With an eye on the future of Catholic education, the Catholic Education Foundation has announced a $100 million capital campaign.
The campaign — “The Answer is Yes! For Everyone. Forever.” — received $80 million in commitments from donors during a five-year silent phase. The public phase of the campaign was announced March 18 during the foundation’s 35th annual Salute to Catholic School Alumni event at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville.
‘Catholic education has proven to be a wonderful partner for families as they work to transmit the faith to their children. The problem is it’s not accessible to many because of the cost of tuition. So, we have a wonderful service. We know it’s effective but not always attainable. The Catholic Education Foundation has proven to be a bridge to this accessibility.’
— Dr. Brian B. Reynolds, chancellor
“It’s a testament not only to individuals but to local businesses who are staunch supporters of Catholic education,” said Richard A. Lechleiter, president of the foundation. “There’s something about this Catholic community that never ceases to amaze me. The generosity is astounding.”
Among the donors is the Archdiocese of Louisville — composed of more than 100 parishes — which has donated $10 million, said Dr. Brian B. Reynolds, chancellor of the archdiocese.
“Catholic education has proven to be a wonderful partner for families as they work to transmit the faith to their children,” said Reynolds in a recent interview. “The problem is it’s not accessible to many because of the cost of tuition. So, we have a wonderful service. We know it’s effective but not always attainable. The Catholic Education Foundation has proven to be a bridge to this accessibility.”
Reynolds said when he thinks of the campaign and its $100 million goal, he doesn’t think about it in terms of dollars; he thinks of the students.
“I’m grateful for the tremendous amount of generosity, even from those who’ve never had children in Catholic schools. It means many people share the same vision — the growth of Catholic education. I’m humbled,” he said.
Lechleiter, who served for more than three decades in the corporate world, said local businesses want to support the foundation because they realize “Catholic schools are incredible community assets” and they’re important to “workforce development.” Employers know Catholic school graduates are “well-rounded people with broad education, not just scholastically but spiritually,” he said.
Joe Dougherty, who is chair-elect of the foundation’s board of directors is serving as chair of the campaign. He agrees that donors share the mission of the foundation: to help needy families afford Catholic education for their children.
That mission changes the “trajectory” of students’ lives and the trajectory of the community, Dougherty said.
Catholic education puts students “in a position where they’re obtaining an excellent education, taught to be leaders in the community and taught at an early age to be giving,” he said. “The impact is amazing. The outcome is remarkable.”
Though the campaign has had “tremendous success,” Dougherty said, “the last 20 percent is the hardest. We need everyone’s help to close out the campaign.”
Dougherty said the aim is to wrap up the campaign by the end of 2026. The campaign has three priorities:
- Increase the number of students who receive tuition assistance each year, and increase the average award. The foundation currently assists about 3,700 children a year; Lechleiter said the goal is to increase that number to 5,000.
- Increase the funding to high schools. The campaign aims to double the $650,000 it provides to high schools annually. The funding would be used to provide tuition assistance and to strengthen the schools with fewer resources. “We want the kids who we’re supporting through elementary school to continue their journey through high school,” he said.
- Grow the permanent endowment. The foundation would like to double its endowment, which currently sits at $40 million, he said. “That will strengthen Catholic education like it’s never been strengthened before,” Lechleiter said.
To learn more about the campaign and how to donate, visit https://ceflou.org/capital-campaign/.
