Catholic Community Foundation Grants
Funded through donor-directed endowments and donor-advised funds, the Catholic Community Foundation is able to distribute grants on behalf of our donors to organizations serving the spiritual, educational and social needs of our Catholic community. Through generous donations to unrestricted endowments, CCFESD’s grant committee can direct grants through an application process to urgent and emerging community needs.
Who is Eligible to Receive a Grant
Recipients of donor-directed grants are either identified by the donor(s) who established the endowment and are restricted to those charities in perpetuity; or are recommended in real-time by the advisor of a donor-advised fund.
CCFESD-directed grants are distributed through an application and review process. Grants are not made to individuals (i.e., individual scholarships, etc.), but to non-profit programs, ministries, projects and institutions. CCFESD is unable to accept applications for lobbying purposes.
PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO:
- Programs associated with a parish, Catholic school or ministry responding to the vision of Lifelong Catholic Missionary Discipleship Through God’s Love
- One-time gifts to help initiate new programming
- Programming that is diocesan-wide in its nature and impact versus programming that is parish-specific
Past grants have been awarded to programs such as these:
- Numerous Catholic parishes, schools and cemeteries
- Newman Centers
- The Lourdes Center
- The Diocese of Sioux Falls
- Right to Life
- Various community non-profits that aren’t contrary to Catholic teaching
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, $6.4 million was granted to 355 beneficiaries
Application Process
Grants are reviewed annually at our spring and fall board meetings. All applications must be submitted to the CCFESD by March 1 or September 1.
- Review the guidelines and procedures
- Complete a grant application
- Submit your application by sending it to hfortin@ccfesd.org or mailing it to:
CCFESD
Attn: Heather Fortin
523 N Duluth Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57014
Recent Grant Recipients
Abbey of the Hills, Martin SD
To provide opportunities for more people “to grow in their journey of becoming lifelong Catholic missionary disciples through God’s Love” by expanding spiritual retreat offerings
Mission Blueprint, Brookings SD
To provide various conferences filled with keynote talks, testimony and fellowship
St. Joseph Bakhita Community, Cathedral of St Joseph, Sioux Falls SD
To create and foster a legitimate Catechetical and Sacramental program for members of the Bakhita Catholic community made up entirely of East African parishioners where English is a second language.
Mount Mary College, Watertown SD
To expand their Catholic high school outreach events to youth in the Watertown area and help strengthen their presence in the southeast corner of South Dakota
Haven Center, Watertown, SD
To open a brand-new pregnancy center in Watertown
Bishop O’Gorman Catholic School System, Sioux Falls SD
To fund a pilgrimage to Rome for O’Gorman High School juniors and seniors
Step-Up Ministries, Aberdeen SD
To provide temporary, emergency and transitional shelter and programs for homeless guests in Aberdeen and aid in their expansion
Evie’s Angels, Blessed Sacrament, Florence, SD
To provide prayer boxes that include prayer cards, statues, activities and more for families at Blessed Sacrament and all of Pastorate 6
St. Michael Parish, Sioux Falls SD
To help start Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. Michael Parish
Elizabeth Ministries, Aberdeen SD
To fund two programs and provide care packages to support women who experience life events such as miscarriage, stillbirth and infant loss in the Aberdeen area
