Dear Friends:
At our 25th anniversary celebration in April, I used the word “electrifying” to describe the scene before me. It was an accurate descriptor. The room was abuzz with the joy and excitement of more than 800 Minnesota Catholics coming to the table. The energy sparked by that event lives on in our conversations and interactions with community members, and it’s absolutely driving our work forward. My heartfelt thanks to all who participated and our whole charitable community. In this issue, we provide a summary of this memorable gathering.
Though the celebratory event is now behind us, I continue to reflect on the 25-year history of the Catholic Community Foundation (CCF). I have come to realize that while giving is important, needs are too. Through my work and the experiences I have been privileged to share with our community of donors, I am continually reminded that needs unlock gifts. As we acknowledge the needs of our community and unlock our gifts to minister to those needs, something unlocks inside us. Our hearts open, and we experience the deep wisdom of the saying: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
One local organization, the Guild of Catholic Women, has a rich history of putting this wisdom into practice. Several years ago, when the Guild made the difficult decision to disband, it established a permanent fund at CCF to endow this wisdom. Today, the fund continues to meet needs and unlock gifts in our community. Click here to read this feature story.
We look back on our first 25 years with gratitude and awe for those who sought to meet our community’s needs through the mechanism of a faith-based community foundation. And, we look forward to the next 25 years with hope and full knowledge that every need we meet unlocks a trove of new gifts.
Come partner with us in this work. New blessings await us and those who follow!
Sincerely,
Anne Cullen Miller, MBA
President