Press Contact:
Rafael Gerena
407.246.4888
rgerena@cfocf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orlando, FL – December 19, 2018
Central Florida Foundation extends stewardship excellence with top national award
For the fifth time in seven years, The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida captured the nation’s top award for Catholic stewardship by skillfully cultivating donor gifts that serve the community needs of religious and secular residents throughout the Diocese of Orlando’s nine-county region.
The Catholic Foundation received the 2018 “Total Foundation Effort” award for fundraising excellence across a range of categories. The Foundation also won “honorable mention” in the Planned Giving category for advancing giving through donor wills. The awards were recently presented by the International Catholic Stewardship Council, a Dearborn Heights, MI-based organization with 1,200 global members that promotes donor stewardship.
“These awards reflect the commitment that our donors and pastors have to improve life in Central Florida,” says Kimberlee Riley, the Foundation’s president. “Our donors are selflessly sharing their resources to help others.”
Established in 2007, The Catholic Foundation is an independent, nonprofit foundation that has partnered with pastors and donors to raise more than $438 million. This funding has helped to improve the lives of vulnerable children, families and adults throughout the region. These resources have also supported Catholic, non-Catholic and secular residents of Central Florida with help in key areas including health, housing, food and education assistance.
The Catholic Foundation also manages 117 endowments valued at more than $50 million. The Foundation works with donors and local parishes to establish endowments designed to generate investment income for parishes, local community needs and donor intentions in perpetuity.
Currently, The Foundation is working with its board of directors to develop a strategic plan to serve future community needs. “We must continuously improve our stewardship effort to serve the growing needs of the Diocese of Orlando and Central Florida,” says Riley, the Foundation’s president.
ABOUT THE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION OF CENTRAL FLORIDA:
The Catholic Foundation inspires giving to fund God’s work throughout the Diocese of Orlando’s nine-county area. Since its founding in 2007, the independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation has partnered with generous donors and pastors to collectively raise more than $438 million. We help individuals and organizations engage in philanthropy in a faith-filled way through socially screened endowment options. This has provided parishes, schools and Diocesan entities the ability to offer faith-formation experiences for children and adults, and necessary renovations and expansions of churches and community centers. These resources foster Catholic School education, prepare seminarians for the priesthood and support retired priests. Additionally, these funds support health, housing and food assistance in the nine counties of the Diocese of Orlando.
For more information, contact: Rafael Gerena at 407.246.4888, or rgerena@cfocf.org