Dear Friends:
When spring finally arrives, I dream about what the months ahead will hold for my family, the world around us and, of course, the work of the Catholic Community Foundation (CCF). Pope Francis himself encourages all of us to dream, telling the crowds at World Youth Day in Kraków, Poland last July that God “wants to make you see that, with you, the world can be different.”
And it can. We look to 2017 with a bold vision and a dream to continue to do service that’s profound, compassionate, and perpetual.
In our second quarter alone – October through December – $6.1 million in gifts entered the Foundation. In that same quarter, nearly 700 grants totaling $3.1 million dollars flowed back into our community. We granted $1.1 million more in the second quarter of this year than we did in the second quarter of the previous year. What a strong indicator of the generosity and impact that is to come in 2017!
To help further our mission, we’ve welcomed three new staff members to our team:
- Lisa Haemmerle, Office Manager/Development Coordinator
- Mike Ricci, Director – Professional Outreach and Investments
- Mary Haeg, Development/Gift Planning Officer
In December, we appointed our new Board Vice Chair, Tom Letscher, who succeeded John Beuerlein, and we elected two new directors to serve the board: Kathy Cooney and Jane Wyatt. Emery Koenig was also appointed chair of the Grants Committee.
These faith-filled professionals know what it’s like to dream big and to use their gifts, just like the individuals we profile in the pages of this newsletter. You’ll meet young evangelists who are both learning from the past and working toward the future. You will also read about a family’s philanthropic legacy that is expanding to the next generation.
These stories of giving and faith in action call us to imagine new ways of sharing our time, talent and treasure for the benefit of others. Thank you for dreaming with CCF as we work to joyfully serve others in the year ahead and beyond.
Sincerely,
Anne Cullen Miller, MBA
President