The endowment fund named in honor of Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz has reached its $2 million fundraising goal ahead of schedule, the Catholic Education Foundation announced in a press release Sept. 25.
Earnings from the endowment will be used to fund the foundation’s tuition assistance program for Catholic elementary school families across the Archdiocese of Louisville.
The fund was launched in September 2017 at the annual Salute to THE GAME luncheon event, hosted by the CEF, to honor Archbishop Kurtz on the 10th anniversary of his service to the Catholic community of central Kentucky.
Richard A. Lechleiter, president of the CEF, noted that the fund should generate at least $100,000 per year in tuition assistance funding.
“This perpetual annual gift to our young Catholic students and their families will change the trajectory of their lives forever,” Lechleiter said.
Archbishop Kurtz expressed gratitude on the success of the fund.
“The generosity of our community to the mission of the foundation and Catholic education never ceases to amaze me! I am honored by this new endowment fund and so thankful for the benefits it will bestow for years to come on our Catholic school families who need our help in educating their children,” he said in the press release.
Last week, the foundation announced that it — along with the archdiocese, its parishes and other funding partners — had awarded $6.5 million to 3,250 students in tuition assistance. For the fifth consecutive year, every student applicant with a demonstrated financial need earned a tuition assistance award, the release said.
