ST. PAUL – San Miguel Middle School in Minneapolis has named the Catholic Community Foundation as the 2008 recipient of their Miguel Award for outstanding service to the school.  The award will be conferred at their annual Fiesta Para Los Ninos celebration on May 8, 2008.

Criteria used to select the recipient of this award include:  consistently contributing to and supporting the mission of San Miguel through sharing of time, treasure, and talent; involvement for at least three years; having made an annual financial contribution to San Miguel; and actively promoting the mission of San Miguel.

“The Catholic Community Foundation, both through its grant programs and donor advised funds, has played a significant role in making our educational program available to all our students since our founding in 2000,” stated school president, Benjamin Murray.  “CCF’s support and advocacy are a great blessing to us and we are deeply appreciative.”

“We are honored to be selected for this award,” said Marilou Eldred, CCF president. “Through the generosity of our donors, we have been able to distribute grants totaling $138,900 to San Miguel Middle School.  We, along with our donors, have been impressed by the way in which the school educates its students in the Lasallian tradition, rooted in the Gospel.”    

MORE ABOUT SAN MIGUEL MIDDLE SCHOOL

San Miguel Middle School (www.sanmiguel-mpls.org), is a Catholic, Lasallian community, educating city youth and empowering them to reach their full potential.  Opened in 2000, the school created a partnership with the Catholic Latino parish of Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in 2003 to share the former Incarnation/Risen Christ school building in south Minneapolis.  Many San Miguel families are also part of the Sagrado Corazón community. San Miguel continues to network within the community to identify and connect with students who are struggling in their current school and have economic need. The school’s enrollment is limited to 60 students as this allows for the small class sizes and individualized assistance that are hallmarks of a San Miguel education.

MORE ABOUT THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

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 $195 million and has distributed more than $55 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.  Some 2,300 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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