The Catholic Foundation Of West Michigan

What The Catholic Foundation Of West Michigan does

The Catholic Foundation of West Michigan is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation established in 1995 that operates as the unified giving vehicle for the Catholic community across the 11-county Diocese of Grand Rapids, encompassing 80 parishes, 31 schools, and more than 6,000 students. The Foundation manages 282 funds totaling $132+ million in assets under management, including donor advised funds (DAFs), permanent endowments, agency funds (requiring a $50,000 minimum), and planned giving/legacy instruments such as the Light of Christ Legacy Society. All investment pools are aligned with Catholic Social Teaching and approved by the USCCB and Michigan Catholic Conference, providing a faith-consistent investment option that secular financial intermediaries cannot replicate. The Foundation offers an online donor portal allowing fundholders to view balances, contribution history, investment performance, and recommend grants, with support for successor advisors including adult children. In 2024, the Foundation distributed $3.5 million in grants to 109 parishes, schools, and ministries, plus $552,192 in Bishop's Scholarships to 901 students.

The Foundation operates with a small staff of 1–10 employees, retaining less than 1% of contributions flowing through for operations while channeling the remainder to designated Catholic causes. Its GTM is relationship-driven, combining personal donor outreach with professional advisor partnerships (CPAs, attorneys, wealth advisors) and clergy referrals. Donor engagement is anchored by recurring programs: the Bishop's Angels annual giving society (120 members as of 2026, up from 23 at 1999 launch), the Catholic Business Leaders Forums (~200 attendees per event), Wine & Wills legacy planning seminars, and the annual Love & Charity Celebration. The Love & Charity competitive grant program awarded $160,000 to 18 organizations in 2026, more than doubling impact since inception. Corporate sponsorships from firms including Sun Title, Plante Moran, Deloitte, JP Morgan Private Bank, Varnum LLP, Trinity Health, AMDG Architects, and Applied Innovation underwrite both events and the Foundation's grant-making capacity. Teresa Reid became Executive Director in March 2025, succeeding Greg Deja.

Name

The Catholic Foundation Of West Michigan

Legal name

Catholic Foundation of West Michigan

Website

https://catholicfoundationwmi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Catholic Foundation of West Michigan is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation managing over $132 million across 282 donor advised, endowment, and agency funds on behalf of parishes, schools, ministries, and individual Catholic donors across West Michigan's 11-county Diocese of Grand Rapids.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Philanthropy Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Charitable fund management
• Donor advised funds
• Endowment administration
• Faith-based investing
• Planned giving services

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fund Management and Administration: The Foundation manages endowed funds, donor advised funds, and agency funds for parishes, schools, and Catholic ministries throughout West Michigan. While specific fee structures are not disclosed, the Foundation returns at least 99% of all contributions directly to designated charities, retaining a small portion for operations.
2. Grant Distribution Services: Distributes grants throughout the year from endowment distributions, donor advised funds, and a limited competitive grant pool (Love & Charity grants) to Catholic parishes, schools, ministries and organizations.
3. Event Sponsorships: Catholic Business Leaders Forums generate sponsorship revenue through multiple tiers (Visionary $10,000, Title $5,000, Premier $2,500, Presenting $1,000, Patron $500). A portion of each ticket/sponsorship funds the Love & Charity grants program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Catholic Foundation of West Michigan manages faith-aligned charitable funds — Donor Advised Funds, Endowment Funds, and Agency Funds — for individual Catholic donors, parishes, schools, and ministries across West Michigan. It stewards more than $132 million in pooled assets across 282 funds and distributes grants each year to Catholic causes, while also operating giving societies, planned-giving programs, and donor education events rooted in Catholic social teaching.

Product overview

The Catholic Foundation of West Michigan is a charitable foundation serving as the umbrella organization that manages funds and distributes grants for parishes, schools, and Catholic ministries throughout West Michigan. Its product portfolio consists of four core giving vehicles: Donor Advised Funds (DAF) for hands-on philanthropy with tax-free growth and flexible grant timing; Endowment Funds invested in perpetuity for permanent annual support; Agency Funds for targeted capital needs with full fund distribution capability; and Planned Giving/Legacy vehicles including the Light of Christ Legacy Society. The Foundation also operates the Bishop's Angels annual giving program with 120+ members, the Love & Charity competitive grant program awarding $160,000 annually to 18 organizations, the Catholic Business Leaders Forums networking series, and Wine & Wills educational events. The Bishop's Fund for Catholic Education is its flagship designated endowment supporting tuition assistance for 6,000+ students across 31 Catholic schools. An online donor portal provides fund management access. Together, these products manage over $132 million in assets across 282 funds for the Church.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor Advised Funds Faith-aligned Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) that allow individual Catholic donors to contribute, recommend grants, and steward charitable giving in accordance with USCCB-aligned investment guidelines; intended for individual Catholic donors and households across West Michigan.
• Endowment Funds Permanent endowment vehicles stewarded for Catholic parishes, schools, and ministries, providing pooled fiduciary oversight and USCCB-aligned investment management for long-term institutional assets.
• Agency Funds Agency Funds through which Catholic parishes, schools, and ministries place restricted or operational assets under the Foundation's fiduciary umbrella, reducing back-office administrative burden while maintaining Catholic compliance.
• Bishop's Fund for Catholic Education Designated grant fund supporting Catholic education across the Diocese of Grand Rapids, distributing annual awards to Catholic schools and education programs.
• Bishop's Angels Annual Giving Society Annual giving society of approximately 120 Catholic donors providing recurring annual contributions to the Foundation's grantmaking mission; offers members recognition and engagement with the Foundation's work.
• Light of Christ Legacy Society Planned-giving recognition society for Catholic donors who have included the Foundation in their estate plans, supporting bequests, charitable gift annuities, and other planned gifts.
• Catholic Business Leaders Forums Forum and networking program for Catholic lay business leaders in West Michigan, providing formation, networking, and cultivation opportunities that connect business leaders to the Foundation's philanthropic mission.
• Wine & Wills Estate Planning Events Estate-planning legacy events held in partnership with professional advisors (attorneys, financial advisors), educating Catholic donors about planned giving and connecting them to the Foundation's DAF and endowment vehicles.
• Love & Charity Grant Program Annual competitive grant cycle funded by the Foundation to support Catholic parishes, schools, and ministries across the Diocese of Grand Rapids; in 2024, $3.5M was awarded to 109 organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grants awarded to 109 parishes, schools, and ministries totaling $3.5 million in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Diocese of Grand RapidscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Founding relationship: The Catholic Foundation was created in 1995 and grew from the Diocese's 'In the Name of the Lord' campaign (1998). Bishop Robert J. Rose founded the Foundation to strengthen Catholic education, and its mission expanded to support parishes and ministries. The Foundation stewarded Diocese assets and now serves as the primary charitable giving vehicle for the Diocese's 80 parishes and 31 schools across 11 counties.
• Sun TitlecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle Series Sponsor of Catholic Business Leaders Forums. President David Michael Phelps also featured as a forum speaker for October 2026. Active supporter of Foundation events and grant programs.
• Trinity HealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle Series Sponsor of Catholic Business Leaders Forums. Deacon Lawrence Duthler, President and Co-Owner of Sun Title, speaking on 'The Role of a Catholic Health System in Promoting Community Health' for November 2026 forum.
• Plante MoranmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier Series Sponsor of Catholic Business Leaders Forums. Major accounting firm supporting Foundation events.
• Applied InnovationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle Series Sponsor of Catholic Business Leaders Forums.
• Kent CompaniescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle Series Sponsor of Catholic Business Leaders Forums.
• Doeren-MayhewcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle Series Sponsor of Catholic Business Leaders Forums.
• AMDG ArchitectsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPatron Series Sponsor. The firm name is Latin for 'To the greater glory of God.' Multiple AMDG Architects Scholarship Funds established at Catholic schools through the Foundation.
• Varnum LLPmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Series Sponsor of Catholic Business Leaders Forums. Law firm providing legal expertise for estate planning events.
• JP Morgan Private BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Series Sponsor of Catholic Business Leaders Forums.
• DeloittemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPatron Series Sponsor of Catholic Business Leaders Forums.
• Bishop's AngelscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner120-member annual giving society providing steadfast financial support to the Foundation. Since 2020, also supports the Providential Care Fund and Love & Charity grant program. Program grew from 23 inaugural Angels in 1999 to 120 members today, spanning four bishops and three popes.
• Clark Associates (Clark Logo)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle Sponsor of Second Annual Love & Charity Event (2024).
• Mike and Sue JandernoamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier Sponsor of Second Annual Love & Charity Event (2024).
• Rich and Mary PanekmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier Sponsor of Second Annual Love & Charity Event (2024). Mary Panek is a Foundation trustee. Longtime supporters who inspired Richard and Kathy Sweers to join the Light of Christ Legacy Society.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Catholic Community Foundation: National umbrella Catholic foundation providing donor advised funds, planned giving, and grantmaking services across multiple dioceses. Comparable mission and DAF-centric product suite at multi-diocese scale.
• Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota: Regional Catholic community foundation serving the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis with donor advised funds, endowments, and parish/school grantmaking. Closest functional peer in terms of mission, product mix, and diocesan integration model.
• Catholic Foundation for the Archdiocese of Hartford: Archdiocesan foundation managing endowed funds, donor advised funds, and planned giving for parishes, schools, and ministries in Connecticut. Comparable faith-aligned investment strategy and grantmaking structure.
• Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia: Regional Catholic foundation offering DAFs, endowments, and charitable planning services for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Highly comparable diocesan-anchored fund management and grantmaking model.
• Catholic Community Foundation (Arizona): Faith-aligned Catholic foundation operating donor advised funds, endowments, and parish/school giving programs for the Diocese of Phoenix. Directly comparable product portfolio and diocesan service model.

Broad incumbents

• Schwab Charitable: Major national DAF sponsor affiliated with Schwab. Comparable product (DAFs, investment pools, online portal) but secular and far larger in AUM; useful reference for fee economics and donor UX.
• National Christian Foundation: Faith-based giving fund platform operating nationally with values-aligned investment options. Closest scaled competitor to a Catholic-specific foundation offering DAFs and donor-restricted funds with faith-consistent screening.
• Fidelity Charitable: Largest US sponsor of donor advised funds. Operates a secular DAF platform at national scale; relevant benchmark for DAF functionality, online portal experience, and minimum-investment product design, though without faith-aligned investment pools.

Others

• Catholic Charities USA: National network of Catholic charitable agencies. Many of the Foundation's grant recipients (e.g., Catholic Charities West Michigan) are members; the Foundation effectively serves as the funding and capital partner to this delivery network.

Regional players

• Grand Rapids Community Foundation: Secular community foundation serving the same Grand Rapids / West Michigan geography. Operates as the broader regional counterpart to the Catholic Foundation, with overlapping donor pool and similar endowment/grantmaking model but without faith-aligned screening.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/GRDiocese
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Diocese-of-Grand-Rapids/126567910740319
• Instagraminstagram.com/grdiocese
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catholic-foundation-of-west-michigan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Catholic Foundation Of West Michigan