Emily Gambino, Chief Partner Development Officer

Celebrating 10 Years! Our Chief Partner Development Officer, Emily Gambino, looked back at what she has learned over the past 10 years. Her reflection is an insight into an often-unseen part of our work here at CFGP. “The biggest thing I have learned over the last 10 years is that the small things matter. And that's true in several ways! Whether that means a few extra minutes with an individual client or donor or helping navigate the organization's strategic direction. It is easy to get lost in the big picture.

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  I have learned to remind myself to zoom out occasionally and focus on solving one problem at a time. Those are the building blocks for the big picture. The projects that I take the most pride in are not the most significant initiatives. They are, instead, the opportunities when we can make a small daily task more manageable for a client. By doing that, they are able to spend more time focusing on their mission and transforming lives.”

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, Archbishop of Philadelphia and CFGP Board of Trustees

Celebrating 10 Years! We spoke with Archbishop Nelson Pérez about our 10th Anniversary and the role CFGP plays in the Archdioceses. “With deep and prayerful gratitude, I wish The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia a happy and blessed 10th anniversary on behalf of the people of the Church in Philadelphia. CFGP has accomplished much good over the past decade thanks to the hard work and dedication of its staff.

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  Although CFGP functions as an independent nonprofit, its physical and spiritual home is right here in Philadelphia, and it makes wonderful things possible.

  The Archbishop’s Ministry Support Fund is one example of CFGP’s powerful work. This initiative was created to fund ministries that are critical to our Church but would not have been possible without new avenues of financial support. It’s already enabled us to establish vibrant outreach to youth and young adults by bringing the Culture Project and Young Catholic Professionals to Philadelphia. Another is the extraordinary work CFGP does with Catholic Charities Appeal, which supports over 180 ministries, organizations, and programs throughout the five-county area that bring life-changing hope and assistance to the poor and most vulnerable among us.

  Congratulations to CFGP on a decade of impactful service to our local Church. We are grateful for all that you have done and look forward to what you will make possible for God’s people in the future.”

Dick Clark, Chairman, CFGP Board of Trustees

Celebrating 10 Years! On the occasion of our 10 Year Anniversary, we took a moment to reflect with Dick Clark, Chairman, Board of Trustees for CFGP. “I remember the press conference where we announced the formation of The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia in 2013. It was such an exciting time for our Catholic community, and I felt deeply honored to be the founding Chairman of CFGP. Our Board of Trustees and team members were energized and ready to build an organization that would grow philanthropy according to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

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  Since 2013, we have helped raise more than $200 million for over 100 Catholic ministries, which include various schools, parishes, and Catholic organizations, and granted $18 million through our network of charitable funds. In 2022 alone, we distributed over $5.5 million to Catholic organizations. It is hard to imagine where we will be in 2033, but we are ready to take it to the next level.

  I am incredibly proud of the work we have done. But we have not done it alone. I know that all we have accomplished would not be possible without the help and support of the Catholic community. I want to thank everyone involved with CFGP for helping us fulfill our mission.  The impact we have made in the Catholic community this past decade would not be possible without you. Thank you.”

Sarah O. Hanley, President and Chief Executive Officer, CFGP

Celebrating 10 Years! On July 1st, CFGP marks a decade of service to the Philadelphia Catholic community. Reflecting on the last ten years, I see how far we have come and how our work today affects future generations. In 2013, we had great hopes, and in 2023 they are being realized.

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  Since 2013, we have raised over $115M for the Catholic Charities Appeal of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and $50M for St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, with the total amount raised for nonprofit consulting clients being nearly $200M. Additionally, the number of funds we manage has grown steadily. Today we oversee 130 Catholic funds with 9,843 donors. In 2022 alone, we distributed over $5.5M from funds held by CFGP to parishes, schools, and other Catholic organizations.

  I am humbled and honored to lead this team of dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to help the broader community. Thanks to the inspired, collective generosity of our Board of Trustees, donors, and partners, we have been able to do more than we imagined. It is exciting to think about what our next ten years will bring. With God’s grace, we will continue to make a profound impact on the Church of Philadelphia for future generations.

   

  - Sarah O. Hanley, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia

10 Days of Giving

Reflecting on ten incredible years of giving and gratitude! We recently celebrated our 10th anniversary with CFGP 10 Days of Giving, featuring a series of meaningful events to spread gratitude throughout our community as a way to say ‘thank you’ for the unwavering support we’ve received over the past decade.

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  From heartwarming employee volunteering events to spreading joy with surprise gestures and fun Instagram giveaways, we cherished every moment. Here’s a glimpse of the 10 days:

  • We organized a food drive benefiting St. Cyprian Parish Food Bank, making sure families had nourishing meals on their tables.
  • Our team volunteered at St. John’s Hospice, sharing warmth, fresh socks, and hot lunches with those experiencing homelessness.
  • We donated $500 to the Office for Black Catholics, helping the Philadelphia Catholic Mass Gospel Choir acquire new stoles and choir robes.
  • Bringing smiles to the little ones, we surprised the kids at St. Francis de Sales with refreshing water ice treats.
  • Gratitude-filled stations were set up at parishes across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where thank-you cards were lovingly crafted.
  • We concluded our 10 Days of Giving with a 10th anniversary Mass and reception celebrated by Archbishop Pérez, surrounded by our esteemed board members, staff, and supporters.

  We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this journey possible. We’re looking forward to the next ten years!

  Join us on October 30th at the Union League Liberty Hill as we close our 10th Anniversary Celebration in grand style. Stay tuned for more moments of giving, joy, and unity. Together, we can make a lasting impact!

Rev. Monsignor Francis W. Beach, CFGP Board of Trustees

Celebrating 10 Years! We connected with Rev. Monsignor Francis W. Beach, a founding member of the CFGP Board of Trustees. One of the things we discussed was what CFGP accomplishments he was most proud of.

“When I think about our last ten years, I am most proud of the breadth of services that The Catholic Foundation of Greater

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  Philadelphia has been able to provide for so many Catholic nonprofits, Archdiocesan offices, parishes, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, and the Little Sisters of the Poor. As more parishes and Catholic nonprofit organizations have come to understand and have confidence in CFGP, they have reached out to us for the advancement and development of their organizations and programs. Two examples of our partnerships are a $40 Million Comprehensive Campaign for St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and a $45 Million Capital Campaign for the Little Sisters of the Poor. Both campaigns are bearing fruitful harvest for their organizations, thanks to the help of CFGP.”

  Thank you to Rev. Monsignor Beach for being a committed member of the CFGP Board of Trustees.

Tammy Tenaglia, Vice Chair CFGP Board of Trustees and Fundholder

Celebrating 10 Years! We checked in with one of our Vice Chairs of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Tammy Tenaglia, Ph.D., who has been with CFGP from the start to learn what memory she carries with her of the organization and how that has impacted her life.

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  “In the early years of CFGP, we would visit organizations for grant presentations.  I valued the opportunity to visit these sites and learn about the various activities being done throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  These visits helped to shape my role as a donor and helped me to become more intentional in spreading my Catholic faith.”

  Thank you to Tammy for being a valuable CFGP Board of Trustees member and fundholder for the last ten years.

Gina DeColli, Chief Marketing Officer CFGP

Celebrating 10 Years! We checked in with our Chief Marketing Officer, Gina DeColli, who has been with CFGP from the start to get her thoughts on this important milestone for CFGP. “Working at The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia these past ten years has been an amazing experience. Seeing firsthand how CFGP is helping to shape philanthropy across our region has been so rewarding to me personally and professionally.

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  One of my favorite memories at CFGP is our time volunteering in the community. This past year we spent time volunteering and serving lunch to those individuals experiencing homelessness at St. John’s Hospice. It was a wonderful day of giving back and helping those in need. CFGP has accomplished so much this past decade, and we have only just begun. Knowing that each day our work is helping to benefit someone’s life in a positive direction is a wonderful feeling.”

Howard Stoeckel, CFGP Fundholder

Celebrating 10 Years! CFGP sat down with the former Wawa CEO and current CFGP Fundholder about why he and his wife chose to have a fund with CFGP. This is, in part, what he had to say. “If people are considering charitable contributions, I would hope they would consider The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia. We live in a very complicated world today. We live in a divided world today, and people keep asking, what is the answer? Will it be different in the future? My wife and I talk about this topic

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  frequently, and what makes a difference is faith. Faith can bring people together. Faith can make a better world. Faith can solve a lot of problems, but you just can't talk. You have to walk the talk. And one of the ways to walk the talk is not only to pray but be active, contribute, and make a difference. The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia enables people to make that difference and to create a legacy for future generations.”

Sister Veronica Susan, LSP Holy Family Home

Celebrating 10 Years! Sister Veronica from Little Sisters of the Poor shares her unique insight into CFGP.  “Working with The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia has been a joy and a privilege. They have partnered with the Little Sisters of the Poor at our request to help us to promote the work of the elderly poor in Philadelphia and also to develop a tremendously large capital campaign for the Holy Family Home. This beautiful project is rebuilding a new model for the future.

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  CFGP is very knowledgeable; they get the necessary tools, materials, and information. If they don't have it, they get it. I can ask them for assistance, even with fundraising events that I do besides this capital campaign that supports the present home. And they have been present.”

  Thank you to the Little Sisters of the Poor for being a trusted partner of CFGP.

CFGP Board of Trustees and CFGP Team Members Give Back

In celebration of our 10 Year Anniversary and a desire to “give back,” the CFGP Board of Trustees and CFGP team members met on Thursday, March 16th, to assemble “Blessing-Bags” for the community of St. John’s Hospice here in Philadelphia. We made 250 bags, including socks, hand sanitizers, protein bars, water bottles, applesauce, trail mix, and more.

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  Saint John’s Hospice is a Catholic Social Services shelter for men located in Center City, Philadelphia. Saint John’s provides crucial, life-sustaining services with dignity, respect, and compassion to men experiencing homelessness. These services include a residence for over 250 men; service of over 3,000 meals each week; 160 showers with clean clothing weekly; mailroom services for over 900 men; case management, medical assistance, and counseling in excess of 375 men each day; and emergency shelter for 27 chronically homeless men.

  It is an honor and privilege to give back to the Catholic community of Greater Philadelphia. If you want to give back to any Catholic Social Services beneficiaries, please visit thecfgp.org/donate/chs.

  To see more pictures from this event, visit our social media channels: Facebook and Instagram

Paul Klauder, CFGP Board of Trustees

Celebrating 10 Years! Paul Klauder, a member of CFGP’s Board of Trustees, shares one of his favorite memories from his time on the board.

“I have had great memories and experiences in my nearly five years on the Board.  I have met and interacted with so many passionate Board members and CFGP professionals.  I am amazed at the commitment to the mission of CFGP.  My favorite memory

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  is how the Board and staff rallied and engaged immediately following the initial lockdown from COVID-19 in March 2020.  Outreach, counseling, and financial support for churches, schools, and individuals were extraordinary.  This was all done with a great work ethic while exhibiting compassion and empathy during an unprecedented event.”

Rev. Eric Banecker, Saint Francis de Sales Parish

Celebrating 10 Years! Here’s a wonderful story about Saint Francis de Sales Parish in West Philly as told by Rev. Eric Banecker, “After I had been at the parish for a few months, I knew by looking at the budget that we needed income in the parish. We realized it wouldn't be fair to rely on a relatively small group of parishioners to supply that income. I had the idea of starting a golf outing to support our parish and school.

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  We worked together with The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia for over a year in planning and preparation, and it was a lot of work. I’m so grateful to The Foundation and the staff who made the process much easier and who allowed me just to have to make decisions instead of doing some of the nitty gritty stuff that's involved.

  The good news is that we had the event; it was an incredible financial success. Well over what we projected to raise, especially for a first-year event. Those are the kind of things that happen when you get engaged with CFGP; they're able to tailor their work to what you're doing. It was a great event and a great way to raise real dollars that will support the work of the parish and the school today.”

Jim Amato, Secretary for Catholic Human Services

Celebrating 10 Years! We asked Jim Amato, Secretary for Catholic Human Services, an organization that has been with CFGP since our founding, why someone should open a fund with CFGP. “First and foremost,” he said, “they should explore all the options of what they want their fund to support and how they want to support and establish that fund. 

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  A hundred percent of what they give will support that fund, whether it be folks with developmental disabilities, whether it be the homeless, whether it be the hungry, whether it be at-risk children or youth, whether it be seniors. So, they could tailor their particular interest, their particular giving, and their particular prayer to those services that they must embrace.”