The third-largest public grant-maker in Minnesota — both in charitable assets stewarded under management and in annual grants — is a faith-based organization that operates in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis: the Catholic Community Foundation. “We’re pretty proud of what the collective generosity of this community has done to put us in that position,” said Anne Cullen Miller, foundation president.
The foundation began as a ministry 30 years ago, inspired by then-Archbishop John Roach working with a group of lay leaders.
“Their idea was to create a separate entity that could professionally oversee charitable assets and administer grant-making on behalf of generous Catholics in support of mission and ministry across the archdiocese,” including schools, parishes and other Catholic organizations, Cullen Miller said. The organization now stewards more than 1,200 charitable funds with assets of more than $530 million, she said.
“Generous individuals and families establish more than half of those funds,” she said, giving through donor-advised funds and perpetual endowments “to their favorite missions and ministries, like those parishes, schools and other organizations.”
In 2022, CCF facilitated more than 3,700 individual grants to support “the spiritual, educational and social needs of the Catholic community,” Cullen Miller said, most directed by donors, not the foundation. “In the 30 years we’ve been a mission established in this archdiocese, we’ve granted well over $225 million,” she said.
Cullen Miller and Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis recently joined “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley to reflect on the foundation’s work and impact.
Stewardship is important because it’s the way in which the faithful “can really participate in the life of the Church, that we have that sense of gratitude for the gifts that God has given to us,” Archbishop Hebda said. “And we recognize that everything that we have is intended for our brothers and sisters, and for the building up of the Church; that God gives us gifts so that they can be used.”
Archbishop Hebda said he’s been inspired by the foundation’s professional characteristics, but more so by the generosity of those involved, who are committed to ensuring that the Catholic community can respond to the needs of ministry “presented at any particular time.”
The foundation inspires individuals “to work as a community to address key issues,” Archbishop Hebda said, giving the example of its assistance to Catholic organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundation “really serves a superb purpose in helping people to think through their giving and then also to begin to address issues on that grander scale as a community,” he said.
The foundation is a partner to donors, Cullen Miller said, with people giving through the foundation, not to the foundation, she said. “We are … what we like to think of as an independent resource that donors can use. We help them think through ‘what do they care about and what might be a smart way to … give in a tax-efficient way,’ for example.” Donors can also set up individual community endowments “to support charities they care about that will give perpetually,” she said.
“We’re honored to do this work and available to anyone who’s interested in learning more,” Cullen Miller said. To learn more about the foundation, visit ccf-mn.org or call 651-389-0300.
To hear the full interview, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic,” which debuts at 9 p.m. March 24 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and repeats at 1 p.m. March 25 and 2 p.m. March 26.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest episode also includes an interview with Archbishop Hebda, who describes the April 11 ordination of Bishop-elect Michael Izen and the bishop-elect’s gifts; and Nick Pickert and Dave Wilson from Our Lady of the Lake in Mound, who describe their parish’s Lenten shrimp frys and how they help build community.
Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at https://anchor.fm/practicing-catholic-show.
