Q.) What is the Catholic Foundation?
The Catholic Foundation is an independent nonprofit corporation that helps Catholics live a life of service to others and fulfill the universal mission of the Catholic Church locally, regionally, and internationally. By providing philanthropic services customized to each donor’s needs, the Foundation assists donors in ensuring a promising financial future for Catholic activities across northern Colorado. The Foundation has provided assistance for almost a decade. Foundation donors provide long-term financial support to parishes, schools and various charitable entities. Since its inception in 1998, the Foundation has provided more than $40 million to charitable, religious, and educational institutions.

Q.) What is your purpose?
To provide optimal donor services to foster philanthropy, manage funds and make grants to advance the priorities of the Roman Catholic Church in northern Colorado. Through the generosity of our donors, we provide financial support to Catholic educational, service and religious organizations in order to ensure a promising future for the Catholic community in northern Colorado and those whom that community reaches.

Q.) What kind of causes does the Foundation support? Will it consider funding non-Catholic activities?
Although the Foundation has complete and independent control over all of its property, to the greatest extent possible grants are made from a fund in accordance with the donor's wishes. The Foundation provides funding to a wide range of service organizations and causes consistent with Roman Catholic teachings and principals.

Most grants go to organizations that are affiliated with the Catholic Church, although donors are able to recommend that a portion of their contributions go to other charitable causes they wish to support that are consistent with the Church's mission and beliefs. From time to time, the Foundation's Board approves grant requests from non-Catholic organizations whose work supports the mission of the Roman Catholic Church, such as sheltering the homeless.

Q.) Is the Foundation an official charity?
Yes. The Foundation is an independent Colorado nonprofit corporation, in good standing with the Colorado Secretary of State. It is subject to the group tax exemption held by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops under Internal Revenue Code § 501 (c) (3).

Q.) How do you raise funds?
We raise the majority of our funds through one-on-one donor appeals. The Catholic Foundation has earned the support of a number of faithful and generous Catholics who donate to the Foundation on a regular basis. We also raise funds through letter campaigns and special events targeted toward Catholics across Northern Colorado.

Q.) How are those funds used?
The Foundation's gift history has focused on the areas of Catholic School Education, parish needs, shelters, seminaries and other social concerns locally, regionally and internationally.

Q.) Who decides which organizations receive funds?
That depends on the type of fund involved. Some donors choose to remain involved in the grant-making process by establishing donor-advised funds. Every year, they (or someone they designate) will recommend grant recipients. In other cases, donors may choose to specify one or more categories of organizations or causes they wish to support and allow the Foundation board to see that their contributions are wisely made within this field of interest. Other donors may establish unrestricted funds, knowing that community needs change over time and directing that their philanthropy go to wherever the Foundation staff determines that needs are greatest.

Q.) How does one donate to the Catholic Foundation?
There are a number of different avenues that one may take to give to the Foundation. We can assist donors in selecting the most appropriate giving opportunity for their individual situation. Donors can give to the Foundation in the following ways: Outright gifts, Wills & Bequests, Charitable Gift Annuity, Charitable Trusts, Insurance or Donor Advised funds.

Q.) Are you part of the Archdiocese of Denver?
No. The Catholic Foundation is an independent nonprofit corporation entirely separate from the Archdiocese of Denver and any other organization. The Foundation is not legally connected to any organization and is a separately registered corporation under Colorado law. However, the Foundation aspires to serve the missions of the Roman Catholic Church and the Catholic community. Consequently, many of our grants go to parishes, schools and Catholic charitable organizations affiliated with the Archdiocese and within its geographical boundaries.

Q.) Who runs the Foundation?
Operated by a staff of six, the Foundation is governed by a 22-person Board of Trustees, which is composed predominantly of Catholic lay men and women living throughout northern Colorado who have distinguished themselves through their business, civic, legal and church activities. (See Foundation Leadership, Trustees and Staff.)

Q.) Who manages the Foundation's investments?
Foundation funds are overseen by our Investment Committee with the advice of Monticello Associates, a well-respected investment advisory firm.

Q.) What investment strategy does the Foundation follow?
The investment strategy is conservative, with an emphasis on limiting risk through diversification of assets. The Foundation takes very seriously its stewardship responsibilities to invest prudently, yet achieve a reasonable rate of return so that the philanthropic goals of the donors can be achieved.