Marie Galetto, Marketing & Grants Program Manager
It has been my privilege to be the Grants Program Manager at the Catholic Community Foundation for a little over a year now. In the past year, I oversaw my first Spring Grant Cycle and met (in-person or virtually via countless emails) many wonderful volunteers and staff to whom we granted funds. These are the people who work hard every day in our parishes and local Catholic organizations to improve our liturgical music, organize programs to serve our neediest neighbors, implement innovative stewardship initiatives, and coordinate enriching faith formation programs in our community. It has been a pleasure to serve these hardworking individuals, learn more about their work, and assist their communities through our grantmaking. The most rewarding of all is being able to tell them that they received a grant from the Catholic Community Foundation!
The 2018 Spring Grant Cycle is open now through March 16 at 5 p.m. No late applications will be accepted, so make sure to submit early – especially if you would like feedback! If you are interested in supporting our grantmaking, please send donations to the Foundation designating the Spring Grant Cycle or donate online to the “Matching Grants” fund at https://giving.cfoscc.org/donatenow.
Last year $42,000 of matching grants allowed the Foundation to award $263,900 in our four grant categories. This year we currently have $211,900 available in the following categories:
Apolonia Andre Fund for Liturgical Music: This fund supports parish liturgical music programs which enrich our worship and bring our communities together in Eucharist. Available funds: $4,700.
Parish Outreach Endowment: This fund focuses on programs which serve underserved communities and perform corporal works of mercy – feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, etc.
Available funds: $73,400.
Parish Stewardship Endowment: This fund supports programs which view stewardship as a way of life that engages parishioners in Christian life and builds a community where everyone is welcome and parishioners actively and excitedly participate in parish life.
Available funds: $60,300.
Pastoral Ministry Training & Formation Endowment: This fund supports ministry training and faith formation programs that help people of all ages grow in their faith. Available funds: $73,500.
If you would like examples of programs we have granted to in each category, or for more information about restrictions and requirements, please visit https://catholiccf.org/what-we-do/grants.
Workshops: Come to one of our Grant Workshops for tips on our application and reporting processes and to get your questions answered. There will be two in-person workshops and a workshop via webinar.
Workshop 1: February 15 at 11 a.m., Saint Christopher Parish;
Workshop 2: February 20 via webinar (see website for details);
Workshop 3: February 21 at 6 p.m., Church of the Resurrection, Alcoves Farina Center.
I encourage all parishes to apply in every category and please contact me if you have any questions or need assistance. I look forward to learning about the programs that make your parishes the vibrant, welcoming communities that they are!