For years, the Cedar Rapids area parishes have taken turns hosting Catholic Evangelization Outreach events, or CEOs for short. They are witness talks by our fellow people in the pews who share their faith journey and/or conversion story. (You can learn more about them at crceo.org.)
Because I travel throughout the 30 northeast Iowa counties that make up the Archdiocese of Dubuque, I get some good windshield time. I use this time to pray and to listen to faith-related podcasts and the recordings of the CEOs.
One of them from years ago was of a man who converted to Catholicism. What stuck out about his witness talk was how he came to believe in the True Presence of the Eucharist. In short, he referred to John 6: 54, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day” and the surrounding Words of Jesus about His body and blood.
Verse 60 says, “Then many of his disciples who were listening said, ‘This saying is hard; who can accept it?’” And then verse 66, “As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.”
As I was listening in my car, the recording of the CEO speaker then said something that was a revelation to me. It doesn’t say in John’s Gospel that people said to Jesus, “You just mean you’ll give us symbols of your flesh and blood, right?” And when people started to walk away, Jesus didn’t say, “Come back, it’s just a metaphor.”
As a cradle Catholic, I never had thought of this “what could have been said next but wasn’t,” and it just reinforced the True Presence for me. I thank that witness speaker and all who share their stories of faith.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life, and it is what inspires the mission of CFAD. By the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life when God will be all, in all.
Through the planning, investing and grantmaking CFAD offers, we support those who uphold, celebrate and teach about the Eucharist through Mass, vocations, education and Works of Mercy. I invite you to learn more on how the Eucharist drives our mission at OurCFAD.org/c-in-cfad and then consider how we can serve you with our services. Your charitable planning is another form of witness for the faith, and I thank you for that.
I’m not a big follower of sports, but there’s no doubt the end of December and January has no dearth of athletic matches. People cheering for their teams got me thinking about our “teams” as a Catholic Church.
Most of us connect the closest with our church, as makes sense, since that is where we gather for Mass and spiritual growth. It’s a building, or to stay with the sports analogy, our arena for worship. The building is in the parish, a geographical section of a local church community in the care of a priest. A parish could be the “fan base” if you will, and those who are members of the parish are the “players.”
Then we have our diocese (in our case an Archdiocese), which could be seen as a division and then the US dioceses as a whole as our conference. Like sports, divisions and conferences provide support, structure and identity. Except we are not in competition with those in our “division” or “conference.” It’s just the opposite. We are here to make each other better, growing in our faith and service.
I’m blessed in my role to see the hard work the staff at our “division” – the Archdiocese – does to support our parishes. (As a reminder, CFAD is not part of the Archdiocese corporate organization – it’s in our name because it’s the geography we serve. We collaborate with those at the Archdiocese organization, and are indeed, like everyone in the 30 northeast Iowa counties, in the geographical Archdiocese.)
Administratively, the staff at the Archdiocese provides HR, IT, finance, planning and other operational resources. Resources for the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy include but aren’t limited to Catholic Charities, the Office of Catholic Schools, ethics, Hispanic ministry, faith formation for all ages and vocational development of our future priests and deacons. Our parishes would be floundering without these services. Parishes, to be vibrant, certainly need the parishioners (“players”) to give and be involved, and they need the diocesan services (“divisional structure”).
Please keep the staff at the Archdiocese in your prayers, and if there’s a particular area you’re inclined to support, please do! You can contact the Office of Stewardship Development at (563) 552-0161. CFAD also holds endowments for some Archdiocesan ministries and welcomes helping you with your charitable planning for these needs and other Catholic causes. Contact us at 319-200-4657. We’re all in this together as “teams” for the Body of Christ.
We’ve all heard the expression, “Give until it hurts.” A boss from a former job of mine would say, “Give until it feels good.” I agree, and there’s a lot of research that proves it.
A Harvard study shows, “In a series of experiments, we’ve found that asking people to spend money on others — from giving to charity to buying gifts for friends and family — reliably makes them happier than spending that same money on themselves.” A Utah State University study notes, “…giving to charity makes us happier; especially when we freely choose to give. Whether we have a little or lot of money, how we choose to spend it matters most to our happiness.” A quick Google search of “giving and happiness” will provide many other proof points.
This also reinforces Biblical stewardship: the Book of Proverbs says in chapter 11, “One person is lavish yet grows still richer; another is too sparing, yet is the poorer. Whoever confers benefits will be amply enriched, and whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”
With now being the busiest time for charitable giving and “Giving Tuesday” a staple in the post-Thanksgiving mix, I hope we all find happiness in giving in some way, as that’s how God created us! Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians in chapter 9 says, “Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
Here’s an activity to consider doing with your family at the holidays. First, ask everyone to watch this video on “Why Giving Feels Good.” Then at dinner table, do this “Giving Pledge Mad Lib” to spark conversation on family values and giving. If you’re interested in diving deeper, contact us regarding the many tools and exercises we have on creating an intentional giving plan.
"Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him/her. May he/she rest in peace. Amen." I shared this prayer last year with a relative who lost someone in her life. When she texted me early this year about a different person in her life who died she asked, “Can you please send me that prayer again? It was beautiful and I’d like to pray and share it with others.”
This relative doesn’t practice any religion yet some seeds of faith are there. When we see each other, faith often comes up, and she is willing to talk about it. Death of loved one makes us confront our mortality. Those of us with faith find comfort in knowing there is more—that the best is yet to come.
Many of us also want to honor someone else’s legacy and leave our own legacy behind. We do that in many ways. We tell favorite stories and share memories of our love ones at visitations. We give memorial gifts. We leave certain items to family members or friends who will use and appreciate them while remembering us. We give transformational gifts to charities through our will.
At CFAD, we get asked about leaving a mark that reflects our Catholic values. While how to do that is a very personal decision, we have many resources to help inform that decision. These resources range from worksheets to help you express your values and life lessons to a guide that helps with will planning, and many things in between. Leaving a legacy can encompass both the relational and transactional aspects.
This time of year when we commemorate All Souls Day on November 2, reflect on the lasting impact of those you’re remembering. And I invite you to contact us for resources to help you reflect on the impact you’d like to leave.
This October, CFAD is collaborating in the launch of the first-ever DAF Day. This is a new kind of national giving day that educates about donor advised funds (DAFs).
DAFs are tax-advantaged charitable giving accounts, similar to a 401(k) for retirement or a Health Saving Account (HSA) for health care expenses. DAFs have expanded rapidly in recent years, with the number of accounts growing 9x since 2012. New research on nonprofit DAF fundraising shows that DAF donors give 19x as much as non-DAF donors. When people create their first DAF and start giving from it, their annual support increases 96%.
CFAD joins other nonprofits and major fundraising platforms to boost the usage and adoption of this fast-growing philanthropic vehicle in the weeks leading up to DAF Day on October 10.
This movement comes at a critical time for our Catholic community. Giving to religious causes continues to decrease for various reasons. DAFs invested with Catholic foundations help encourage giving to our Catholic community. Also, Catholic foundations invest these funds in alignment with Catholic values until a donor advises where to distribute the monies. As residual effect, these foundations are then able to do more to help Catholic causes.
DAFs are proven to streamline and increase philanthropy, and DAF Day will help increase the adoption of DAFs. CFAD is promoting DAF Day since we are a DAF sponsor, meaning people can create and have their donor advised fund with us. We see CFAD and holding donors’ DAFs as a ministry to the Catholic community we serve to grow the Church’s ministry and mission in the 30 northeast Iowa counties.
The timing couldn’t be better: we know that DAFs are proven to increase generosity as the smart choice for giving. Ahead of October 10, we encourage all our network to commit to DAF Day by:
This time of year marks the start of school. While I didn’t fully appreciate my formal education years at the time, I certainly do now. I think having children and seeing it through the lens of a parent’s eye gives one a greater perspective on the vast breadth and depth of learning that happens by age 18.
Having attended Catholic school through grade 12, the same holds true for what I learned regarding my faith. I reflect back and know the daily religion classes and weekly school Mass helped prepare me for the next part of life on this earth, reaching to heaven. There are many, many memories. Two in particular stick out right now.
In fourth grade, we made a homemade rosary while learning about this beautiful prayer that summarizes Jesus’ life. I used clear royal blue and white beads and then Popsicle sticks for the cross. This was a very tangible symbol of my faith that I created, which starting leading to a “sense of ownership” of my faith.
In grade 12, I took a comparative religions class. We learned about other major world religions, which included speakers from those faiths and touring their places of worship. It expanded my respect of their beliefs and cultures while strengthening appreciation and deeper understanding of my Catholic faith.
For me, the question of “what do you want to be when you grow up?” was enhanced through my Catholic schooling being able to work with me and ask, “What is God calling you to do?”
CFAD holds endowments for 79% of our Catholic schools in the Archdiocese. Such funds must follow specific laws, investment rules and regular oversight, which is not part of the schools’ direct mission or services. CFAD does this for them, and we are able to do this while investing in Catholic responsible choices.
More basic, schools with multiple scholarships must account for them separately, including the respective gains and losses and timing of investments. Many schools appreciate CFAD’s specialized endowment software that easily does this for them.
When adding in schools who regularly utilize our planning services to promote and help people with their long-term charitable plans, CFAD serves 91% of our Catholic schools. As another school year kicks off, CFAD is honored to play the small role we do in helping with faith-filled education. Learn about our school funds here.
The upcoming month of August is National Make-A-Will Month. Wills are important for many reasons: deciding where your assets go, naming guardians for dependents and overall saving your family money later on in court costs and taxes. So why don’t the approximately 60% of US adults have a will?
It likely boils down to taking the time to do it and not wanting to navigate an uncertain future. CFAD’s resource, “Three Reasons We Avoid Will Planning and Three Easy Steps to Get a Will Done” and its companion infographic can get you started.
My husband and I created our first wills when we went on a trip without our oldest and only child at the time. They were basic wills mainly to ensure her care if something happened to both of us. A few years ago, we committed the time to go through the process of creating new wills. We have another child, we’ve saved more and we have charitable organizations we want to benefit from our planning. We’ve named our church’s parish and school endowments in our will as well as created a “future fund” with CFAD that will benefit from our will. This “future fund” helps Catholic secondary and adult education in our area. Our IRA assets are to be used first, if available, to meet these wishes, as that makes better tax sense for our situation.
I share this because there are many ways to explore giving through your will/estate, and CFAD has many free resources to get you on your way. This includes, but isn’t limited to, our Will Planning Guide, estate planning verbiage and ways to give in addition to/besides a will (with giving in a will being the most common way).
Leaving a gift of any size of one's assets can create a substantial difference in furthering the faith and Works of Mercy. Timothy says in his first letter (1 Timothy 6:7), “For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.” But we can be sure we make a difference through good planning.
The second reading for the tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time in early June was from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. In it he says, “…although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.”
I’m about six months away from turning 50. It’s weird to me to think that, if I live to the life expectancy of a healthy, US female, my life on this earth is more than halfway over. I think of how I try to extend life—exercising and eating right—which is important, and following my mom’s advice from my teenage years: “Never go to bed with makeup on and always use moisturizer.”
I can’t stop the aging process and the inevitable. But Pauls’ words provide comfort: “…knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence. Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.”
The question for me is, how are we all helping more and more people know this grace?
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
I recently attended a gathering of Catholic foundation directors from across the U.S. We shared best practices, celebrated our faith and mentored each other. It’s such a blessing to me to learn and grow with these wonderful people who work to support our Catholic faith.
While we discussed plenty of technical topics, I thought I’d share a few of the non-technical highlights:
While each foundation works in its own area to support the faith, getting together reminds us that we all part of one large family in faith. “And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful.” Col 3:15
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
April brings showers for our May flowers and it also means income tax filings are due. While it’s too late to make any changes for 2023, if determining tax strategies for 2024 is on your mind, when it comes to charitable options, there are a number of them.
Here are some of the more popular ones outside of outright gifts of cash. Unless otherwise noted, all of them are eligible as a tax deductible donation.
There are additional benefits to these and other types of donations. Tax deductible donations depend on individual circumstances. As gift advisors, CFAD is here as a resource to share and offer options. We do not provide specific advice, and encourage you to take the options you learn from us to your tax professional.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
A recent conversation with someone I deeply respect had me thinking. After I explained what gets me up in the morning to work at CFAD, he said, “That’s what we need to get out there to help people learn about CFAD.” What did I share?
I had said that while we do charitable planning, investing and grantmaking, the whole point of that, and what gets me up in the morning, is knowing we’re helping bring people to deeper faith and being Jesus’ hands and feet to others. We just go about it indirectly. We connect givers, who want to see Jesus’ mission sustained, with the tools to do that. We work with the modern day Joannas, Marys, Susannas, Barnabases and Phoebes of the Bible, who are named as benefactors of the early Church.
Explaining what CFAD is and does isn’t always clear, and we do our best to articulate our mission. It needs to be a combination of our services and the benefits of those services. At the beginning of the day, though, when I drink my morning cup of coffee, and at the end of the day, as the phrase goes, it’s about supporting God’s work. We’re humbled and blessed to be part of His mission this way and inviting others in to join us.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
January proved to be very, very snowy and cold. That’s often a time when puzzles come out in our household. I readily admit I’m not a big puzzle person. My almost 14-year-old daughter always has enjoyed them. I do relish sitting with her and helping out, letting her drive the main plan with suggestions now and then from me.
That’s how I would describe CFAD’s charitable planning services. Individuals who are charitably-minded have an entire puzzle to piece together when determining donations. It includes finances, taxes and hopefully will planning. If someone’s giving is an afterthought of those other areas, then the puzzle may not quite be the picture they hoped for in the end. I can speak from personal experience, having once made a charitable gift many years ago that could have been more for the nonprofit had I been advised about a particular way of giving.
Adding gift planning to your larger puzzle of financial, tax and will planning can benefit those giving decisions that we mostly make with our hearts. In that gift part of the puzzle, CFAD’s charitable planning services can help with one or several pieces, depending on what’s missing. Maybe it’s clarifying what to give to, who to involve or the options for giving smarter. We have some fun tools that bring even more joy to your charitable giving, and you drive the plan using the resources we offer. This information should be shared with other advisors to complete the puzzle. In the end, you’ll have a beautifully-finished puzzle for you to enjoy, which benefits you, your loved ones and your favorite organizations. Contact us today to learn more.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
On January 5, the CFAD staff celebrated the organization’s 13th birthday. CFAD is officially a teenager!
The growth of a company has some parallels to the growth of a person. A toddler-aged company has learned so much its first couple of years, likely with a few bumps, and has had a lot of support along the way. An elementary-aged company becomes more structured in its operations and routines. The teenage years pose an opportunity for healthy growth as far as trying new endeavors as its horizons expand.
With that in mind, CFAD looks forward to its teenage years! Our board of directors and staff are beginning to work on a new strategic plan to take us through the next several years. We’ll be asking for input from individuals, advisors and the Catholic organizations we serve. What have we done well, what can we do better and what more can we do to fulfill our mission of multiplying charitable resources for maximum benefit to our Catholic community?
How far away are we from our vision of endowing financial support for our Catholic community—all the Catholic organizations in the 30 northeast Iowa counties? We will continue to help people maximize their charitable legacy with values-based planning, invest in Catholic responsible choices and direct funding as intended by donors. All to bring more financial stability for the faith so Catholic organizations can focus on their missions of being Christ in the world. Happy birthday!
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
My family enjoys re-watching many holiday movies this time of year, including Les Misérables. It may not seem like a holiday movie, but much of its thematic richness lends to that. One that is particularly poignant to me is the contrast of the two main characters, Jean Valjean and Javert.
Early on, we see the scene of forgiveness take hold between Jean, a paroled prisoner, and a bishop. Jean goes through such anguish trying to reconcile why he should be forgiven after stealing from the bishop. The bishop tells him, “By the witness of the martyrs, By the passion and the blood, God has raised you out of darkness: I have saved your soul for God.” Jean doesn’t know what to do with the mercy shown to him.
And then when he does, it always makes me cry. He is made new, inside and out. He sings, “Another story must begin.” He understands justice, but now knows mercy must accompany it to be whole. We see this in his just and merciful character the rest of the time in the way he treats others.
Javert, a prison officer, on the other hand never embraces mercy. He is all about the law and carrying out justice. When mercy is shown to him, he also doesn’t know what to do with it, and tragically never does.
Advent is a time of waiting as well as a time of repentance and accepting God’s mercy, which at Christmas we celebrate Mercy born into the world. Depending on which Christmas Mass you attend, you may hear Titus’ words, “When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, He saved us ... ”
Jesus gives us His mercy and asks we do the same for others, summarized in the Works of Mercy. CFAD is here to sustain our Catholic churches, schools, cemeteries and social service organizations that teach and provide these works. As we all work together, the more we're able to help our Catholic community in northeast Iowa carry out the Works of Mercy. Merry Christmas!
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
November serves as the poignant month when we collectively reflect on the lives of saints and commemorate the departed souls of our cherished loved ones. During this solemn period, we seek the intercession of the saints and offer prayers for our departed, aspiring for their journey to heaven.
In the humble capacity of my role, I am privileged to engage with donors as they make plans regarding their own mortality, specifically when they’re looking at a planned gift—a gift in their will or another thoughtful arrangement. Recently, I met with a man who had decided to give to his parish endowment fund when he leaves this world. As with many people, most of his assets are “non-cash.” His wife died this year, his children are taken care of and he wanted to do something transformational for his church. He attributed his community, and specifically his parish community, as his lasting family, being there as he grieved his wife. He decided to make a future gift from his will combined with life insurance.
That same day as I was driving back to Cedar Rapids, Iowa after meeting with him, as I usually do, I listened to podcasts. Maybe not so coincidentally, the younger adult guest on the show was talking about losing her brother. She described how she just wanted to be cared for during that difficult time and how important her church and faith played a part in that care. The future gift from the donor I met with will help people like her in eastern Iowa during their important times of need.
Most people don’t like to talk about death. It’s not something we can control. What we can do, though, is plan so our decisions are reflected in what marks the end of our time on Earth. What mark will you leave?
The founder of the duty-free shops and once-billionaire Chuck Feeney who recently died said, “I want the last check I write to bounce.” He was frugal and determined to give his wealth away while alive (and did so anonymously). He credits his Catholic schooling and upbringing with his charitable values and noted people who give during their life, “will have a lot of fun doing so.” While most don’t have the wealth he had, anyone with a charitable heart can take two ideas from him: plan and joy.
CFAD’s been handing out mini Almond Joys at events to get out the message that we want to help people “plan joyfully.” What do we mean?
We can help people with an intentional giving plan so that they can thoughtfully discern their most joyful gifts—to their family, friends and causes they love—all that aligns with Catholic values.
Our joyful roadmap includes:
Basics on accessing resources and evaluating finances
Exercises on focusing your values to guide your plan
Tools on engaging and communicating with family and causes
Options on structuring giving
And more, all organized to help you more easily navigate a positive, lasting legacy that aligns with your values while having joy from giving
If you’re not sure where to start or have started and stopped, please contact us to help bring joy to the process. We're a phone call away and reguluarly travel the 30 northeast Iowa counties that make up the Archdiocese of Dubuque. And if you like Almond Joys (they’re one of my favorites), we’ll bring those out, too!
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
Community. We’re all part of many types of them. From a Catholic community foundation perspective, this could mean the community support we find in our parishes or Catholic schools, from caregivers and fellow residents at a Catholic healthcare organization or something similar. We support each other in community. Our faith-based gatherings in these communities nourish our souls. Jesus then asks us to be Christ to others.
Our Catholic community gives our soul strength. Many I talk with recall when their church or school was the primary community for families. It strengthened marriages. It brought families closer together in very meaningful ways. This carried out to other communities. While that may not be as pronounced as it was generations ago, it’s still there. My faith community is my second family. Many in my parish would agree.
While in some places it may seem Catholic communities are declining, it’s hopeful to know that the US Catholic population increased by 2 million in the last 10 years, according to Catholic News Agency. It’s interesting to read about demographics of our Catholic community throughout the world, which is overall growing. We are a communal, universal church.
Being here to grow in our faith so that we can be sure to take care of others is important for our Catholic community. CFAD’s mission is to multiply charitable resources for maximum benefit to our Catholic community. As we enter the last few months of the year, people begin to focus more on what that means to them and their giving. CFAD has many resources to help with this. Please explore this website or contact us. Our donor advised funds and charitable gift annuities are just two of many approaches that may be right for you as you seek how to best give charitably to our community.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
August is National Make a Will Month. Around 60% of U.S. adults do not have a will. Reasons frequently cited for this include not enough assets, being too busy and thinking it’s costly. The benefits of creating or updating an outdated will outweigh any of these reasons.
I encourage anyone in need of a new or updated will to check out CFAD's resources on will planning. And to take it a step further, think about creating a Catholic plan—one that ensures that the end of your life is filled with faith as all the years before. What does this mean? In addition to planning where your assets go, who will care for your dependents and who you trust to carry out your financial wishes, also consider planning:
*CFAD has resources regarding the last two items. We’d be honored to provide you with options to help you ensure your values and legacy are demonstrated in your plans. We encourage you to share these with your tax, accounting and/or legal advisors as we do not provide specific advice.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
July brings about a new fiscal year for CFAD. With that comes various organizational items, such as a new budget, a new marketing plan and new board and committee members.
CFAD is excited to welcome four new board members: Jacquelyn Arthur, attorney in Mason City; Jasmin Cisneros, accountant in Marshalltown; Tony Monaghan, financial advisor in Manchester; and Kevin Schmitt, accountant (retired) in Dubuque. You can learn more about these individuals who volunteer their time to govern CFAD along with our nine other board members.
I truly appreciate board members’ willingness to serve and know first-hand from boards on which I’ve served the commitment it takes. I know many pastoral and finance councils and boards have new people joining them. Thank you to all of those who have said “yes” when asked to serve in these roles or who have volunteered without being asked. Our Church relies on the many parts in the One Body. Blessings on the rest of your summer!
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
The recent report, “What Americans Think About Philanthropy and Nonprofits” conducted by Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy noted, “Americans trust nonprofits more than government or business, but levels of trust in all three sectors of society are low. Religious charitable organizations are seen as the most trustworthy and transparent type of philanthropic entity, followed closely by Community Foundations.” CFAD is a community foundation for the Catholic religion. We have myriad resources to answer and guide your charitable journey.
The report goes on to say that those who consider themselves religious have a strong, positive correlation with charitable giving and volunteering. I found it interesting that many people surveyed did not see how they are helped everyday by charities. “When we asked respondents whether they or anyone in their immediate family had received services from a charitable organization or nonprofit in the past year, only 5.4 percent indicated that they had. Given the many ways individuals engage with nonprofit organizations in everyday life (e.g., religious services, educational programming, beautification projects, museum programs, theatrical productions), it appears that many Americans do not recognize their own engagement with nonprofits or understand the nonprofit services they are unknowingly receiving regularly.”
Churches, Catholic schools and Catholic social service organizations are nonprofits, and donations to them (and to CFAD) are tax-deductible. Together, we all continue the ultimate focus of Jesus’ mission and how we carry that out at our individual organizations in the Archdiocese.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
At the end of this month we will welcome the newly ordained priests in our Archdiocese. We appreciate their discernment to this vocation and saying yes to God’s call in this way. Over the years and through ArchdioceseOne, many donors throughout the Archdiocese have supported our seminarians. Thank you!
As good stewards of these donated funds, the Archdiocese needed to make wise financial investments for long-term sustainability. It needed to be an investment that offered long-term growth as well as regular, stable distributions. Depending on a seminarian’s existing education, it can take six to eight years of further education and formation before becoming a priest.
In 2013 the Archdiocese moved the “Archdiocese of Dubuque Seminarian Education Endowment Fund” to CFAD, a separate charitable foundation that specializes in Catholic charitable planning, investing and grantmaking. Permanently endowed in Catholic responsible investments, the fund makes regular distributions each year to help with the costs of seminarian education, which includes tuition, room and board.
Archdiocesan priest Fr. Michael McAndrew, ordained in 2019, summed it well: “I think that having the ability to go to seminary and having CFAD and other people helping to fund my seminary education was a great gift for me. I was in debt from my previous education and knowing that I wasn’t going to incur more debt or that I wasn’t going to have to pay for my subsequent education allowed me to discern it more openly. It took it out of the equation. My heart was free to make that decision without anything else rather than just the pull of God on my heart. I’m just so grateful to the people of the Archdiocese for giving us that gift. I love those sacramental moments and getting to work with people to be creative and try to build the kingdom of God together. That’s awesome as a priest. I love being a priest.” (Watch Fr. Michael and others talk more about vocations.)
Congratulations to our new priests! Contact me if you’d like to learn more about helping our seminarians.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
Happy Easter! What a gorgeous weekend we had to celebrate our Lord’s resurrection. Spring is everywhere – including the first garage sale I’ve noted. It’s happening as I write this at the home across the street from the St. Patrick Parish Center (Cedar Rapids), where CFAD’s offices are located.
I had a garage sale as a kid with my best friend. We did pretty well, especially since my parents had been trying to sell a car with no luck. Then it sold at my garage sale, and they gave me a commission! These days, I find it easier to donate my items to a thrift store and take the tax write-off. We all have different motivations and different strategies depending on our life circumstances.
Spring also means it’s my dog Mokie’s birthday. She turns 14 on April 29. I wanted a dog so badly growing up, but my sister was highly allergic to them. As an adult, I resisted my husband’s and oldest daughter’s pleas to get a dog because of the time commitment in caring for a pet. I eventually caved and am glad I’ve had a furry pal greeting me every day. Again, different motivations and life circumstances.
These basic examples simply show one never knows when someone may be in the important process of gift planning or creating or updating a will and related documents. The motivators and circumstances could range from becoming a first-time parent to an empty nester to a widow/widower, among many others. For those who want to make a charitable impact in carrying out Jesus’ mission on Earth, know CFAD is here with our planning tools to help individuals and Catholic organizations.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
When people hear “The Catholic Foundation in the Archdiocese of Dubuque” or “CFAD,” they often think of a place for investing funds. This is true. About half of the parishes, half of the cemeteries and three-fourths of Catholic schools invest with us. Investment services are one part of what we do — ensuring funds are invested in proper, well-managed portfolios.
Our grantmaking services may be the next aspect people think of, although that gets mixed in with the investing services sometimes. CFAD has myriad funds that vary depending on a Catholic organization’s or individual donor’s goals. And having CFAD administer those funds helps our clients, too, such as tracking distribution amounts or adhering to applicable fund laws.
Our planning services are probably the least known, although we’re trying to change that. CFAD has numerous resources and information on gift planning – making the most of charitable resources. From creating giving plans to promoting legacy giving, we hope to help more groups and individuals with their wishes to help the Catholic organizations and the people they serve in the 30 northeast counties of Iowa.
Our recently published fiscal year 2022 annual report helps tell this story of our services this past year. We thank you, our Catholic community partners, in trusting us to steward monies in funds to maximize benefits for the Catholic churches, schools, cemeteries and service organizations.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
There’s a lot to celebrate in February at CFAD. Every staff person has a February birthday. While a lot of people bemoan the month since they’re tired of winter, we’re all happy for the blessing of another trip around the sun. It also means more treats than usual, like cake.
One of my favorites is red velvet cake. The other night I was savoring every morsel of the confection since I rarely have it. I was thinking (and yes, this really was what I was thinking) how each crumb is nice alone, but not nearly as substantial as a full bite. For some reason, my mind then wandered to our wonderful donors and beneficiaries at CFAD. They understand they could go it alone and that would be fine. However they choose to be part of something more to make what they’re already doing even more impactful. The goal of what they want to do individually still gets accomplished, but with CFAD’s charitable planning, investing and grantmaking services, even more can be done for our Catholic parishes, schools and social service organizations.
The more we work together, the more CFAD can help Catholic organizations and individuals learn about potential giving strategies that benefit all involved. We can leverage the assets entrusted to us to access investments for our clients that are reserved for larger portfolios. We can save administrative time and stay on top of distribution laws for granting. The list could go on, and it’s all to multiply charitable resources for maximum benefit to our Catholic community.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
Here at CFAD, we see ourselves as an extension of parishes’ and Catholic organizations’ staff when it comes to questions on planned giving, investing and granting, all which furthers their missions. We ask our patron saint, St. Katharine Drexel, for her intercession to God every day that we may serve our constituents well, and by doing so, serve God well. St. Katharine Drexel founded the Sisters of Blessed Sacrament and had a deep devotion to the Eucharist. Our staff try to follow her example and regularly go to Eucharistic Adoration, praying various petitions, including how to best meet our constituents’ needs. CFAD’s staff members commit themselves to helping our Catholic community outside of work, too.
Operations Manager Michael Becker serves his parish, St. Pius X, Cedar Rapids, as lector, Eucharistic minister to the homebound, pianist, and Buildings and Grounds volunteer. He currently is enrolled in the spiritual director program with the Archdiocese of Dubuque, which, upon completion, he plans to offer direction in his spare time.
Administrative Assistant Jacquie Buschette has served her parish, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hiawatha, as a member of the Finance Council, Stewardship Committee and Cleaning Committee.
Executive Director Michele Brock volunteers at her parish, St. Joseph, Marion, as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, member of the Stewardship Committee and member of the parish school’s Marketing and Strategic Planning Committees. She also serves as a board member of the Newman Catholic Student Center at the University of Iowa and a volunteer with the Catherine McAuley Center.
Please know we’re here to help you when it comes to Catholic charitable planning, investing and grantmaking!
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
I’m the youngest of five girls. At Christmastime growing up, I remember sitting backward on our living room couch so that I could look out the window and watch for my oldest sisters, who were on their way home from college. To this day with tears in my eyes, I can still feel the anticipation in my heart of seeing them and having the family together again to celebrate this joyous time of year. As an adult, while certainly excited, admittedly those feelings aren’t as strong now when we all get together. Am I more distracted? For sure. Do I take as much time to reflect on the possibilities of our gathering? Not as much.
Advent prepares us for our Savior’s birth and ultimately His second coming. It’s difficult to comprehend an event not as tangible to us as a sibling homecoming. But we can try. We have the opportunity every time we receive the Eucharist to tangibly welcome Jesus. We unite ourselves with Him now and anticipate the ultimate Christmas celebration in Heaven. I can only imagine that the events that bring me joy here will pale in comparison.
The Eucharist inspires the mission of CFAD. By giving to sustainable funds for parishes, vocations, Catholic schools and social services, you support this unification with Christ through Mass, education about the Eucharist and Works of Mercy in our community. My wish for you this season is to set aside distractions and reflect on the gift of the Eucharist – that the anticipation built during Advent brings a full heart and tears of joy in receiving Jesus. Merry Christmas!
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
The official season of counting our blessings and being thankful is upon us. I believe gratitude is the foundation for a culture of giving. One of my favorite writers and theologians is Henry Nouwen who said, “Every time we decide to be grateful it will be easier to see new things to be grateful for. Gratitude begets gratitude, just as love begets love.”
Underlying our faith is the Eucharist, our spiritual nourishment or Holy Communion uniting us with Jesus. The term “Eucharist” originates from the Greek word eucharistia, meaning thanksgiving. So for thousands and thousands of years, people have partaken in this type of thanksgiving, which has called them to be grateful for Jesus’ sacrifice, tell the world about our Savior and share and care for what God has entrusted to us.
I’m blessed in my role to interact with people who acknowledge blessings from God, and through this gratitude, help others. Today and every day, I encourage each of us to practice gratitude and continue to build a culture of giving for our Works of Mercy.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
This fall has been absolutely spectacular—from long-lasting changes in the colors of the canopy to beautiful weather. It just seems a lengthier fall to enjoy than usual. CFAD Operations Manager Michael Becker and I visited some organizations in the northeast corner of Iowa to discuss the foundation. No matter the season, we’re always happy to visit with organizations or individuals interested in learning how CFAD can assist them in helping our Catholic community.
Speaking of our Catholic community, congratulations to Michael and his wife Kara on the arrival of their first child Elijah Hayes Becker born October 10. We are thrilled to welcome him to the world. As our priests and deacons often say at baptisms, it’s our role as Catholics to support parents in raising children in the faith and to know the love of Jesus. Please join me in praying for the Beckers and all new parents that they may seek and find that support in their Catholic community.
This community of course includes our priests and deacons, and while we appreciate them always, we acknowledged Clergy Appreciation Day, which occurred October 9. We are grateful for their service to God and his people through their vocation.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
I saw a bumper sticker the other day that made me laugh, but fittingly said, “Do you follow Jesus this closely?” Faith most certainly is a journey, and as I walk more on that journey, it’s amazing how much more I see God’s hand at work. An important meeting gets postponed and then that free time allows me to be with a friend who suddenly needs help. A denied request leads to a more fitting opportunity. . . A death leads to new life, we hope for both the deceased and through his or her legacy left for others.
This is not always an easy journey, but that’s why Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
More bluntly, I need Jesus and I see this more clearly as I walk in faith. Our Catholic churches, schools and related organizations work diligently to shepherd, teach and provide resources for our faith journeys. Their doors are open to all who seek the rest Jesus offers if they choose to follow Him. The support donors provide now and for the future means so much to me and to our Catholic organizations. “Thank you” doesn’t begin to express how grateful I am.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
I tend to be more of a Martha than a Mary. I know this about the temperament God gave me, so work to balance it. Eucharistic adoration is one way I’ve “stopped” to just be with Jesus and listen to Him. It’s amazing what I hear! At CFAD, we’ve taken extra care to emphasize the “C” in CFAD — Catholic — with a large part of that being our focus on the Eucharist. It’s even inspired our mission of multiplying charitable resources for maximum benefit to our Catholic community. We draw hope from Jesus' miracle of the Multiplication of Loaves. Jesus accepted the gift of bread from a boy in the crowd, gave thanks and gave it to his disciples to eat and distribute to the hungry crowd of over 5,000. With that inspiration, CFAD:
We are honored and humbled to work with donors and Catholic organizations as they look to sustain the future of the faith by planning in the present. Thank you for all you do, like Martha, and all that you are, like Mary.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director
My husband and I celebrated 26 years of marriage on July 20. We recently revised our estate plans as our will was more than 20 years old and pretty basic – all that we needed as a young couple. With blessings of two children, good careers, a home and retirement savings and our church and other charities in which we’ve become involved, our efforts to practice good stewardship led us to the decision for the updates. We used it as an opportunity for reflection of our blessings and the legacy we want to leave.
"We do not keep them from our children; we recount them to the next generation,
The praiseworthy deeds of the LORD and his strength, the wonders that he performed."
Psalm 78.4
We utilized several of CFAD’s tools during this time and it really made for a fulfilling process. If you have reason to modify your estate plans, I invite you to explore our resources. We’d be honored to assist you and/or work with your advisors; please contact us.
-Michele Brock, Executive Director