CHARLOTTE — Catholic school leaders, in partnership with the Diocese of Charlotte’s Development Office, are taking a new approach to annual giving for the needs of the 19 Catholic schools in western North Carolina.
Instead of one effort formerly known as the MACS Education Annual Fund, each of the nine Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools will spearhead its own fund development program and determine how best to prioritize donations from year to year. The diocese’s 10 other schools – nine parish-based schools as well as Bishop McGuinness High School – will use the same approach.
Since it was established in 1993, the MACS Education Annual Fund raised approximately $9.5 million for Catholic education.
“From a philanthropy and giving perspective, we decided that our community of families and supporters are eager for their local school to benefit directly from annual fund support. Therefore, we are moving away from the MACS Annual Fund to focus more specifically on individual school fund development,” said Dr. Gregory Monroe, superintendent of Catholic schools, in a letter to the MACS community also signed by Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development.
Monroe explained that this new phase of fund development will allow schools to more effectively address their specific individual needs and promote student success in a more prominent way.
“Each school can determine how best to fund priority needs in areas like Catholic identity, technology, curricular resources, cultural enrichment, teacher grants and professional development,” he said.
“I see the individual annual fund appeals being particularly beneficial to older schools with more established local legacies,” said Michelle Kuhn, the new principal of St. Ann School in Charlotte. “St. Ann is a special place that has been incredibly important to area Catholic families for decades.”
She hopes that by reaching out directly to families – inviting alumni back to the school to see all of the updates that have been made and giving them an opportunity to reminisce about their years spent at St. Ann School – more people will want to invest in current needs and future success of the school.
“In addition to a robust annual fund, I would like to see a substantial St. Ann Endowment upon which we can draw for scholarships,” she added.
All 19 schools will receive guidance from Ben Hoke, the new development director for Catholic schools. He will assist each school to focus on enhanced funding initiatives and dynamic annual, major, and planned giving programs for strengthening each school community.
“We are designing plans to increase involvement and financial support,” Hoke said. “My goal is to help each school raise more money, both immediately and long term.”
Kelley believes the new partnership with each school principal, their staff and leadership volunteers will “aim to customize a school-by-school approach to fully realize a stronger culture of teamwork and philanthropy.”
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte Foundation manages 75 endowments with a total market value of approximately $15 million that directly aid the diocese’s 19 schools and their students:
- American Schlafhorst Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for students at Charlotte Catholic High School.
- Asheville Catholic School Foundation Endowment Fund: Financial support to enable the school to retain quality teachers, offer scholarship assistance, provide continuing education for teachers, and enhance the school’s curriculum.
- Joseph and Margaret Baldi Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for children of St. Leo Parish families to attend St. Leo School in Winston-Salem.
- Bishop McGuinness High School Endowment Fund: Financial support for the education of students at this school in Kernersville.
- Joan W. Books Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for children of Immaculate Conception Parish to attend Immaculata School in Hendersonville.
- Elizabeth Allen Brown Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Asheville Catholic School.
- Molly Cassidy Scholarship Fund: Tuition assistance for Triad area Catholic school students.
- Catholic Education Endowment Fund: Scholarships for students attending Catholic elementary schools in the diocese.
- Charlotte Catholic High School Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarships for graduating seniors to attend a college of their choice.
- Charlotte Catholic High School Alumni Association Board Discretionary Endowment Fund: Financial assistance, at the board’s discretion, to Charlotte Catholic High School students.
- Charlotte Catholic High School Endowment Fund: Benefits Charlotte Catholic High School.
- James P. and Eunice S. Cherry Scholarship Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students to attend St. Michael School in Gastonia.
- Cornelius Alexander Davis Fund: Tuition assistance for students at St. Leo School in Winston-Salem.
- Digger Dawson Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for students from Immaculate Conception Church attending Immaculata School in Hendersonville.
- Derhofer Endowment Fund: For drama department productions, capital needs related to the drama department, and tuition assistance for students at Bishop McGuinness High School.
- Deussen Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarships for Catholic high school education in the greater Charlotte area.
- Stephen and Jessica Dey Options Endowment Fund: Benefits the “Options” programs at the diocese’s schools.
- Faucette Endowment Fund: Financial assistance for the educational ministry of the diocese’s schools.
- ‘Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love’ campaign endowment: Tuition assistance
- Gayden and Janell Gauthier Fund: Tuition scholarship assistance for students at Immaculata School in Hendersonville.
- O’Brien and William Edwards Gibbs Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Asheville Catholic School.
- Gismondi Family Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for children of St. Mark Church parishioners to attend Christ the King High School in Huntersville.
- Megan Healy Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for students at St. Patrick School in Charlotte.
- Edith and George Hilbert Endowment Fund for Asheville Catholic School: Financial support for the education of students at Asheville Catholic School.
- Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School Endowment Fund: Supports the general needs of Holy Trinity Middle School.
- Immaculata School Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for students at Immaculata School in Hendersonville.
- Immaculate Heart of Mary School Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point.
- Roger Kavanagh Tuition Assistance Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at St. Pius X School in Greensboro.
- Leeolou Family Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools families.
- LeFeber Endowment: This fund provides tuition assistance to students at Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville.
- LoBianco Family Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at St. Therese of Lisieux Church in Mooresville and St. Mark Church in Huntersville to attend Christ the King High School.
- Manley Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students of families at St. Eugene Church to attend Catholic elementary school.
- Sister Terry Martin Scholarship Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students matriculating in higher education from Clay and Cherokee counties.
- Catherine McAuley Endowment Fund: Scholarships to Catholic students attending Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools.
- Francis J. McGrail Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance to students of Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point.
- Lee McGuiness Endowment: Benefits the Charlotte Catholic High School Alumni Association.
- Sandy McMonagle Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Our Lady of Mercy School in Winston-Salem.
- Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Education Development Council: Assistance to the nine MACS schools in the Charlotte area.
- Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (MACS) Special Needs Endowment Fund: For Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools’ students with special needs.
- Katelyn Mitchell Student Athlete Scholarship Endowment Fund: TFor the benefit of a student-athlete in 6th, 7th or 8th grade at St. Pius X School in Greensboro.
- Monsignor Lawrence C. Newman Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Our Lady of Mercy School in Winston-Salem.
- Vic Nussbaum Jr. Memorial Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at St. Pius X School in Greensboro.
- Onulak Endowment: Tuition assistance to students at Asheville Catholic School.
- Our Lady of Grace School Endowment Fund: For the general needs of the school.
- Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School: For the general needs of Our Lady of the school.
- Poutre Family Endowment Fund: For the general needs of Immaculata School in Hendersonville.
- Quinn Family Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Immaculata School in Hendersonville.
- Clark G. Ross Scholarship Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for Catholic students from Catholic parishes in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties to attend Catholic high schools in these counties, Davidson College or Queens University.
- Sacred Heart School Endowment Fund: For the general needs of the school.
- Sheridan-Mangan Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Asheville Catholic School.
- Sisters of Mercy Scholarship Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at St. Michael School in Gastonia.
- Victoria Sleeman Endowment Fund: Scholarships for students of Immaculate Conception Church to attend Immaculata School in Hendersonville.
- Frank Spinks Endowment Fund: For professional development activities for the staff at Immaculata School in Hendersonville.
- Mary Spinks Endowment Fund: For scholarship assistance to minority students at Immaculata School in Hendersonville.
- Michael Sullivan Endowment Fund: Scholarships for graduates of Charlotte Catholic High School.
- St. Ann School Endowment Fund: For the general needs of the school.
- St. Gabriel School Endowment Fund: For the general needs of the school.
- St. Mary Church Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for children of St. Mary’s parishioners attending Our Lady of Grace and St. Pius X schools in Greensboro and Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville.
- St. Joseph Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarship assistance for students at Asheville Catholic School.
- St. Leo the Great School Endowment Fund: Financial assistance for the general needs of the school.
- St. Mark Catholic School Endowment Fund: For the general needs of the school.
- St. Matthew Catholic School Endowment Fund: For the general needs of the school.
- St. Michael School Endowment Fund: For the general needs of the school.
- St. Pius X School Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at the school.
- Theresa Lasecki Talbert Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville.
- Remo and Carolyn Termini Endowment Fund: Scholarships for students attending Asheville Catholic School.
- John Michael Thompson Endowment Fund: For the benefit of Sacred Heart School in Salisbury.
- F. Joseph Treacy Endowment Fund: For scholarship assistance for students in all nine MACS schools.
- Triad Educational Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance to students attending a Catholic elementary or high school in the Triad area.
- Villalon Family Endowment Fund: Financial assistance for students at Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville.
- Sabrinia Watt Fund: Tuition assistance for students at Immaculata School in Hendersonville.
- Sister Paulette Williams Scholarship Endowment Fund: Scholarships for graduating seniors from Charlotte Catholic High School to attend a college of their choice.
- Woelfel Family Endowment Fund: Financial assistance at Our Lady of Grace School for student educational purposes, such as purchasing textbooks or technology needs.
- Wos-Dejoy Endowment Fund: Tuition assistance for students at St. Pius X School in Greensboro.
- Sister Emma Yondura Endowment: For the benefit of St. Leo School in Winston-Salem.
Endowments aid students, schools
$4,041,854 has been distributed from 75 endowments managed by the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation that directly benefited students and schools