This text gets replaced by the swf file if the user has Flash installed.

It's your foundation

“It’s really not The Catholic Foundation, it’s Your Catholic Foundation,” says Dr. Emma Lee McCloskey, CFRE, executive director of the newly-established entity. “It’s spirit-led and faith empowered. We really are passing on the gift of faith.” To contact The Catholic Foundation, call McCloskey at 814.824.1236 or visit the association’s Web site at www.TCFRCD.org

“Investing with the Catholic Foundation
is a natural step...”

Diocese announces The Catholic Foundation

Written by Anne-Marie Welsh

“Lives are going to be changed because of the gifts that donors make through this new foundation,” says Dr. Emma Lee McCloskey, CFRE, who will lead the way as the executive director of a new diocesan endeavor, The Catholic Foundation. “We are so pleased to establish this vehicle for people who want to lend their vision and support to the outreach of the Erie Diocese in a more significant way.”

McCloskey points out that by establishing a foundation as a separate, non-profit entity, a diocese broadens the opportunities for donors interested in giving through a variety of means. “In other words, we are now in a position to work with people interested in everything from making a bequest through their will, to more complex gifts that bring lifetime income to the donor. These gifts may require long-term planning and the involvement of financial advisors as well as other family members,” she explains. Donor will have the option of building upon established endowments or creating their own.

During last fall’s International Catholic Stewardship Conference, Dr. Emma Lee McCloskey, executive director of The Catholic Foundation of the Erie Diocese, shared lunch with Father Michael Shields, center, recipient of the Christian Stewardship Award presented by the International Catholic Stewardship Council. Michael E. Murphy, executive director of the council, left, presented the award. Father Michael serves as pastor at Church of the Nativity in Magadan, Russia. “It was moving to hear of the martyrs of Magadan, who suffered in the prison camps of Russia,” said McCloskey. “Magadan has become a symbol of all the Russian prison camps and Father Michael has formed a survivors’ support group which honors their witness to faith.”

The $6.5 million portfolio is comprised of endowments developed during the capital campaign the diocese conducted in 2001-2003. Income earned through investments is benefiting the major charitable work of Catholic Charities, education, including religious education and Catholic schools and the health and welfare of the clergy, evangelization and outreach into rural parts of the diocese.

Dioceses across the nation have been recognizing that people want to make legacy gifts but often don’t know how to do it according to McCloskey, who brings 15 years of fund development experience with major health care and educational institutions to the effort. She also recently earned her doctorate in organizational leadership from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

“There is great energy and excitement,” says Cheryl Vicary, board member of The Catholic Foundation and a well-known philanthropist in the region. “We know this will impact the lives of thousands who are receiving services and programs in our very large diocese.” The foundation will award annual grants in a process led by professional men and women—mostly lay people—in collaboration with clergy and religious who serve on the board, representing the 13 counties of the diocese.

“This is really a historic marker for our diocese,” Bishop Donald Trautman says. “There will be a new sense of ownership among donors who will truly appreciate the vision and direction and commitment to ministries the board has.”

McCloskey’s enthusiasm alone is enough to ignite hope and faith in those with whom she comes into contact. “I witness a great sense of joy among donors,” she says. “That comes from putting your heart forward in terms of all your dollars can do. When people allow their hearts to lead, and when they give as an act of love, they light up. They often tell me they feel more joy in these gifts than they’ve ever experienced.” McCloskey says people gain a sense of empowerment working through a foundation. “They know they’re in charge, they’re making the decisions about the kind of legacy they want to establish,” she says.

After studying several foundation models, and meeting with administrators at a number of diocesan foundations, The Catholic Foundation in the Erie Diocese is based on best practices yet structured to address the strengths of the people who live in this diocese, which is the largest, geographically, in the state of Pennsylvania. The foundation uses socially responsible and market-competitive investment stratgeties; its portfolio is expected to exceed the benchmarks. Fund performance is being monitored by an independent consultant.

“Most donors have a lifetime relationship with their faith,” says McCloskey. “Next to their family of origin, their faith may be the strongest thread woven into the fabric of family life. Investing with The Catholic Foundation is a really natural step for them.”

Please tell us what you thought of this feature