FADICA News

At the Inaugural Public Dialogue of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, FADICA President Alexia Kelley emphasized servant leadership as a key “factor” in Pope Francis’ papacy.  On a panel alongside the New York Times’ David Brooks, PBS’ Mark Shields, and the USCCB’s president’s spokesperson Kim Daniels, Alexia said that Pope Francis shows the way to Catholics on how to move beyond the division in the Church, to move toward healing and to be part of the solution. She observed that young Catholics have been moved by the witness of the Pope’s actions, his inclusiveness and authenticity, but noted that they haven’t yet heard the whole story on Catholic social thought.  With a robust understanding of the rich Catholic social tradition, young Catholics can become a powerful force and movement for the Church.   The dialogue was moderated by John Carr, director of the Initiative at Georgetown University. Watch the video of “The Francis Factor:  Implications of Pope Francis and Catholic Social Thought for American Public Life.” Stories of interest regarding the Dialogue: Kelley noted that Pope Francis embodies a spirit of servant leadership, and Brooks said that the pope has fully embraced being counter-cultural, “looking like a Christian.”  From Lessons from Rome for DC, a blog post at Busted Halo, written by Michael O’Loughlin. Panelist Alexia Kelley, president and CEO of Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, said she found Pope Francis offering a servant-leadership style that can help inform public life in the U.S. “He’s showing it not just in an intellectual sense

Specialty Family Foundation Chair and FADICA member Deb Estes penned a post “Catholic Schools: a Pathway out of Poverty,” on the blog of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Ms. Estes describes a renewed focus on the long-term sustainability of Catholic schools in light of many challenges, and the work of FADICA’s new Catholic Schools affinity group in “supporting, studying and sharing these solutions.” Learn about the innovative strategies that her foundation and other members of FADICA have implemented to improve Catholic school education and governance. Read more here: http://usccbmedia.blogspot.com/2013/08/catholic-schools-pathway-out-of-poverty.html

FADICA member Christine Healey authored this OpEd, “A Partnership for Camden Schools,” which was published  this month in the Philadelphia Inquirer: “Last month, the state assumed full control of the public schools in the Camden School District. Of the 75 lowest-performing schools in the state, 23 are in Camden. The state’s intervention affirms what many of us have long known: Despite its best efforts, the district consistently fails to educate its students or provide them with the love of learning they need to break the cycle of poverty.” Read more

Thanks to the generous partnership and commitment of two FADICA members, congregations of Catholic sisters will have an opportunity to strengthen their fundraising and development efforts through a new program at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The comprehensive resource development program for women religious is supported by more than $2.6 million in grant funding from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the GHR Foundation. “Advancing Mission: Women Religious in the 21st Century,” includes training for congregational leaders and an opportunity for congregations to secure multi-year grant funding to build congregational fundraising and development capacity, as well as ongoing support through coaching and peer learning.    “The Fund Raising School and the Lake Institute have stepped up with a training program that takes into account the opportunities and challenges facing Catholic sisters today,” said Steven M. Hilton, Chairman, President & CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Amy Goldman, Chair and Executive Director of GHR Foundation noted, “The GHR Foundation deeply appreciates Catholic sisters for the indelible institutions that they have built in this country and their legacy of service to all.   You can find the full press release here.

With sincere joy and heartfelt prayers, Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities (FADICA) welcomes Pope Francis.     We join our prayers with Catholics and people of good will throughout the world in sending our blessing to the new Holy Father. May God be always close to him and may Jesus guide his steps in service to our beloved Church and the people of God.    Pope Francis’ humble spirit, his love of the poor, his commitment to the Gospel, and his example of servant leadership will be a blessing for all of the faithful. FADICA members look forward to the powerful witness Pope Francis will offer the world. We are eager to support our new shepherd in relieving human suffering, supporting our Church, and building–piece by piece–the kingdom of God in today’s complex world.

Over 70 FADICA members and guests gathered earlier this month for FADICA’s thirty-seventh annual membership meeting and symposium, Nurturing our Tradition and Engaging our Future: New Leadership, New Collaboration. The symposium showcased new and innovative leaders from a number of Catholic charitable organizations, including Caritas Internationalis and Jesuit Commons. Symposium dialogue and panel presentations focused on creating innovative models of collaboration, youth engagement, and the need to harness new technology and social media to achieve greater mission impact. Panels covered both domestic and international sectors of Catholic nonprofit and charitable efforts, and guest speakers included Michel Roy, General Secretary of Caritas Internationalis (Rome), and Christine Healey, Executive Director of the Catholic School Development Program (NJ). At the annual meeting, FADICA’s Board of Directors elected new officers of the organization.  Sr. Sally Duffy, SC, President of the SC Ministry Foundation was elected Chair.  Forrest N. Jenkins, Director and Immediate Past Chair of the Assisi Foundation of Memphis, was elected Vice Chair;  John C. Vatterott, Trustee of the Joan and John Vatterott Foundation, was elected Treasurer; and Deborah A. Estes, President of the Specialty Family Foundation, was elected Secretary. “FADICA members, as Catholic philanthropists, bring Jesus’ ministry and Catholic social teaching to life in their own communities and around the world.  I look forward to working with all of our members and partners to support our Church and the people of God as they serve the common good and the most vulnerable,” said FADICA’s newly elected Chair, Sr. Sally Duffy, SC.  Members also launched several new “affinity” working groups

Washington, DC – William F. Raskob, Chairman of the Board of Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities (FADICA), today announced that Alexia K. Kelley has been appointed the next president and CEO of the organization. She succeeds Dr. Francis J. Butler, who served as president for over three decades and retired earlier this year. “Alexia has a distinguished record of leadership and service in the church, the nonprofit world and government. Her strong commitment to her faith, a history of enabling younger people to develop their leadership, and a keen understanding of the broad scope of the nation’s religious and charitable organizations will serve our network of grant makers well,” said Mr. Raskob. Kelley brings a wealth of experience in various sectors to FADICA, including time at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), leading nonprofits, and serving in the White House’s Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Contributing to the USCCB’s anti-poverty initiative, Kelley worked at the Catholic Campaign for Human Development from 1993 through 2002. She then joined the Environmental Resources Trust where she advocated for market-based solutions to renewable energy promotion and climate change mitigation, before co-founding Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, where she supported lay Catholic engagement on Catholic social teaching and related issues of human life and dignity, poverty, the environment, and peace. “I look forward to working with FADICA members who are so committed to supporting and strengthening the Church and making positive impact in society, particularly through serving the most vulnerable. Their generosity has long inspired

Catholic grant makers belonging to FADICA will gather November 15-16 for a retreat with best selling author Ronald Rolheiser, an Oblate of Mary Immaculate priest who will facilitate a spiritual retreat on servant leadership. The FADICA fall program is an annual gathering of philanthropists who work together to strengthen the spiritual supports of their charitable work through prayer, fellowship and reflection. This year’s theme is: Leading Like Christ: The Wisdom of Servant Leadership. Father Rolheiser, author of the newly released book Our One Great Act of Fidelity, Restless Heart, and the Holy Longing, will lead a series of conversations on the principal moral virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance and the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity in the exercise of leadership. The gathering at Yale University’s St. Thomas More Chapel and Catholic Center will provide philanthropists with an opportunity to tour one of the nation’s most vibrant campus ministries. The FADICA organization has served for over three decades as a network connecting Catholic grant makers through conferencing services and enabling cooperative grant making among private foundations. Catholic spirituality and campus ministry have been among topics of great interest to the network. Throughout FADICA’s history,  members have come together with some of the most gifted Catholic spiritual writers and thinkers of modern times including the late Henri Nouwen, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, Cardinal Carlo Martini SJ, Trappist Basil Pennington, author Rosemary Haughton, and Lawrence Cunningham among others.

Washington DC –  Philip D. Lewis, former board chairman of Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, a former State Senator and philanthropist, is being mourned by the Catholic foundation community across the country, following his death on September 4. “We have lost a true servant leader,” said William F. Raskob, board chair of FADICA. “One who lived his faith through humble, personal service to the poor, and whose trademark was big-hearted, generous, loving encouragement to those who brought the message of Christ to a hurting world.”Mr. Lewis served as chairman of the board of FADICA from 2002 until 2005. He also was active in FADICA for over three decades. Raised in Chicago and Palm Beach, Mr. Lewis was the son of the late Frank J. Lewis, a founding member of Lewis University, and a Chicago roofing and paving materials manufacturer. Philip Lewis was a Florida State Senator for a decade and served as its President of the Senate from 1978 until 1980. A close friend of many church leaders, Mr. Lewis was in attendance for the Second Vatican Council as a lay advisor. On the occasion of FADICA’s 30th anniversary in 2006, Mr. Lewis shared his reflections on church related philanthropy drawing from his life of service and positive, hopeful outlook. “We are a people… we must always reflect that by encouraging one another and building up one another. Relationship building must always be of the utmost importance to us,” Mr. Lewis said. A daily mass participant wherever he travelled, Mr. Lewis was a proponent

Washington, DC -A former board chairman and a former board treasurer of FADICA passed away on the same day, April 24th. Timothy J. O’ Shaughnessy, FADICA’s former board chair, died in South Bend, Indiana, at the age of 68. “Tim was a generous and perceptive philanthropic leader and board member who embodied care and compassion in all the many things he did for others,” remarked William F. Raskob, FADICA’s current chair. “The Catholic philanthropic community joins me in applauding Tim’s Christian example, his love for the Catholic church, and his leadership and service in FADICA,” Mr. Raskob added. “Tim and his wonderful family are in our prayers,” he said. Timothy J. O’ Shaughnessy was president of the I.A. O’Shaughnessy Foundation of St. Paul.  A Navy veteran and university teacher, Mr. O’ Shaughnessy was also professionally engaged in the world of geriatric care, providing psychological services to nursing homes.  He served on numerous boards including the University of Notre Dame’s Erasmus Center. George E. Doty Sr., an emeritus member of the FADICA board of directors, and a former board treasurer, also died on the same day as Mr. O’Shaughnessy. Mr. Doty had been active in FADICA from the mid 1980’s until last year, serving as the organization’s treasurer from 1986 until 1991. Under Mr. Doty’s leadership, FADICA conducted the first independent management study of the Holy See.  The work centered on auditing capacities and the study led to a major strengthening of financial budgeting and auditing by the Economic Prefecture of the Holy See. As a philanthropist, Mr. Doty