About the Catholic Foundation
We are a lay organization.
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| Founders of The Catholic Foundation. L-R: Edward R. Maher, Bishop Thomas K. Gorman and Thomas C. Unis |
The Catholic Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, was established in 1955 by a group of visionary Catholic business and professional leaders in the midst of a period of remarkable growth and prosperity in the Dallas area to ensure that the physical and spiritual needs of those in the community who were less fortunate would never be overlooked.
Since its inception, the Foundation, a perpetual endowment, has grown both monetarily and in services provided. In 1965, managed assets of the Foundation were less than $1 million. A $2.6 million gift received from the Simmons Foundation following the death of James W. Simmons, Jr., in 1972, led to exponential growth over the next 10 years, and by 1985, managed assets had grown to nearly $21 million. Today, operating as a community foundation, The Catholic Foundation is home to more than 500 different funds and manages approximately $300 million in assets.
Virtually every Catholic institution in the Diocese of Dallas and most other established social service agencies, arts and cultural, educational, and health care organizations serving the community have benefited from Catholic Foundation grants ranging in size from as little as $25 in the early days to a series of $1 million grants made in the 1990's. Today The Catholic Foundation regularly awards grants in excess of $20 million a year.