Family Legacy Gift Honors The National Shrine

The Centlivre Family When Brent and Lisa Centlivre began their estate planning, they knew that they would want to leave a legacy gift in their will to the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, to honor this sacred space that has meant so much to their family. For Brent, the journey to that decision started more than a quarter-century ago. As he was embarking on his career with Disney, where he recently celebrated his 25th anniversary, he began to attend Mass at the Shrine. Brent’s parents are devout Catholics, and he has fond memories of the Shrine when his parents would come to visit him when he moved to Orlando, and they would attend Mass…

Local Entrepreneurial Scientist Brings Expertise To The Catholic Foundation Board

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dr. Robert Kryger, a physics professor and entrepreneurial scientist, has been appointed to The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida’s board of directors where he will share his business, technical and parish-life expertise. He joins a board comprised of lay leaders, clergy and religious members throughout the nine-county area of the Diocese of Orlando. The Catholic Foundation’s board members represent diverse professional fields of expertise and are leaders in their parishes and communities around the diocese. “We are grateful to Dr. Kryger for his willingness to share his talents and expertise in furthering the mission of The Catholic Foundation throughout the Diocese of Orlando,” said J. Thomas Chandler, Chairman of The Catholic Foundation. Professionally, Dr. Kryger has worked…

St. Katharine Drexel: American Foundress, Religious, Heiress, and Philanthropist

St. Katharine Drexel: American Foundress, Religious, Heiress, and PhilanthropistNovember 26, 1858—March 3, 1955   St. Katharine Drexel  By: Sister Maria Teresa Acosta, SCTJMA member of The Catholic Foundation board, the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and Executive Assistant to Bishop John Noonan & Fr. John Giel, Vicar General & Chancellor of Canonical Affairs. The second American-born saint to be canonized in the Catholic Church was also born into one of the most elite, yet charitable and philanthropic, families in the United States in the mid-1800’s. Born Catherine Mary Drexel in Philadelphia on November 26, 1858, St. Katharine was the second child of investment banker Francis Anthony Drexel and Hannah Langstroth. When Hannah died five weeks after…

Local Philanthropy Expert Earns Chartered Advisor In Philanthropy® Designation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE We are pleased to announce that Janet Caramello, Director of Philanthropy at The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida, has earned the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) professional designation from the Richard D. Irwin Graduate School of The American College of Financial Services (ACFS). Janet is the second person on staff to earn the CAP® designation, joining our President & CEO, Kimberlee Riley, CAP®. The ACFS is the nation’s largest nonprofit educational institution devoted to financial services holding the highest level of academic accreditation and its faculty represents some of the foremost thought leaders in their profession. The CAP® program provides the knowledge and tools needed by professionals in the nonprofit and financial services fields in order to…

Local Philanthropy Expert Elected To Board Of International Stewardship Council

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE We are pleased to announce that Marta Sweeney, Vice President and Chief Community Services Officer of The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the International Catholic Stewardship Council (ICSC). ICSC is an international organization committed to Christian stewardship as a way of life to strengthen local communities. It shares resources, best practices, and hosts an annual conference promoting philanthropy throughout the Catholic Church. As a member of the ICSC board, which includes clergy and lay leaders, Marta is providing ICSC with organizational guidance and oversight and is a member of the Conference Planning Committee that is currently organizing ICSC’s annual conference this September in Orlando. “It is an honor…

The Importance of an Ethical Will (Legacy Letter) and How to Create One

Ethical wills, unlike legal wills, are not written by a lawyer; they are written by you.  Also called legacy letters, these memorable keepsakes for your family or friends include life lessons, values, blessings, and hope for the future.   Usually written by grandparents to their grandchildren and parents to their children, these legacy resources should be part of every person’s estate planning and can be read while a person is living or also after death. For Catholics hoping to transition their Catholic values and traditions to future generations, they are invaluable. Barry K. Baines, author of Ethical Wills: Putting Your Values on Paper, advises not to wait.  In his book, he shares that as soon as you articulate your values, you…

2021 Priorities, Deepening Faith

Studies show that 80% of resolutions fail. Most often these failures are due to lack of clarity or unrealistic expectations. The challenges of 2020 have allowed us to rethink our businesses, our relationships, our routines and much more. As we begin a new year, there is still much uncertainty anticipated and reports state that recovery and a new normal will take years, not months. So rather than consider resolutions for the new year, why not consider priorities? With all the reconfiguring and reimagining from 2020, we have been able to see many aspects of our lives in a new perspective. The new normals are sure to include some of how we used to do things with the addition of the…

The Catholic Foundation Successfully Partnered With Donors To Rank Among Central Florida’s Largest Nonprofits

Press Contact: Rafael Gerena Director of Communications rgerena@cfocf.org 407-246-4888 Orlando, FL For the second consecutive year, the Orlando Business Journal (OBJ) has ranked The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida as one of the largest nonprofit organizations in Central Florida. The Catholic Foundation ranked 26th, capping a year when its board and staff adapted to meet the community’s unprecedented needs caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Catholic Foundation is a philanthropic-and-investment organization that partners with generous donors to improve the quality of life for children, youth, adults and families throughout Central Florida, regardless of race or religion. It oversees more than $70 million in investments that are managed for growth and to respect Catholic social teaching. As a result of these…

Local Foundation Earns International Awards By Successfully Partnering With Donors Amid Challenging Year

Press Contact: Rafael Gerena Director of Communications rgerena@cfocf.org 407-246-4888 Orlando, FL – October 28, 2020 The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida distributed more than $2 million to support the local community, launched a new online donor portal and donor advised funds, and successfully partnered with generous donors, clergy and Catholic lay leaders to keep people spiritually connected amid the coronavirus pandemic this year, and earned three international philanthropy awards. The awards were recently announced by the International Catholic Stewardship Council (ICSC). ICSC is an international organization committed to Christian stewardship as a way of life to strengthen local communities. The Catholic Foundation won awards for Total Foundation Effort, Annual Appeal Video, and “Honorable Mention” for the Planned Giving category. This…

Local Philanthropy Leader Earns Chartered Advisor In Philanthropy Designation

Orlando, FL We are pleased to announce that Kimberlee Riley, President & CEO of The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida, has earned the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) professional designation from the Richard D. Irwin Graduate School of The American College of Financial Services (ACFS). The ACFS is the nation’s largest nonprofit educational institution devoted to financial services holding the highest level of academic accreditation and its faculty represents some of the foremost thought leaders in their profession. The CAP® program provides the knowledge and tools needed by professionals in the nonprofit and financial services fields in order to help clients reach their charitable giving objectives and also meet their estate planning and wealth management goals. Candidates for the CAP®…

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