.
• The Rule: We seek baseline data first (Y-37/111) to prove the group before investing in a Big Y-700.

How You Can Help

1. Identify a Tester: If you are a female Guthrie descendant or a male descendant from a female line, you cannot take a Y-DNA test yourself. You can, however, identify a male Guthrie relative (a father, brother, uncle, or cousin who carries the Guthrie surname) to represent your branch.
2. Contribute to the Fund: You can donate any amount to the Guthrie DNA Project General Fund through Family Tree DNA (FTDNA). You can specify that your donation be used for a representative of a specific “Ungrouped” lineage. If you already have a candidate in mind, your individual or pooled resources can be identified for that individual. Your identity can be listed or you can remain anonymous. Your privacy and payment methods are secured by FTDNA.
3. Spread the Word: Share your family’s “Ungrouped” status with your extended relations. If 10 cousins each contribute $15–$20, a Y-37 test is fully funded!

Why Act Now?

Every “Ungrouped” lineage is a missing piece of the global Guthrie puzzle. By sponsoring a test today, you aren’t just helping one person—you are providing a permanent genealogical roadmap for your children, grandchildren, and all future researchers of your line.

Ready to help solve a mystery? Visit the Guthrie DNA Project Sponsorship Page to see which lines need funding or to make a contribution to the General Fund.

💰 How to Fund Your Guthrie DNA Discovery

Genetic genealogy is an investment in your family history that benefits relatives around the world. Here are four strategic ways to manage the cost of Y-DNA testing.

1. Timing is Everything: Sales Events

Major testing companies (like FTDNA) offer significant discounts during holiday windows. Wait for these events to save 20% to 40% on kits.

• Key Sales Periods: Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, National DNA Day (April), and the Winter Holiday season (November–December).
• Strategy: Identify the test you need (e.g., Y-111 or Big-Y) now, so you are ready to “buy the dip” when the sale goes live.

2. Family Gifting & Resource Pooling

A single Y-DNA test can be more valuable than 100 autosomal tests for proving a lineage. If the cost feels high for one person, consider these collaborative approaches:

• The Ultimate Gift: Request a Y-DNA kit as a collective birthday or holiday gift from your siblings or cousins.
• Sponsor a Cousin: If you aren’t a male Guthrie but have found a cousin who is, offer to split the cost. One person provides the DNA, the other provides the funding.

3. FTDNA Group General Fund

Every surname project has a “General Fund” managed by Family Tree DNA. This is a secure way to collect and hold money for specific project goals.

• Direct & Secure: Money is donated directly to FTDNA; project admins never touch the cash—they only direct where the credit is applied.
• Targeted Donations: You can donate “In Memory of [Ancestor Name]” or specify that the funds be used only for a “descendant of Daniel Guthrie & Mary Little” or “Upgrade Kit 1234567 to Y-111”. Upgrades require the permission of the Kit Tester or Manager. Contact the Project Administrator for details.

4. Apply for a Sponsorship

We believe that financial constraints should never be the reason a family mystery remains unsolved.

• Full & Partial Sponsorships: Depending on the generosity of our members, we can often cover part or all of a test for qualified candidates.
• Priority for “Ungrouped” Lines: If you are a male Guthrie from one of our Ungrouped Lineages, you are a high-priority candidate for project-funded testing.

Let’s bring every Guthrie lineage home.