Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Foundation

What Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Foundation does

The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Foundation, operating under the legal name Catholic Community Foundation, is the official philanthropic arm of the Diocese of Cleveland, headquartered at 1404 East Ninth Street, Cleveland, Ohio. The foundation channels charitable contributions from individual donors, parishioners, estate planners, and wealth advisors to support three core ministry areas: Catholic Charities health and human services (serving nearly 400,000 people annually without discrimination based on race or belief), Catholic education through tuition-assistance programs such as the Angel Scholarship Fund and Fund A Dream, and Catholic worship and formation via Borromeo Seminary and Saint Mary Seminary.

The foundation operates a diversified fundraising stack anchored by annual campaigns (Catholic Charities Appeal with a $15.3M goal for 2026, Partners in Giving for Summit County, Faith + Values Appeal for Catholic Education), a concentrated annual online giving day (#weGIVECATHOLIC, which raised $4.3M in its 10th anniversary year), and event-based community engagement such as the Bishop's Golf Classic and pilgrimages. Its go-to-market is community-led: leveraging the Diocese's parish network, donor advised fund portals, and a FreeWill-integrated legacy planning platform (catholiccommunity.planmylegacy.org) to acquire and retain donors. The technology layer is minimal and described as "not applicable" in the source data, reflecting a traditional nonprofit operating model rather than a software-driven organization. Distribution of funds is handled internally through relationships with Catholic Charities, seminaries, schools, and parishes rather than through a commercial sales channel.

Revenue mechanics are donation-based across multiple vehicles: one-time gifts, recurring donations, campaign contributions, donor advised fund grants, charitable gift annuities (fixed-income contracts), IRA qualified charitable distributions, stock gifts, bequests, and named endowment funds. The foundation employs 17 staff and serves the eight-county Diocese of Cleveland region in Northeast Ohio. No funding rounds, acquisitions, leadership changes, or third-party partnerships beyond FreeWill and the Catholic Lawyers Guild are disclosed in the available source material, indicating a stable, mission-driven operating posture with growth primarily driven by program expansion and donor base cultivation rather than M&A or capital infusion.

Name

Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Foundation

Legal name

Catholic Community Foundation

Website

https://cdcf.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Catholic Community Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Diocese of Cleveland, raising and stewarding charitable donations from Northeast Ohio Catholics to fund Catholic Charities (serving nearly 400,000 people annually), Catholic school scholarships, priestly formation at local seminaries, and other ministries through donor advised funds, planned giving vehicles, and annual campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Philanthropic Foundation Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB), Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD), Faith-Based Media, Publishing & Broadcasting (Radio, TV, Digital, Press) (BPAGAJAI)

Keywords

• Charitable giving
• Planned giving vehicles
• Donor advised funds
• Endowment management
• Catholic philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Individual donors contribute through various vehicles including one-time gifts, recurring donations, and estate planning vehicles such as bequests and charitable gift annuities.
2. Campaign Fundraising: Annual and periodic campaigns such as the Catholic Charities Appeal, Angel Scholarship Fund, and Faith + Values Appeal for Catholic Education generate targeted charitable contributions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Foundation (operating as the Catholic Community Foundation) is the official philanthropic arm of the Diocese of Cleveland. It solicits, receives, and manages charitable contributions from individual donors, parishes, and estates, and distributes those funds to Catholic Charities health and human services, Catholic K-12 schools and seminaries, and additional worship, formation, and social service ministries across Northeast Ohio. Its product set spans annual campaigns (Catholic Charities Appeal, #weGIVECATHOLIC, Partners in Giving), education tuition assistance (Angel Scholarship Fund, Fund A Dream), planned giving vehicles (donor advised funds, charitable gift annuities, IRA QCDs, stock gifts, bequests, named funds, parish endowments), and targeted ministry support programs (Priestly Formation, Migration and Refugee Services, TV Mass, Catholic Magazine, Called to Flourish).

Product overview

Catholic Community Foundation is a single unified foundation serving as the philanthropic arm of the Diocese of Cleveland. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of giving vehicles and fundraising programs including: Donor Advised Funds, Charitable Gift Annuities, Parish Endowment Funds, Named Funds, and IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions; scholarship programs such as Angel Scholarship Fund and Fund A Dream supporting Catholic education; and various fundraising campaigns including the Catholic Charities Appeal ($15.3 million goal for 2026), Partners in Giving for Summit County, and #weGIVECATHOLIC online giving day. The foundation also supports specific ministries including Priestly Formation at Borromeo Seminary and Saint Mary Seminary, TV Mass broadcasts, the Northeast Ohio Catholic Magazine, and immigrant/refugee services. Programs are delivered through the organization's website, donor portals, and estate planning partnerships including FreeWill.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catholic Charities Appeal Annual fundraising campaign supporting Catholic Charities health and human services across the Diocese of Cleveland, serving nearly 400,000 people annually without discrimination based on race or belief.
• Angel Scholarship Fund Ohio tax credit scholarship program providing tuition assistance to Catholic school students through taxpayer-directed contributions.
• Fund A Dream Donor-to-student tuition assistance program connecting individual donors directly with Catholic school students needing financial support.
• Faith + Values Appeal for Catholic Education Annual faith-based fundraising campaign supporting Catholic K-12 education across Northeast Ohio.
• Priestly Formation Support program funding priestly formation at Borromeo Seminary and Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology, addressing human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation.
• Heart of a Shepherd Ministry support program for ongoing priestly formation and continuing development of ordained priests.
• Partners in Giving - Summit County Annual Appeal Annual appeal specifically supporting Catholic Charities services within Summit County, Ohio.
• Women's Giving Circle Philanthropic giving circle enabling Catholic women to collectively support ministries in Northeast Ohio.
• Donor Advised Funds Charitable giving vehicle allowing donors to contribute, receive immediate tax benefits, and recommend grants to Catholic ministries over time through an online portal.
• Charitable Gift Annuity Contractual planned giving arrangement under which a donor makes a gift and the foundation pays the donor fixed income for life, with the remainder supporting Catholic ministries.
• IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution Tax-advantaged giving option allowing IRA owners age 70½ or older to transfer retirement funds directly to the foundation to satisfy required minimum distributions.
• Bequest through a Will Planned giving option enabling donors to support Catholic ministries through estate planning by including the foundation in their will, facilitated via a FreeWill online partnership.
• Stock Gift Non-cash giving option enabling donors to contribute appreciated publicly traded securities directly to the foundation for the benefit of Catholic ministries.
• Parish Endowment Fund Endowment fund vehicle established for individual parishes to support their long-term financial sustainability and ongoing mission.
• Named Fund Custom donor-named endowment fund established to support specific Catholic ministries or causes chosen by the donor.
• Offertory Enhancement Program helping parishes enhance their weekly offertory collections through planned giving strategies and parishioner engagement.
• #weGIVECATHOLIC Annual Online Giving Day Annual concentrated online giving day for Catholic organizations in Northeast Ohio that raised $4.3 million in its 10th anniversary year (2025).
• Migration and Refugee Services Funding program supporting Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services within the Diocese of Cleveland.
• Immigrant Assistance Fund Restricted fund supporting immigrant assistance services provided within the Catholic Charities framework of the Diocese of Cleveland.
• TV Mass Funding program supporting the production and broadcast of televised Catholic Mass for homebound and hospitalized parishioners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 400,000 people served annually through Catholic Charities programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• National Catholic Community Foundation: National Catholic foundation focused on charitable giving, donor-advised funds, and stewardship education. Operates as a Catholic alternative to community foundations on a national scale.
• Catholic Charities USA: National umbrella organization for Catholic Charities agencies. Comparable in mission and donor base, though operating at a national level rather than as a single diocesan foundation.
• Knights of Columbus Catholic Charities: Catholic fraternal benefit society running major charitable giving and insurance programs. Competes for the same Catholic donor dollar pool and offers similar planned giving and charitable programs.

Regional players

• Cleveland Foundation: The largest community foundation in the U.S., based in Cleveland, Ohio. Competes for the same Northeast Ohio donor-advised fund, planned giving, and endowment dollars, though secular rather than faith-based.
• Community Foundation of Greater Cleveland (collaborative): Regional community foundation network serving Northeast Ohio with overlapping donor base. Comparable as a community foundation administering DAFs and conducting regional fundraising, though not faith-based.

Direct peers

• Catholic Community Foundation of Northeast Florida: Direct peer Catholic foundation serving the Diocese of St. Augustine with donor-advised funds, endowment management, and planned giving services for Catholic parishes, schools, and ministries. Same regional Catholic-foundation model.
• Our Sunday Visitor Catholic Foundation: National Catholic foundation that, like the Cleveland foundation, offers donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and endowment services to Catholic donors nationwide. Comparable in the planned-giving and DAF product set.
• Catholic Foundation of Michigan: Direct peer diocesan Catholic foundation offering donor-advised funds, planned giving vehicles, and campaign fundraising for parishes, schools, and Catholic Charities in Michigan. Operates the same model as a unified Catholic community foundation serving a regional diocese.
• Catholic Foundation of the Archdiocese of Washington: Direct peer Catholic foundation managing endowments, donor-advised funds, and charitable giving for the Archdiocese of Washington. Operates the same diocesan foundation model with similar product portfolio.
• Archdiocese of New York Catholic Foundation: Direct peer diocesan philanthropic foundation managing donor-advised funds, planned giving, and parish/school support for a major U.S. archdiocese. Closely comparable in mission and giving vehicle structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CatholicCommCLE
• YouTubevimeo.com/catholiccommunityCLE
• Facebookfacebook.com/CatholicCommCLE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catholic-diocese-of-cleveland-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/catholiccommcle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Foundation