FADICA

FADICA History

The initiative to create FADICA came from the foundation community itself. A desire to fathom the rapid change within Catholicism following the Second Vatican Council combined with a trend of greater affluence among Catholics, set the stage for the building of a cooperative undertaking.

Survey research commissioned by several private foundations verified the feasibility of creating a network for Catholic grantmakers. A working committee comprised of representatives of the Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities, the DeRance Foundation, the Frank J. Lewis Foundation, the W. O'Neil Foundation, and I.A. O'Shaughnessy Foundation came together to create FADICA.

FADICA's first annual meeting took place at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago on May 26, 1976. Peter S. Robinson, FADICA's founding president and a member of the Raskob Foundation, pioneered FADICA's first four years of programs and was responsible for the organization's important formative years. He was succeeded by Francis J. Butler, a senior staff member at the United States Catholic Conference, now the USCCB.

FADICA has done its work in an era of profound change in American Catholic culture, defined in the past primarily by clergy, religious, parochial life and customs and now marked by explosive growth in lay activity and leadership.

For over a quarter of a century, FADICA has gathered the most capable and talented scholars and church observers to help philanthropists interpret trends and assess what is needed to strengthen the faith community and advance its mission.