SUSTAINING A VISION
Early in Anne’s tenure, CCF achieved a long-held goal and became financially self-sustaining. This milestone reflected more than fiscal strength. It demonstrated CCF’s commitment and ability to serve Catholic ministries, schools, and parishes for generations to come. With this foundation in place, CCF expanded its vision from careful stewardship to transformational leadership.
EVOLVING FAITH-CONSISTENT INVESTMENTS
CCF has become a leader in Catholic investing. In 2017, CCF entered the field of impact investing, aligning financial return with social or environmental impact. Today CCF’s impact investments include solutions that address affordable housing, education, financial inclusion, and renewable energy.
CCF’s investment practices further evolved in 2019 when the organization began to use its power as a shareholder to influence corporate behavior through proxy voting and corporate engagement.
EXPANDING COLLABORATIVE PHILANTHROPY
CCF’s grantmaking programs have grown in both reach and intentionality, ensuring that donor generosity is matched with the Church’s greatest areas of need. Through strategic collaboration, CCF grants have strengthened Catholic schools, parishes, and ministries. As these grants have generated greater impact, they’ve inspired further generosity from donors — particularly to CCF’s fund for urgent and unmet needs, the Salt & Light Fund.
PARTNERING FOR PERPETUITY
Many Catholic parishes, schools, and other organizations have turned to CCF for partnership in creating a consistent, reliable source of income for their mission and ministry. Forming the heart of CCF’s mission, the Foundation has prioritized supporting these organizations in planning for perpetuity. In the last 13 years, assets in institutional endowments at CCF have multiplied significantly, growing from $18M to $112M.
LEADING FOR JUSTICE AND RENEWAL
Under Anne’s leadership, CCF co-founded the Catholic Racial Justice Coalition, bringing together local partners committed to ending racial injustice within our communities and collective Catholic organizations. This work continues to deepen CCF’s understanding of justice as a core expression of faith.
RESPONDING TO EVOLVING COMMUNITY NEEDS
As CCF became more firmly rooted and built up capacity, it was able to serve the community with even greater care. This growth helped CCF face times of change and crisis with creativity and compassion.
In 2018, an anonymous donor’s gift enabled CCF to support operations at the Navigation Center in Minneapolis for people experiencing homelessness. In 2020, CCF created the Minnesota Catholic Relief Fund (MCRF) to support parishes, schools, and individuals during the early months of the pandemic. And this year, in the wake of the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School, CCF established the Annunciation Hope and Healing Fund to support the school and parish community.
CCF could respond in these moments because our community responded first — offering generous support grounded in their call to love their neighbor.
CONVENING CATHOLICS TO DISCUSS COMMUNITY NEEDS
As a partner to a vast network of Catholic individuals and institutions, CCF stewards not only community assets, but also community insights. To share these insights, CCF has hosted various convening events, including Giving Insights forums, Connect with a Cause webinars, and an event called Catholic Women Who Give.
And recognizing the importance of subsidiarity — the idea that decisions should be made at the level they arise rather than by higher authorities — CCF formed a Parish Vitality Advisory Committee. The group gave voice to staff from parishes across the Archdiocese as they shared the greatest opportunities and obstacles in their respective ministries. CCF used learnings from this committee to guide the creation of grantmaking programs.
SHARING EXPERIENCE NATIONALLY
CCF has actively engaged with foundations across the country to foster shared learning and collaboration. After several years of participating in small-group meetings with foundation leaders, Anne co-founded and served on the steering committee of a national peer network called the Consortium of Catholic Foundations. She also joined FADICA (Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities), served on its board, and invited CCF staff to engage in FADICA programming.
These peer networks help accelerate the organizational growth and sustainability of member foundations, ultimately expanding the resources that support the vitality of the Catholic Church in the United States.
PARTICIPATING IN THE GLOBAL CONVERSATION
Along with growing in assets, CCF has grown in professionalism and credibility under Anne’s leadership. This has earned CCF a seat at key global events at the Vatican. In 2018, Anne received an invitation to attend the Third Vatican Conference on Impact Investing. In 2024, while on pilgrimage to Rome with other members of FADICA, Anne attended a private audience with Pope Francis. And just this October, Anne and Meg Payne Nelson, Vice President of Impact, traveled to Rome for the Raising Hope Conference celebrating the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical on care for our common home, Laudato Si’.