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| April 7, 1999 FADICA to Welcome Several New Members Continuing Education Called Essential for Effective Philanthropy Washington, D.C. ----- Private foundations and donors with Catholic interests have formally entered their names in this year's "class" of new members of FADICA. They are: The William M. and Helen L. Close Family Foundation of Pasadena, California, the Keyser Family Foundation of Chicago, the Allegany Franciscan Foundation of Clearwater, Florida, and Elizabeth B. Heffernan, a trustee of the William Bingham Foundation of Cleveland, Ohio. The addition of these members will bring the membership of FADICA to 45 foundations. The combined annual giving of the membership totals more than one hundred million dollars annually. FADICA was established in 1976 by a small corps of private foundations with Catholic interests. The association provides an ongoing series of symposia and studies related to private philanthropy and coordinates foundation initiatives related to the future of church related institutions. "We are very pleased that so many private foundations have come to recognize the value of continuing education. If foundations with Catholic interests are to be effective, they are going to have to participate intelligently in the work of the church related charities they support," declared FADICA's chief executive officer, Francis J. Butler. "FADICA's forums and network provides a important resource to enable this to happen", he added. The Close Foundation is led by William M. Close, a California philanthropist who is currently chairing efforts in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to finance the building of a new Catholic cathedral there. The Keyser Foundation has interests in Catholic higher education, among other fields, The Allegany Franciscan Foundation was recently created by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, New York, following the sale of one of the hospitals owned by the community. In recent years the organization's attention has focused on the future of Catholic colleges and universities and the financial health of Catholic inner city schools. In June FADICA will discuss the formation of laity for leadership in church related institutions. Among FADICA's initiatives over its history, have been the founding of national campaigns to meet the retirement needs of religious, a special nationwide effort to aid the church in central and eastern Europe and Russia, an NCEA program for inner city Catholic school teachers, and a management training program for diocesan financial officers, among several other efforts. Return to List of News Releases | Back to Top |