2014 March Insert: Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota

Diocese of Winona Foundation Becomes the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota Foundation financially supports Catholic programs, services And ministries within the 20 southern counties of Minnesota March 7, 2014 (Winona, MN) The Diocese of Winona Foundation as it’s been known since 1991 announced today an official name change to the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota. The name change is intended to give the Foundation a stronger identity showing the broader reach of the organization's financial support of Catholic programs, services and ministries within the geographic area of the Diocese of Winona which includes the 20 southern counties of Minnesota.

The Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota is one of the largest faith-based foundations in Minnesota serving more than 12,282 square miles in 20 counties that include Winona, Wabasha, Olmsted, Dodge, Steele, Waseca, Blue Earth, Watonwan, Cottonwood, Murray, Pipestone, Rock, Nobles, Jackson, Faribault, Martin, Freeborn, Mower, Fillmore, and Houston. The Diocese of Winona serves over 140,000 Catholics within 114 parishes/missions, 30 Catholic Schools and a Catholic university.

“Throughout it’s history the Catholic Church has always provided to mankind and been a forerunner in brining the love of Christ to all people by providing programs and services through educational systems, healthcare systems and social justice systems,” said Joel Hennessy, Executive Director of the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota. “Since 1991 our Foundation has been sharing and providing a tangible link to this message,” said Hennessy.

As an independent corporation the Foundation has a separate Board of Directors, comprised of lay people and clergy, responsible for stewarding gifts made to the foundation and abide by the intentions of the donors wishes. The foundation manages and distributes the monies according to the donor’s wishes in areas of greatest need in the wider community. “The foundation plays an absolutely crucial role within our Diocese and beyond as it serves as the institution that promotes responsible and sophisticated planned giving,” said Chris Nelson, foundation Board Member and attorney with Dunlap and Seeger. “The foundation is an integrated, coordinated and systematic approach to tend those gifts, protect them and share them with God’s people,” said Nelson.

“Stewardship can be all inclusive and touch every aspect of our lives”, said Michelle Pearson-Langowski, foundation Board Member. “ Stewardship through the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota gives us an opportunity to faithfully use whatever God has blessed us with and is a way that leads us on a path to be closer to Christ and to be closer to his call to holiness,” said PearsonLangowski.

OUR MISSION The Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota supports financially the spiritual, educational, and social needs of the Cathollic Community in the geographical area of the Diocese of Winona in southern Minnesota.

The Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota promotes compassionate charitable giving and stewardship by: • seeking endowment funds that support our mission • helping donors achieve their charitable and financial goals • helping parishes, schools, and Catholic organizations meet their longterm financial needs • providing responsible and effective financial management • distributing earnings according to donor intent Our Catholic communities have received more than $1.2 million in grants through The Catholic Foundation.

PO Box 30098 Winona, MN 55987

The Catholic Foundation currently manages assets in excess of $20 million. In addition to “Seeds of Faith” Endowment funds, donors to the Foundation can choose to support parishes, schools and other Catholic organizations. In addition, the Foundation offers life-income arrangements via charitable gift annuities, deferred charitable gift annuities, and charitable remainder trusts.

www.catholicfsmn.org | 507.585.1275

Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota / 55 West Sanborn St, Winona, MN 55987 / 507.454.4643 / www.dow.org

Evangelization • Opportunities, events and resources spreading the Word of God and responding to Jesus’ call to "Go and Make Disciples"

Youth & Young Adult Ministry

How does your gift serve others?

Stewardship & Development • Time, talent & treasure

Mission Advancement & Communications • Publish The Courier newspaper monthly and deliver to over 37,000 homes • Interactive website and social media sites • TV Mass every Sunday for shut-ins across a majority of the diocese • Broadcast informative and appealing messages over TV, internet and radio • Media Relations

• Ministry opportunities for young people across the diocese • Leadership to national youth conference, diocesan youth conferences and rallies • Vibrant college ministry at Catholic Newman Centers in Winona and Mankato, where 1,000 students worship weekly and participate in faith formation, outreach and service programs

Catholic Schools

22%

• Dedicated support and leadership for administrators, teachers, and board members of the twenty-six elementary schools, four Catholic high schools and homeschoolers

33%

Faith Formation

15% Clergy Services

• Dedicated support to parish faith formation programs enrolling 10,000 students in parish and homeschool programs

23%

• Priestly Life & Ministry

Vocations

• Pastoral care of priests • Permanent diaconate

Community Services & Outreach • Catholic Charities - grant

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

What is the Annual Diocesan Catholic Ministries Appeal?

Formerly known as the Annual Diocesan Appeal (ADA), the Annual Diocesan Catholic Ministries Appeal is a primary source of funding to help sustain and expand ministries in the 114 parishes, 30 schools, seminary, and Catholic organizations within the geographic region served by the Diocese of Winona. The Annual Diocesan Catholic Ministries Appeal is one of the major efforts of the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota in fulfilling its mission to financially support spiritual, educational and social needs of the Catholic community in southern Minnesota.

Why do we need these ministries?

The Catholic Church serves the needs of many people in our local diocese and beyond. While some of these services are offered at the parish level, it is often more effective when many join together in ministry and service of the people of the diocese. Each diocesan ministry exists to support the work of our local parishes.

2014 Total Annual Diocesan Catholic Ministries Appeal Goal

• Social justice concerns

Parish Services & Outreach • Hispanic Ministry - dedicated priests and deacons to minister as chaplains to the growing Hispanic communities • Tribunal Services and counseling • Parish Financial Service

$2,000,000

Office of Life, Marriage and Family

Appeal Weekend is March 15/16 (Dates may vary by parish. Please consult your parish bulletin or website)

Commitment Weekend is April 5/6

(Please return your commitment card to your parish on this date or the date designated by your pastor)

• Programs and events advocating for the dignity of life • Marriage preparation and enrichment programs • Social justice and defense of conscience rights • Train more than 5,000 clergy, lay ministers and volunteers to protect our children. Virtus and Circle of Grace; Comprehensive Safe Environment Program

Institute of Lay Formation

• Comprehensive program of prayer, study, and reflection on the Catholic Faith and on the life of discipleship and service within the Church

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What should I give?

A Gift of Prayer - pray for the Church, for our diocesan family and for all people who support or are supported by the Appeal.

Time and Talent - volunteer in your parish, school, community and in diocesan ministries.

A Sacrificial Gift - consider making a pledge or onetime financial gift.

Please continue working toward your Stewardship Commitment of 10%; designating 5% to your parish, 1% to the diocese, and 4% of annual income to other charities.

How do I donate?

You will receive more information in the mail. Please return your commitment card to your parish on the designated date. Or, you mail donate online (see info at right).

How do I know that my donation goes where I intend it to go?

The Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota is an independent Minnesota nonprofit corporation that is tax exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Contributions will be used for the benefit of designated ministries of the Appeal and for no other purposes. You can see a summary of designated ministries above or you can see all the details at www.catholicfsmn.org. Or, please call the Foundation at 507.858.1275 for more information.

Scan here with smartphone to

DONATE ONLINE or visit www.catholicfsmn.org

Foundation announces 2014/15 Catholic School Tuition Assistance Program Planting “Seeds of Faith” through Catholic Education

“…and I wanted to say thank you again. We are so very grateful that this Seeds of Faith money was there for us when the company downsized and my husband found himself looking for work.

This scholarship helped our son to stay at the Catholic school.”

This is just one testimony from the hundreds of families across southern Minnesota able to benefit from the tuition assistance provided by the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota's Seeds of Faith Tuition Assistance program. Due to the circumstances at the company where the father worked, the family found themselves with significantly reduced income and the need to make decisions about ways to budget the little they had.

It was so important that their son receive a Catholic education and their desire was to register him for third grade in the fall. His parents completed a confidential application and visited with their pastor about their need.

Scholarships have been

Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota awarded to hundreds of families because of the generosity of so many people in southern Minnesota.

Since the endowment's inception in 2004, the Foundation has granted a total of nearly $500,000 on behalf of applicants.

This special endowment was created to aid families who seek a Catholic education for their children and demonstrate a financial need. Tuition funding is also provided to those who are newly arrived immigrants. This

particular fund was not created to award academic scholarships to students. It was developed specifically to give families the opportunity to access a Catholic education so that such an education never be denied because of the inability to pay.

All applications are reviewed by a volunteer committee comprised of laity, Catholic school faculty, clergy, and a foundation represntative. Income, number of people in the household, parish support through time, talent and treasure and additional special circumstances are carefully reviewed and scholarships are awarded using a weighted scoring process based on a percentage scale.

The Seeds of Faith tuition assistance endowment continues to grow each year and provides funds for children across our diocese. "These children represent a treasure we must guard with great diligence," stated "Bishop John Quinn, "I am so grateful to the people of the diocese for making Catholic education available to so many families that otherwise wouldn't be able to

afford this choice."

This year, $118,000 is available to families who demonstrate a need. This will be the largest amount granted in the history of the program.

Forms have been pre-printed in both English and Spanish and can be obtained through any parish office or at any Catholic School office in the diocese. A portion of the application must be completed by the parish pastor and additional documents should be attached as requested.

All applications must be postmarked by the published due date of May 20, 2014. No late applications will be processed.

We believe that Catholic schools afford the fullest and best opportunity to realize the threefold purpose of Christian education…to proclaim the message, build community and render service. If you know of someone who has a need, please share this information regarding the Seeds of Faith Tuition Assistance Scholarship with them. If you have a desire to aid us in this effort, additional gifts to this fund can be made to the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota at any time.

Contact Joel Hennessy jhennessy@catholicfsmn.org or 507.858.1275 for options on how your gift today or your planned gift can help ensure access to a Catholic Education for everyone.

Statement of Purpose: “…To assist in these local efforts, the foundation will establish a $2,000,000 endowment fund designated to provide tuition assistance to parents who seek a Catholic education for their children and who demonstrate a financial need. This endowment also will respond to a special need to provide tuition funding for the newly arrived immigrants in our diocese. This endowment will grow in perpetuity through gifts, deferred giving instruments, wills and bequests so assurances can continue that Catholic education will be affordable for those of limited and moderate means.

Increased enrollment resulting from supplementary tuition assistance may provide some schools with additional tuition revenues to care for other local school needs. This endowment will supplement, not replace, local efforts in providing parents with financial assistance. The diocese will distribute annual earnings from this endowment in grants to parents as assistance in tuition payments. An appropriate advisory committee will establish guidelines for the administration of this new initiative.”

Approach: Using a tuition grant application completed by each household, including comments from the household’s respective pastor and the applicant, the endowment committee will assign three scores to each application: financial need, parish support, and special circumstances. Opportunities for potential conflicts of interest, (e.g. a committee member knowing an applicant personally), should be considered prior to review.

Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota / 55 West Sanborn St, Winona, MN 55987 / 507.454.4643 / www.dow.org