Staff Joins ICSC Meeting of Southeastern Dioceses
Staff Joins ICSC Meeting of Southeastern Dioceses Four members of The Catholic Foundation team, Marta Sweeney, Madelyn Weed, Doris Quinones and Charlie Van Patten, traveled to St. Augustine to join 25 colleagues from 14 Dioceses throughout the Southeast for the annual International Catholic Stewardship Council’s Regions IV and XIV Meeting. This group of professionals dedicated to the support and enrichment of stewardship and evangelization efforts of dioceses and Catholic ministries met over three days to share knowledge and experience on a variety of topics including: o Strengthening parish offertory and Diocesan annual appeals in a post-COVID environment o Sharing the opportunity for parishioners to leave a legacy for Catholic ministries through Planned Giving o Utilizing technology appropriately…
Tour of the New Headquarters for Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation
Tour of the New Headquarters for Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation From left to right: Darrell DeVaney F4 Wealth Advisors, Madelyn Weed and Rosie Camous of CFOCF, Kaori Kuahara of EBCF, Kimberlee Riley of CFOCF and David Odahowski of EBCF. The design by The Catholic Foundation Chairman of the Board’s organization, SchenkelShultz Architecture – is comparable to a theater representing Edyth Bush’s advocacy for the arts. EBCF’s President & CEO, David Odahowski, describes the new building as a hub for creativity and connection. David says it is their intention to create a gathering space which will spark creative new ideas, connect individuals and organizations doing good in the community and provide the tools, space and resources that many nonprofit organizations would…
Giving Trends Insights
Giving Trends Insights According to the report, 2020 saw an unprecedented philanthropic response as Americans gave more generously than they did pre-pandemic. Gratefully, this same trend was experienced throughout our diocese as our faith family came together to respond to the increased needs of the people of God and the ministries that serve them. Digging deeper into the data, the growth in giving was not able to keep pace with inflation which has challenged nonprofits across the country. The report shows an increase of charitable giving of 4% but in reality total giving was actually down after adjusting for inflation (although remaining higher than pre-pandemic levels). The post-pandemic environment with volatility in the stock market and job market continues…
Ensuring Donor Intentions
When we define our philanthropic legacy through our wills or perhaps through an endowment fund which is perpetual, it is best to ensure that our charitable intentions are able to stand the test of time. We are all safeguarded by American laws which protect donor intent. Additionally, it is good to know that industry standards guide professionals and charities with ensuring donor intent is followed. The Association of Fundraising Professionals provide guidance with their Donor Bill of Rights and our Church also provides guidance through Canon 1262. As a donor we can contribute to these laws and best practices by taking steps to ensure our intentions are honored in the present and future. The first step is being clear and…
Marta Sweeney celebrated her 30th Anniversary
Marta Sweeney celebrated her 30th anniversary in May of this year with her service beginning in 1992 with the Diocese of Orlando Development Office. In 2008 when the Foundation was established through the Synod process, Marta was asked to transition to the Foundation. She was a key support in the Alive Christ diocesan-wide campaign which raised $135 million. Marta has been key in several areas of the Foundation including supervising our data team and transitioning our data management from spreadsheets to the robust Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge system. When Marta assumed leadership of Our Catholic Appeal (originally titled Based On Love (BASE)) in 1977 there were 63 parishes, 18,000 donors and a goal of $650,000. Under her leadership the annual appeal…
Elisha Gonzalez, Women Who Move The City
One of our board Directors, Elisha Gonzalez, was recognized by the Orlando Magazine as one of the “Women who moves de city”, highlighting in a memorable article her valuable work and impact in our community. We are very proud to have Elisha as one of our board leaders, bringing innovating and caring strategies to our Catholic Foundation, always with the purpose to keep building the Kingdom of God in Central Florida. Elisha Gonzalez of FAIRWINDS Foundation: Women Who Move The City Meet Elisha Gonzalez, Executive Director at FAIRWINDS Foundation May 31, 2022 Orlando Magazine Staff Financial illiteracy is negatively impacting millions of Americans every day. Without a clear understanding of financial knowledge and confidence, personal financial skills…
Talking With Advisors About Your Charitable Giving
Charity comes from the heart but giving is a financial decision and these decisions ideally take consideration and planning. Learning how to give strategically improves how we manage our resources. Traditionally financial advisors have been trained to focus on how we build our wealth, but these financial strategies don’t necessarily help us give. Similarly, legal advisors have been trained to focus on how we distribute our wealth in a traditional method of only giving to heirs. To maximize your giving it is important to speak with your advisors about your charitable aspirations. Once they understand your goals they can guide you on the most tax-effective ways to give and can reduce costs associated with giving. Even if you are…
Saving our Global Common Home
The Church offers crucial and valuable principles to apply in the midst of a complex and powerful economy. This teaching provides a prudent strategy where decisions can be made by following the moral teaching of the Church. From a Catholic perspective, ethical and socially responsible investing requires us to evaluate specific investments in terms of how those companies or entities protect life, promote human dignity, act justly, enhance the common good and provide care for the environment. Two principles of stewardship guide this path of socially responsible investing: Exercise responsible financial stewardship by obtaining a reasonable rate of return on investments to meet fiduciary responsibilities and mission Ethical and social stewardship in investments involve strategies based on Catholic moral principles….
Good Friday, To Become more Beautiful
Part of the beauty of faith, of Catholicism, of our Church, is that it’s not a one-day event or place. Our faith shapes us into the people we are. As we journey through life, we keep the Church within us in our daily actions. The traditions we bring into our home draw us closer to God and open the door for the liturgical seasons to be reflected in every part of our lives. Our homes are called to be domestic sanctuaries of the Church and liturgical living brings this intention to our door. Liturgical living does not need to be some grand display or immediate all-encompassing change. As I have started my own journey to include more liturgical living in…
Our CEO, Kimberlee Riley is now member of the Consortium of Catholic Foundation’s Steering Committee
Our President and CEO, Kimberlee Riley, was welcomed as the newest Consortium of Catholic Foundation’s Steering Committee member, in February. Kimberlee was appointed to the Steering Committee upon the retirement of one of the founding Steering Committee members, Mark Guyol of Saint Louis, MO. Kimberlee has been an active member of the Catholic Foundation professional network and serves as a speaker for the community on visionary leadership. The Consortium of Catholic Foundations seek to accelerate the leadership effectiveness and mission impact of the Catholic Foundation, through a combination of technology, driven access to information, best practices and learning experiences. The vision of the Consortium is to develop Leaders of Catholic Foundations in the U.S. for a greater impact…