Endowment &
Capital Campaign

ABOUT US

The Catholic Foundation of Santa Clara County

The mission of the Foundation is to provide support to educational, parish, religious and charitable groups that comprise the Catholic community of the Diocese of San Jose located in Santa Clara County, California, to enable them to accomplish not only their goals but also the goals established in the Pastoral Plan promulgated by Bishop Patrick J. McGrath for the Diocese of San Jose in 2002.

The Catholic Foundation of Santa Clara County was founded in 2004 as a 501(c)3 Not-for-Profit Foundation and charged with the management, investment, and distribution of endowment monies and other gifts and bequests placed in its care. The Foundation Board will ensure that campaign monies receive the highest professional management and fiscal accountability. It is a legal entity separate from the Diocese of San Jose and not controlled by the Diocese.

The Foundation Chairman and President is Lon Normandin. He is supported by a Board of 9 other Directors. The Board's activities are reviewed by legal council from Berliner Cohen of San Jose and the audit is performed by Delucchi Hawn & Co. of San Jose.

As a means of initial growth, the Foundation, through the services of Community Counselling Service Co. (“CCS”), embarked on a $100 million campaign in 2005 called “Rooted in Faith Embracing our Future”. The elements targeted in the Campaign were determined after an initial feasibility study performed for it by Netzel Associates, as further refined by the consultants from CCS.

The majority of the funds, $56.5 million, raised by the Campaign will be for Endowments to ensure a continuing source of funding for the case elements, including tuition assistance, Catholic Charities programs, parish programming, maintenance and repair, and various pastoral ministries. Also included are non-endowed funds to enable the acquisition of property for the establishment of new parishes in the Diocese as called for in the Pastoral Plan and for the reduction of debt of the Diocese to improve its liquidity and enable it to continue to provide for its ministries.

The Diocese of San Jose

Pope John Paul II established the Diocese of San Jose on January 27, 1981. The Diocese of San Jose is coterminous with the boundaries of Santa Clara County and includes 15 cities/townships identified as Silicon Valley - a world-renowned center of computer technology and innovation. Over the years, orchards have given way to industrial parks, and crops of technology firms have replaced the fruit. As Northern California's most populous county, we are blessed with economic, cultural and ethnic diversity.

Today, the Diocese serves over 600,00 Catholics, a number anticipated to exceed 800,000 by 2020. For 25 years the Diocese of San Jose has ministered to the needs of God's people through its 52 parishes, ministries, and social service agencies.

 

The Growing Need

Rising tuition costs place increased burdens on many parents who desire a Catholic school education for their children. Catholic Charities must address burgeoning need for its services. Our Cathedral and parishes face current and repairs and renovations. New parishes must be constructed, seminarians must be educated, priest retirement must be provided, and deacons and lay leaders must be educated and formed. It is imperative that new sources of funding be found.

In 2004, Bishop Patrick J. McGrath, after much prayer and consultation, made the decision to embark upon an historic campaign to help ensure that the Catholic Church of Santa Clara County will continue to flourish in the new millennium. This $100 million capital and endowment campaign entitled Rooted In Faith - Embracing Our Future will enable the Church to continue to serve its people. See chart for allocation of funds.