Foundation’s News
Fearless: Celebrating the Foundation’s Inspiring Women in Leadership
Fearless Girl: the iconic statue that faced down the famous Charging Bull statue on Manhattan’s Bowling Green in the Financial District. It’s an image of strength, character, and determination, now facing down the bulls and bears in front of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. Fearless Girl was commissioned by State Street Global Advisors, one of our market managers who provide Catholic-compliant investments for donors through The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida. (Pictured L-R, Catholic Foundation staff Susan Hunt, Kimberlee Riley; Catholic Foundation Board Members Sister Maria Teresa Acosta, Lori Tolland) March is Women’s History Month, and National Women’s Day was March 8th. Here at the Catholic Foundation, we celebrate these remarkable women leaders, board members, and staff…
Black History Month : We Celebrate Bishop Moore’s First Black Principal
“What we do here at Bishop Moore is serve as role models for our students growing in their faith and encouraging them to live a life of service to others.” – Dr. Erika Wikstrom As we celebrate Black History Month we celebrate our very own Catholic Foundation board member, Dr. Erika Wikstrom. Erika was recently honored by WESH, Channel 2 for being Bishop Moore Catholic High School’s very first black principal. She’s truly dedicated to each student that the school serves and is a true testament to our Catholic faith. Read the article from WESH here >. Thank you for all that do for our children and our community Dr. Erika!
Women’s Philanthropic Giving Circle Kickoff
At long last, the Women’s Philanthropic Giving Circle held their inaugural Kickoff Mass and luncheon at St. James Cathedral on February 10th. This has been a labor of love and passion project of Catholic Foundation board member Lori Tolland, who serves as the founding Chairwoman. The group was initially due to kick off in the Fall of 2022, but Hurricane Ian and other factors forced a delay. Hosted by The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida, the founding members and guests attended Mass celebrated by Bishop John Noonan at the Cathedral, followed by a delicious luncheon in the Social Hall. Bishop Noonan spoke at length about the many needs in our community and how they are being addressed by ministries of…
St. Faustina Parish in Clermont, Welcome Home!
After almost 20 years, the parish of St. Faustina in Clermont has finally dedicated their new home. Bishop John Noonan celebrated the Mass as the community welcomed parishioners and guests on Feb. 4th to their long-awaited new building. It’s a journey that began back in 2006 with a gathering at a hotel banquet facility on Route 192. The parish was established by former Bishop of Orlando, Thomas Wenski, and founding pastor, Father Stephen Phillips. It’s the first parish in the US dedicated to St. Faustina Kowalska, founder of the devotion to Divine Mercy. Today, Father Ramón Bolatete has received the keys to the new parish, and is pastor of St. Faustina parish as they look toward the future they’ve worked…
Generous Donors Help the Catholic Foundation Grow as One of the Largest Nonprofits in Central Florida.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller Central Florida benefits from a community of philanthropists that believe in and embrace the notion of working together and building something greater. Whether it’s feeding and clothing those in need, healing the broken, fostering the cultural arts, or building community, donors in Central Florida rally to build up others. Orlando Business Journal recently released its top charitable organizations in Central Florida, and we are honored to be listed once again among the amazing area nonprofits that do such important work in the community. We congratulate all non-profits for their growth, perseverance, and meaningful service, especially our partner Catholic-based non-profits, Catholic Charities of Central Florida, and…
Grateful For Your Service!
At the Catholic Foundation of Central Florida, we’re all about impact. Impact to our community, impact to our donors, and the tremendous impact that our board has on the organization. Board service terms for Mr. Orlando Evora and Mr. John Kacilia expired in November 2022, and we are so eternally grateful for the impact that they’ve had on The Catholic Foundation. Thank you, Orlando Evora! Orlando joined The Catholic Foundation Board of Directors in 2011 bringing legal expertise and a passion for Catholic education. He was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors in November 2016. During his Chairmanship, the Board of Directors welcomed new clergy members and lay women expanding to 20 members. The Catholic Foundation celebrated their…
Thank You For Service To The Foundation!
We offer our deep gratitude to the outgoing board members who have contributed so much to the Foundation: Father John Giel and Father Richard Trout. Both joined The Catholic Foundation board in May 2019 and have served a full three-year term and an additional six months. Father John Giel, pastor of St Stephen Catholic Church and Vicar General of the Diocese of Orlando, and Father Richard Trout, pastor of Corpus Christi Catholic Church and Vicar for Priestly Life and Ministry, also serve on the Diocesan Finance Council. Their deep experience in the diocese and parishes helped The Catholic Foundation board understand how they can best serve the community. We are grateful for their experience, vision, hard work and dedication in…
Ministry Spotlight : Giving Tuesday Results – Thank You!
Thank you to the 430 donors who supported their favorite Catholic Ministries and donated over $102,000! View the winners of our #CatholicGivingTuesday Grants here: Catholic Giving Tuesday 2022 Grant Winners
Industry Spotlight : 3 Big Benefits of a Donor Advised Fund
What are the 3 ways a Donor Advised Fund can help you with your charitable giving? 1.) Time: I Don’t Have Enough Time Before Dec 31st! No worries! If you haven’t made up your mind about which ministries you want to support this year and need a little more time to research or pray about it, you can open up a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) at The Catholic Foundation which will allow you to take any tax deductions you are eligible for. This gives you all the time you may need to do your research and prayerfully consider your charitable giving! 2.) Bundling: I Want to Maximize My Charitable Deductions by Bundling My Donations. Depending on your level of standard…
Joy in Giving
Foundation board, planned giving advisory council, staff and partners collected over 97 pounds of food and over $2200 worth of childcare items for Catholic Charities of Central Florida’s Walking with Moms in Need campaign. Pictured from left to right are Leidy Rivas, director and Paulina Palacio, administrative assistant of the Culture of Life Ministry.