November 2019 Dear Friends in Christ, The Catholic Foundation wishes you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving. Today, we are thanking God for you! Your generosity and support is impacting lives, supporting our community, and leaving a legacy of selflessness in our diocese. In this month’s newsletter, you will meet our new chairman, Tom Chandler, and see photos from our board of director’s annual retreat. We are also sharing ways that your generosity can improve life for formerly homeless families moving into new homes. Our end-of-year information includes ways to reduce your taxes through IRA contributions and our Donor Advised Funds, which allow you to give to charities close to your heart. “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1
Meet Our New Chairman Tom Chandler
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“The work of The Catholic Foundation Board has given me a practical and direct platform to serve others through time, talent and treasure and to respond to the directive that to whom much is given, much will be expected.” |
Thomas Chandler, AIA President & CEOSCHENKELSHULTZ Architecture Orlando, Fl. Education
Awards/Recognition
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4 Questions for Tom: What has your board member experience been like at The Catholic Foundation? It has been personally gratifying to have participated in the evolution and growth of the Foundation from its early startup years to a thriving organization focused on serving the diverse needs of the Diocese of Orlando through philanthropy. What is the best part of being a board member? Working closely with other Catholic community leaders to build a philanthropic organization that can provide for the future financial stability of the Diocese of Orlando. How has being a board member affected your faith? The work of The Catholic Foundation Board has given me a practical and direct platform to serve others through time, talent and treasure and to respond to the directive that to whom much is given, much will be expected. What are your top three priorities as chairman? First: Enhance the knowledge and awareness of The Catholic Foundation’s good work to the greater Orlando Community. Second: Execute the three-year strategic plan with a 10-year vision to focus on the following four areas. Visible Community Leadership and Impact; Engaging Donor Experiences; Distinctive Faith-Based Investing Management; and Organizational Excellence and Sustainability Third: Further Develop a Board of Directors that reflects the diversity of the Diocese of Orlando and our greater Orlando Community. |
2019 Catholic Foundation Annual Board Retreat
Board members praying for the success of new chairman, Tom Chandler, at this month’s board retreat. 
Left Photo: Orlando Evora, Chairman Emeritus (left); Tom Chandler, Chairman Right Photo: Eric A. Holm, former board member; Kimberlee Riley, Catholic Foundation President & CEO 
Bishop John Noonan discusses Christian life. Catholic Foundation staff.
December 3rd is #GivingTuesday Donate to Help a Family in Need!
What is #GivingTuesday? Giving Tuesday began in 2012 as a simple idea: a day dedicated to encouraging people to give back to the community in order to impact and transform lives in our local communities. One of the biggest challenges that our Central Florida community faces is the lack of affordable housing. Affordable Housing As a result, this year The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida’s mission is to help Catholic Charities of Central Florida to provide affordable housing for the poor and homeless in the Diocese of Orlando. All proceeds will allow Catholic Charities to provide furniture and other home necessities to homeless families moving into their own homes! Cant wait? Click here to donate today! The Central Florida region is ranked worst in the nation in terms of the number of affordable housing units. Our middle- and low-income employed neighbors are spending more than 30 percent (and sometimes more than 50 percent) of their income on housing because of the region’s lack of affordable housing. This means our neighbors are regularly making tough decisions about whether to clothe, feed and even provide medical care for their families. This year, Catholic Charities of Central Florida began working with Orlando’s Neighborhood and Community Development Group to renovate family homes for homeless or precariously housed families that qualify financially. They have been working on four homes and are slated to receive three more in early 2020. Their goal is to renovate 20 homes in 2020 to make the housing livable and accessible! Although providing the safety and security of a house is wonderful, most of the families who will move into these houses have nothing to bring with them to make their house a home. Our goal on Giving Tuesday is to raise $10,000 to fill the empty rooms with beds, dressers, tables and chairs and to fill the drawers and cabinets with silverware, plates and pans! Your generous gift will provide families with the dignity of cooking a meal in their own kitchen, sitting down at a table together to enjoy the meal, and the comfort of falling asleep in their own room…in their own bed…dreaming on their own pillow. BONUS MATCHING GIFT! We are excited to announce that we have a generous anonymous donor who has stepped forward and will match every dollar donated up to $5,000! This will DOUBLE the impact of your donation! Please prayerfully consider a donation and join us in bringing these families the joy of a true home this Christmas. Click here to donate today! 
Help us make a house a home for a family this Christmas! As you prepare your shopping list for Black Friday or Cyber Monday, consider donating an item from Catholic Charities’ Amazon Wish List by clicking here! 
As an added bonus, if you go to smile.amazon.com, you can select The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida as your designated charity, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your entire purchase price. This would help The Catholic Foundation to support nonprofits throughout Central Florida that serve thousands of Floridians in need.
Donor Advised Funds Your Gift Supports Your Passion!
Click here for more information!
Charitable IRA Rollover Information
Click here for more information about Charitable IRA Rollover.
End-of-Year Tax News You Can Use
Click article links to read:
- Timely Tips for End-of-Year Tax Planning
- Benefits of Bunching Charitable Gifts
- IRA and 401(k) Contributions in 2020
In the Community: Legacy Planning Seminar at St. Matthew Catholic Church
The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida presented a Legacy Planning Seminar at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Winter Haven on November 14th. Topics included Wills and Estate Planning, Financial Planning, Creating Your Legacy, and End of Life Matters. Fifty two parishioners attended to learn and receive resources such as a “Planning Your Catholic Legacy Wills Guide.” Please click here for a downloadable copy of the Wills Guide. For more information about creating your Catholic legacy or bringing this free informational seminar to your parish, contact Janet Caramello, MBA, CFRE at jcaramello@cfocf.org or 407-246-4802.
In the Community: Connecting with Catholic Millennials
Bottom Left: Maureen Furino, YCP Orlando President; Rafael Gerena, The Catholic Foundation Bottom Right: Riley Arnemann, The Catholic Foundation; Christina Woodman, YCP Orlando Upper Left: Riley; Fr. Josh Swallows, Catholic Campus Ministry, and Most Precious Blood Parish, Oviedo Staff members from The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida this month attended a talk about Catholic leadership hosted by Young Catholic Professionals (YCP) Orlando. The Foundation is committed to better connecting with millennials representing a new generation of Catholic leaders. The Catholic Foundation is creating faith bonds with millennials through community outreach.