The St. Peter Catholic School Angel Fund
Charlotte Funston, Principal of St. Peter Catholic School in DeLand, knows that angels are walking amongst us here on earth.
“We were truly blessed when two very kind, benevolent, and philanthropic angels walked into the school and told our receptionist, Miss Cookie, that they wanted to financially help the school,” Principal Funston shared. “We sat together in the conference room and got to know each other. They shared their philanthropic goals and their devotion as Catholics to the church and to helping others.”
Through conversation on their interests and the needs of the school community, the generous donors (who have requested to remain anonymous) decided to create an endowment for St. Peter which was later named the St. Peter Catholic School Angel Fund. Principal Funston reached out to The Catholic Foundation to assist in ensuring the best interests of both the donors and the school were discussed and integrated into this new perpetual Fund.
“These generous donors were moved to share God’s blessings with their parish school and wanted to give in a way that would make a meaningful and lasting impact,” said Madelyn Weed, Vice President of Donor Services at The Catholic Foundation. “They heard from Principal Funston that 65% of the families are at or below the poverty level and are often unable to cover fees and expenses above tuition. They decided they wanted to ensure students, regardless of their family’s financial ability, have the opportunity to fully participate in the academic, spiritual and physical activities at the school.”
The endowment, established at The Catholic Foundation, will be used to support students’ holistic developmental experience, such as participating in extra-curricular activities with classmates, when their families might not be able to afford the additional cost. This includes covering fees for participating in sports or field trips, help with purchasing uniforms, books or lunch for students, graduation fees, etc. There is a staff committee that votes on each individual case once a financial need has been determined.
Knowing that once an endowment is established, it must be allowed to grow for a year before the first distribution can be made, the donors decided to make an additional donation to serve as a “virtual” endowment distribution for this first year. This allowed the school to begin assisting families immediately. Principal Funston shared that the families who have benefited from the fruits of this fund are so grateful for the support their children have received.
The true beauty of the St. Peter Catholic School Angel Fund is that it is a legacy of support for students that will last for generations. It was the desire of the benefactors that the endowment have the ability to be contributed to by other donors, and thus grow the ability of the school to help more students each year.
“At St. Peter, we are truly blessed by angels,” exclaimed Principal Funston.
If you are interested in contributing to the growth of the St. Peter Catholic School Angel Fund, donations can be made online or via a gift of stock, IRA qualified charitable distribution, donor advised fund, etc. by contacting Madelyn Weed, CFRE, CAP at (407) 246-7188
Checks payable to “CFOCF” with a memo of “St. Peter Angel Fund” can be sent to:
The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida
P.O. Box 4905
Orlando, FL 32802-4905
If you are interested in establishing a new endowment fund to support your favorite diocesan parish, school or ministry, please contact Madelyn Weed, CFRE, CAP at (407) 246-7188.