In November 2024, FADICA pilgrims attended a private audience with His Holiness Pope Francis at the apostolic palace in Vatican City. The audience was a blessed beginning to FADICA’s five-day Rome pilgrimage, in which FADICA members engaged multiple leaders at the Vatican on topics like safeguarding, global human development, faith consistent investing, and education and culture.
FADICA – Catholic Philanthropy Network was thrilled to convey the St. Mary Magdalene Medal of Service to Gabriela Smith—a FADICA member, board member, and the founder and executive chair of the Crimsonbridge Foundation—at a FADICA Advent gathering in Washington, DC, on December 12, 2023.
In early May, Alicia Simon and FADICA Board Chair Mike Wolohan traveled to Seattle to present the St. Joseph of Arimathea Medal of Service to Dick Abrams.
Rome – As the world commemorated the first World Day of the Prevention of, and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Violence on Friday, November 18th, simultaneous events marking this occasion took place in Rome. Colleen Crawford, Manager of FADICA’s and Safeguarding Initiative, was on the ground to witness this historic gathering.
Washington, DC – For more than 35 years, the Catholic Funding Guide has served grantseeking Catholic ministries, helping them connect with funders who share in their mission and priorities. A project of FADICA, the Guide is now expanding to serve Catholic philanthropy broadly, including both grantmakers and grantseekers, by connecting each to relevant resources and building community online to support mission impact. Both funders and grantseekers can join the Guide’s community on the project’s website. First published in 1998 as a print only resource, FADICA took the resource online in 2010 and 10 years later began a complete renovation and reimagination. The Guide’s director, Jon Jakoblich, was hired in 2020 to lead that effort. Jakoblich built a new website, complete with a digital portal that allows grant seekers to search for funders, funders to search through projects posted by grant seekers, and a Knowledge Center of articles and videos detailing philanthropy best practices. “Faith based organizations have long been at the heart of the nonprofit sector, yet grant seeking remains a challenge,” Jakoblich says, “We renovated the Catholic Funding Guide not only to help address that challenge, but to give funders and grantseekers another point of connection through Amplify.” The Guide’s Amplify feature is designed support connection between funders and grantseekers with aligned priorities. Grantseekers are able post projects in need of funding, and funders can search and identify projects that match their priorities. Funders can then communicate directly with those ministries through the Amplify feature. Membership to the Catholic Funding Guide as a grantseeker
Washington, DC (February 11, 2022) — Three inspiring Catholic philanthropic leaders have been selected as recipients of the 2022 St. Katharine Drexel Award in Catholic Philanthropy. In honoring these awardees, FADICA celebrates their immeasurable contributions to the Church and their communities and commends their generous service to others.
“Each year, FADICA recognizes outstanding Catholic philanthropic leaders whose vocation of giving recall the spirit of St. Katharine Drexel,” said Alexia Kelley, President and CEO of FADICA, the leading Catholic-inspired philanthropic peer network. “The 2022 honorees reflect St. Katharine’s philanthropic approach through servant leadership and innovation for a vital Church and the common good,” Kelley continued.
The Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota (CCF) hosted Tomás Insua, founder of the Global Catholic Climate Movement, whose mission is to “bring Laudato Si’ to life.” Anne Cullen Miller, president of CCF, told The Catholic Spirit that the foundation plans to highlight climate change in upcoming programs.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops elected Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez as their new president during their fall gathering. From America magazine: “Archbishop Gomez, a priest of Opus Dei, is described by those who know him as someone who cares for victims of clergy sexual abuse, an advocate for the L.A.’s homeless population and a proponent of Laudato Si’,’ Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment. Archbishop Gomez was described in 2017…as the ‘protégé’ of Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia.”
Representatives from 21 countries participated in an April gathering at the Vatican as part of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative, through its parent organization, Pax Christi International, Vatican News reported. Drafted following the meeting, a statement promoting nonviolence, available here, reads, “As Christians committed to faithfully following in the footsteps of Jesus, we are called to take a clear stand for active nonviolence and against all forms of violence.”
A forum focusing on alleviating poverty among Native American populations took place at the University of Notre Dame in October, Catholic News Service reported. The summit, attended by American Indian tribal leaders and hosted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ subcommittee on Native American Affairs, will release recommendations to help alleviate poverty.
FADICA is the leading philanthropic peer network serving as a catalyst for a vital Catholic Church, Catholic ministries, and the common good. We promote the growth and effectiveness of Catholic philanthropy inspired by the joy of the Gospel and the Catholic social tradition. FADICA supports its members through education, exchange, fellowship and faith, research, joint funding opportunities, and interaction with Catholic leadership.
