CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte’s “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign is funding $120,200 in tuition assistance this fall that will help students at six diocesan schools receive a Catholic education.
The 2013 FFHL campaign funded capital projects, endowments and other needs across the growing diocese. Included in the $65 million campaign was a tuition assistance endowment available to the diocese’s 20 schools.
This year’s funds are going to six diocesan schools that applied for the 2024-’25 school year: Asheville Catholic School, $33,100; Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville, $28,000; Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point, $16,300; Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro, $4,200; Sacred Heart School in Salisbury, $24,000; and St. Michael School in Gastonia, $14,600.
The funds are expected to help participating Catholic families who have the greatest financial need.
The FFHL tuition assistance endowment, with over $4.6 million in assets, is administered by a committee consisting of the diocese’s schools superintendent, chief financial officer and members of the diocesan school board. Available income from the endowment is distributed to qualifying diocesan schools that apply each year for student financial aid.
An endowment is a permanent fund, the principal of which is never touched, but the income from which can be used according to the wishes of the donor organization or person. Endowments provide a way to generate income and help sustain the long-term strength and viability of the recipient parish, school or ministry.
To date, a total of $990,430 in FFHL funding has been awarded to the diocese’s schools for tuition assistance.
To qualify for the funding, the school must receive local parish support of at least $500 per participating Catholic student and must have awarded all of its tuition assistance funds it already has for that school year. Schools that do not receive $500 per student in parish support may be considered if there are extenuating financial circumstances that preclude this level of support.
Qualifying schools may request funds from the FFHL endowment for participating Catholic students with a financial need.
The tuition assistance endowment is one of seven endowments funded through the FFHL campaign.
— Catholic News Herald
CHARLOTTE — The Foundation of the Diocese of Charlotte manages 92 endowments that generate income to directly aid Catholic schools and their students.
Since 1994, more than $5.5 million has been distributed from these endowments to directly benefit schools and students.
“We are grateful for those individuals and schools who have established endowments in the diocesan foundation for our 20 Catholic schools,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan development director.
”We are hopeful that more alumni, grandparents, past parents, current parents and friends of our Catholic schools will establish endowments – either now or in their estate plan.”
Established in 1994, the foundation offers a way for people and organizations to provide long-term financial stability for the diocese and its ministries.
An endowment is a permanent fund, the principal of which is invested – not spent – that generates income to help pay for projects and programs specified by the donor.
Endowments are tax deductible and help sustain the strength and viability of the diocese and its entities, paying for capital improvements, charitable outreach, education and parish operations.
The foundation makes available annually 5 percent of an endowment’s value (averaged over three years). It reports to endowment holders every quarter outlining the latest value and how much is available for distribution for its prescribed purpose – which can be very specific or more general, giving recipients the leeway to decide how the funding can help them most.
“The benefit of an endowment is that its principal continues to grow while at the same time generating an increasing amount of income for a school or ministry or parish,” said Kelley.
View the full list of education endowments on the diocese’s website, www.charlottediocese.org.
You can establish an endowment in the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation by leaving a bequest in a will, a beneficiary designation from a retirement plan, a trust or annuity, or a gift of real estate, life insurance, cash or securities. For details, contact Gina Rhodes at 704-370-3364 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..