Giving
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It is all a gift
The Catholic Foundation is here to meet every open heart wherever you are in your charitable journey.
We amplify the fruits of giving to make those gifts go even further for Catholic parishes, schools, vocations and ministries throughout our Columbus diocese and beyond.
A Catholic charitable plan begins with the understanding that all of what we have is a gift. At The Catholic Foundation, we employ proven strategies and opportunities perceived to be available only to the few and put them to work for the many.
We assist Catholics in multiplying their gifts through every stage of their giving journey, from everyday Donor Advised Funds through Endowments and Planned Gifts.
Planned Giving
Structuring Your Estate For Eternal Impact
As you near retirement, you have an opportunity to see the many ways God has blessed you over your lifetime and are in a position to start thinking about setting aside some of those assets to benefit the faith today and for future generations of Catholics.
Planned giving is not asking for money now; it allows donors to direct estate assets to a parish, school, or favorite ministry after their earthly existence.
Types of Giving
We assist Catholics in multiplying their gifts through every stage of their giving journey, from everyday Donor Advised Funds through Endowments and Planned Gifts.
Donor Advised Funds
Think of this as an everyday charitable checking account that you can open with no minimum requirement. This fund acts as a way to engage in weekly, monthly or annual giving. Invest and multiply your gifts and then channel them into your parish, school or ministry – you advise where to allocate your grants within causes that align with Catholic values.
Key Benefits:
- Immediate tax deduction with the option of deferred charitable distribution
- Advise when and where to send distributions as small as $50
- Flexibility to grant to multiple organizations
- Consolidates your charitable giving, providing administrative convenience
- Online access for convenient granting and account information
- Donate anonymously, if desired
- Create a family legacy of faith – name your children, grandchildren or other loved ones as successor advisors to the fund
Endowment Funds
Longer term, sustained investments designed to fund, sustain and grow any parish, school or ministry that aligns with your charitable goals. Endowments can be broad in their scope or specific in their application, and are meant to be an everlasting source of funding.
Key Benefits:
- Designate to your favorite Catholic organization or leave the fund unrestricted to serve the greatest needs in the Catholic community
- The Catholic Foundation manages the fund and distributes income to the selected organization
- Open with cash, marketable securities or other assets
- Ability to fund at death with an estate gift or designation in a will
- Invested in accordance with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops guidelines for Socially Responsible Investments
- Avoid capital gains taxes on long-term, highly appreciated assets
- Reduction in income taxes
- Provide a perpetual annual source of revenue for the charity of your choice
Planned Gift
As retirement nears, there are opportunities to make broader plans for assets that have carefully accumulated over a lifetime.
Planned giving allows donors to direct estate assets to a parish, school, ministry or cause that captures the heart of the giver.
Cash, appreciated stock, real estate, insurance policies and retirement funds are some of the ways you can make a permanent impression on your Catholic faith.
Key Benefits:
- Opportunity to bestow a meaningful gift to a parish, school or ministry that reflects your beliefs and values while leaving a unique legacy to memorialize those values and beliefs by supporting them beyond your lifetime
- Planned giving provides a peace of mind knowing that your gifts will be received by the charity of your choice in the future or at death
- Receive current benefits including tax advantages and the potential for returned income
Scholarships
Scholarships support promising and deserving students by assisting them with the costs of their education.
Donors often establish a scholarship fund because they have benefitted from a Catholic education in their own life and want to ensure that those same opportunities are available to future generations. Donors may also establish a scholarship to honor or memorialize friends, teachers, family members, or other loved ones.
Key Benefits:
- Donor may set criteria for awarding the scholarship
- Donor may choose to provide the scholarship for students in elementary, junior high, high school or even college
- The Catholic Foundation manages the fund and distributes the award directly to the school on behalf of the recipient(s)
- Once established, anyone can contribute to a scholarship fund
- Open a scholarship fund with a minimum of $50,000
Charitable Gift Annuity
Starting at 65 years old, receive fixed income payments throughout your life, no matter how long you live. At the end of your life, any remainder of the annuity will benefit the charity of your choice. A charitable gift annuity also offers multiple tax advantages.
Additional Benefits for Deferred Charitable Gift Annuity:
- Allows charitable gift to grow tax-free, prior to receiving income payments
- Typically receive a higher payment rate than a standard certificate of deposit (CD)
Key Benefits:
- Fixed income for life for you, or for you and a spouse (paid monthly, quarterly or annually)
- Avoid capital gains taxes on highly appreciated assets
- Income tax deduction in the year the annuity is established
- Part of each income payment is tax-free
Charitable Trusts
Receive fixed payments for a term of years, with the remainder of funds going to your selected charity or make fixed payments to a charity with the remainder of funds returning to you or an heir. There are different types of charitable trusts making them a flexible giving option.
Charitable Remainder Trust
A Charitable Remainder Trust allows you to donate cash, marketable securities or other assets to The Catholic Foundation, and in return you receive regularly scheduled payments for life or for a predetermined number of years. At the end of the term, the organization that you designate receives the remaining assets.
Key Benefits:
- Allows fixed or variable payments for life or a term of years for you or others
- Reduce estate and gift taxes
- Receive an immediate tax deduction based on the present value of the charity’s future interest
- Open with a minimum of $100,000
Charitable Lead Trust
A Charitable Lead Trust provides fixed income payments to your selected charitable organization for a specified number of years. At the end of the term, the remaining balance in the trust is transferred back to you or your heirs.
Key Benefits:
- Allows you to make an ongoing gift to charity, while retaining a future interest in the asset
- Ability to pass assets on to heirs at a substantially discounted value
- Receive a current-year tax deduction for the present value of the amount the charity will receive
- Open with a minimum of $100,000
Make your impact
What To Give
There are multiple ways you can open a fund or contribute to an existing fund.
Cash/Credit Card
Donate any amount online or mail a check with the fund name on the memo line. We accept wire transfers, ACH payments, and all major credit cards online and over the phone.
Real Estate and Marketable Securities
Transfer securities to The Catholic Foundation. After liquidation, we will deposit the assets into the fund of your choice.
Insurance Policies
Simply designate The Catholic Foundation as the beneficiary and specify the name of the fund.
Life Estate
Allows you to make a gift of your home to benefit your parish, school or favorite Catholic ministry while retaining the full use and rights to the property during your lifetime. This type of planned gift may reduce the donor’s tax liability by avoiding a capital gain and by generating a current charitable deduction. It also removes the property from your estate, thereby reducing or eliminating any estate taxes.
IRA Rollover
Individuals who are 70½ years old or older may use a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) to donate up to $100,000 from an IRA. If you are 73 years of age or older, you can take advantage of your IRA’s required minimum distribution (RMD) to fund your favorite charity. You will not pay taxes on any distributions made to The Catholic Foundation.
Complex Assets
Our team has experience managing complex assets, including business interest, commercial and residential property, oil and gas interest, Crypto, retained life estate, sale of a business, and S Corp stocks. Utilizing complex assets for charitable giving could result in a tax deduction and amplify the impact on your favorite charity.
Contact Scott Hartman at shartman@catholic-foundation.org or 614-443-8893 x1040 for more information.
Bequest Form
Designate The Catholic Foundation as a beneficiary in your will and become a member of the Kyrie Bequest Society.
Real-World Impact
The Catholic Foundation helps donors support Catholic causes. While our primary focus is within the 23-county diocese of Columbus, we can direct funds to any Catholic-aligned organization within the United States. We believe giving isn’t something we have to do – it’s something we get to do as Christ’s followers.
Existing Funds
Select a fund and choose the desired amount you would like to contribute online. Anyone can add to an existing fund, in any amount.
Search By Fund Name
Bridge the gap
Areas Of Need
Bridge the Gap offers the Catholic community an opportunity to connect with local organizations, schools, and parishes that need additional financial resources to help with a special project or program.
Development Officers
Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer
