FAQs

Yes, most Catholic dioceses in the United States have foundations that hold assets to support the work of the Church. Money is usually raised for Catholic Foundations through major and estate planning opportunities. Foundations have become the preferred giving mechanisms for many benefactors who appreciate the transparent, professional management of the resources they donate.

The Diocesan Annual Appeal is money collected each year that is used immediately to support the annual needs of our Diocesan ministries, parishes and schools. In contrast, the Catholic Foundation offers everlasting support for Diocesan ministries, parishes and schools through the development and growth of endowment funds.

An endowment fund is money invested to earn revenue to fund some type of charitable activity. The principal value of an endowment fund is kept intact, while the investment earnings are distributed for charitable purposes as determined by the donor. Thus, an endowment fund can be held permanently, allowing you to support causes you care about in perpetuity.

Your gifts to endowment funds at the Catholic Foundation help provide long-term funding to the parishes, schools and ministries of your choice. We certainly are grateful to you if you prefer to give directly to your parish, a school or Catholic Social Services. All gifts help build up the Kingdom of God in our Diocese. Gifts to the Catholic Foundation provide an additional alternative for those who wish that their gifts will have a longer-lasting impact for the future.

The Catholic Foundation is an ideal place to help your gifts earn more and to provide more support for those in need than may be thought possible. The Foundation offers many benefits to you, including assistance and advice tailored to your needs and giving interests and tax advantages of various types of gifts. Also of critical importance is the Foundation’s commitment to making sure all investment decisions adhere to Catholic values and the standards set forth by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) View USCCB Socially Responsible Investment Guidelines

A dedicated and faith-filled Board of Directors governs all operations and actions by the Catholic Foundation. The board meets four times per year and oversees the professional management of all funds held in the Catholic Foundation. The 15-member Board of Directors includes the Bishop, the Vicar General and 13 lay Catholics from around our 11-county diocese who reflect diverse work experiences and backgrounds and a commitment to our Catholic faith. For a full list of the Catholic Foundation board members, please click here.

Gifts may be made to the Catholic Foundation at any time. Many donors give cash and appreciated assets. Catholic Foundation staff is happy to help you design a gift that meets your personal needs and charitable goals and can be reached at info@catholicfoundationscranton.org or 570-207-2212. Make a gift today.

Yes. The Catholic Foundation is a separate entity. No one can appropriate funds from the foundation for any purpose other than those specified by the donor.

Giving to an existing endowment fund or establishing a new endowment fund means permanently investing the gift and annually distributing 4 to 5% of its income (as determined each year by the Catholic Foundation Board of Directors) to provide long-term impact and support the Diocesan ministry of your choice forever.

The Catholic Foundation staff receives and acknowledges all gifts and distributes those gifts according to donor intent. There is a Finance/Investment Committee made up of local professionals who monitor all investments. The Catholic Foundation, with all of its funds, is audited by an independent accounting firm each year. Annual audits will be published on our website.

Absolutely. In fact, it is often more beneficial to donate appreciated stock rather than liquidating it to make a cash donation. The Catholic Foundation can enable many complex gifts including real estate, appreciated stock, artwork and collectibles, etc.

Yes, you may support Diocesan ministries, your parish, a Diocesan Catholic school or organization through an estate gift to the Foundation. Charitable estate gifts may include a gift designation in your will, your retirement account, life insurance policy or charitable trust. These gift designations come with certain tax benefits.

Yes. All gifts to the Catholic Foundation are tax deductible.

There is no cost to establish a fund at the Catholic Foundation. An annual fee, determined by the Foundation Board of Directors, is applied to all funds and used to cover investment and administration costs of the Foundation.

When doing any estate planning or major giving it is recommended to consult with your own lawyer, financial advisor or life insurance professional to review arrangements or prepare appropriate documentation. The Catholic Foundation staff is available to provide general information about the types of giving opportunities and ways to give and welcomes the opportunity to work with you and your advisor(s) any time during the process.

Yes, if you make a gift to the Catholic Foundation, it is possible that you may be asked to support the Diocesan Annual Appeal, especially if you are a current or past Appeal donor. In fact, many of our donors will support both because they know that the Appeal helps provide for the annual operating costs of our Diocesan ministries and the Foundation provides for the long-term funding of our ministries. Of course, the decision of what to support is yours alone.

Based on what several other Catholic Foundations around the country experience, most donors to a diocesan foundation not only support long term needs but remain some of the most vibrant and engaged supporters of other fundraising efforts such as the Diocesan Annual Appeal and parish annual offertory collections and other parish fundraisers.  Another reason this is true is that the Catholic Foundation will be focusing more significantly on working with donors on legacy gifts through their estate plans which could also benefit parish endowment funds.