catholic education foundation

What catholic education foundation does

The Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) of the Diocese of Joliet is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 36-4088859, established to raise resources enabling children in need to attend elementary and secondary Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Joliet in northeastern Illinois. Its core offering is an annual $1,000 K-12 scholarship awarded to families with demonstrated financial need, augmented by the Kazma Family Foundation four-year high school scholarship (which has supported over 1,000 students since 1997), the Leaders for the Future loan-to-grant program for Catholic school educators (up to $6,000 in tuition reimbursement converting to a grant after two years), and a growing portfolio of over 30 endowed and current-use scholarship funds named for donors and honorees. The foundation also operates a Women's Giving Circle that pools member contributions and votes on teacher-submitted grant proposals at an annual spring luncheon, plus the annual Plaid & Khaki Ball fundraiser.

CEF's revenue model is entirely donation-driven across four primary streams: individual charitable contributions (online, mail, stock, planned giving, DAF), endowed scholarships at a $25,000 minimum gift level, current-use scholarships at a $5,000 minimum, and Women's Giving Circle memberships. Donations are processed through GiveCentral for online giving and through Donor-Advised Fund rails at Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, and BNY Mellon. Scholarship applications are screened by FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment, with awards distributed directly to recipient schools. The go-to-market motion is community-led: annual scholarship appeals, the Women's Giving Circle, the Plaid & Khaki Ball, and direct engagement with Catholic parishes and schools across the Diocese.

The foundation is governed by an independent Board of Directors chaired by Jeffrey Arseneau (State Farm), with Edward Burjek (Merrill-Lynch Senior Partner) as Secretary, Bishop Dennis Spies (Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese) and Superintendent of Catholic Schools Gregory N. Porod as diocesan representatives, and Christopher Breyne (joined beginning of 2024). Executive Director Michael Carbery, CFA, was appointed in 2024, succeeding Jennifer Georgis. The organization serves the Diocese of Joliet exclusively, with named partner high schools including Benet Academy, Bishop McNamara, IC Catholic Prep, Joliet Catholic Academy, Montini Catholic, Providence Catholic, and St. Francis High School. No proprietary technology or AI/ML capability is evident; operations rely on standard nonprofit infrastructure and outsourced vendors.

Name

catholic education foundation

Legal name

Catholic Education Foundation of the Diocese of Joliet

Website

https://cefjoliet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Catholic Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing $1,000 annual tuition scholarships and managing 30+ endowed scholarship funds for K-12 students attending Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Educational Scholarship Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAE

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDADAHAC

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

SECONDARYBPAGAKAK

Education Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYFSAKAEAM

Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent)

Financial & Insurance/Lending & Consumer Finance/Student Loans & Education Finance

Keywords

• Catholic school scholarships
• Tuition assistance programs
• Educational nonprofit foundation
• Donor scholarship funds
• K-12 financial aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Crest Hill

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Charitable Donations: The foundation receives donations from individual donors to fund scholarships for K-12 students in Catholic schools. Donors can give through various methods including online donations, mail, stock donations, and planned giving through wills or estate planning trusts.
2. Endowed Scholarships: Donors create permanent endowed scholarship funds (minimum $25,000) that exist in perpetuity and grow over time. These funds generate scholarship awards for students based on specified criteria.
3. Current Use (Unendowed) Scholarships: Donors establish current use scholarships with a minimum donation of $5,000 that can be spent in the same year established. These funds provide immediate financial assistance to students.
4. Women's Giving Circle Memberships: Pooled membership contributions where members collectively decide which projects and opportunities to fund based on grant proposals submitted by diocesan school teachers at annual spring luncheons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Catholic Education Foundation raises donations and endowment funds to provide tuition scholarships and financial assistance to K-12 students attending Catholic schools within the Diocese of Joliet. It administers standard student scholarships ($1,000 per student), multi-year high school scholarships, endowed and current-use named funds, and a Women's Giving Circle program, distributing awards through partner Catholic schools.

Product overview

The Catholic Education Foundation is a nonprofit scholarship organization providing financial assistance to families in the Diocese of Joliet for Catholic school education. The organization offers a core scholarship program for K-12 students (standard $1,000 award), specialized high school scholarships (Kazma Family Foundation four-year awards), and professional development grants for educators (Leaders for the Future). The foundation also manages endowed and current-use scholarship funds established by donors, and operates a Women's Giving Circle for collaborative philanthropy. Donation vehicles include stock gifts, planned giving, and donor advised fund connections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women's Giving Circle: A component fund of Catholic Education Foundation that allows members to have personal involvement in decision-making for funding Catholic school programs. Membership contributions are pooled together and at the annual Spring luncheon, members vote on which projects and opportunities to fund based on grant proposals submitted by diocesan school teachers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Standard scholarship of $1,000 per student
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Diocese of JolietcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Catholic Education Foundation is a separately-incorporated entity that benefits the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois. The foundation supports families throughout the diocese who seek Catholic education for their children. Bishop Dennis Spies serves as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese.
• FACTS Grant and Aid AssessmentcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party financial grant management company used for scholarship applications. Families must apply each year through FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment to qualify for CEF scholarships. Complete only one FACTS application per family.
• Diocesan Catholic SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEF supports students in CEF-supported Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Joliet including Benet Academy, Bishop McNamara, IC Catholic Prep, Joliet Catholic Academy, Montini Catholic, Providence Catholic, and St. Francis High School.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catholic-education-foundation-diocese-of-joliet

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 education foundation