 | 01/15/07 - Ecumenical Collaboration With Lutheran And Jewish Community Foundations
ST. PAUL, MN – The local Lutheran, Jewish and Catholic Community Foundations are teaming up to leverage their marketing efforts in a joint media campaign centered on the theme: Give With Faith. The goal of the media campaign is to build awareness of how each foundation can help its donors pass on their faith to future generations through charitable giving. This is the first-of-its-kind joint effort among faith-based community foundations in the country.
A common website (www.GiveWithFaith.org) will introduce visitors to philanthropy and planned giving opportunities. Individuals may then chose their religious preference and be redirected to the foundation website serving their faith group to learn more about giving opportunities.
“This idea has been in the works since 2003,” said Marilou Eldred, president of the Catholic Community Foundation. “It was the brain-child of our former president, Jim Mullin and Carol Swanson, our director of marketing. It took a few years to get off the ground, but we are delighted about this collaboration and its potential.”
“It just made sense to team up to leverage our marketing efforts,” said Carol Swanson. “We all do the same things – manage permanent endowments, offer planned giving vehicles, and help donors leave a legacy – but we each have unique audiences. The resulting synergy will ultimately benefit the community at large. As assets grow, more grants are distributed. With more grants, more good can be accomplished.”
Beyond the media campaign, the three foundations are considering other ideas for possible future collaboration -- such as joint-efforts to work on pressing community priorities with their grant-making, having ecumenical events for donors, sharing best business practices, etc.
Marilou Eldred added, “The collaboration of the Lutheran, Jewish and Catholic Community Foundations allows each faith community to draw out its members to address what matters most to them. We share a common love for God, our neighbors and our community. And, if together we can do more good – well, that’s what is it all about.”
ABOUT US:
The Catholic Community Foundation (www.catholiccommunityfoundation.org) is the nation’s largest community foundation serving Catholic philanthropy. The Foundation was established in 1992 to support financially the spiritual, educational and social needs of the Catholic community in the 12 county area of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The Foundation currently manages assets in excess of $182 million and has distributed more than $50 million in grants to the community since inception. The Foundation works with donors to help them capitalize on the benefits of charitable planned giving, including the ability to reduce their taxes, receive a life income from their gift and leave a legacy for generations to come. More than 2,200 families have chosen to conduct their philanthropy with the Catholic Community Foundation by setting up donor advised funds, endowments, charitable gift annuities and trusts.
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