The General Fund for Catholic Schools ensures that the 11 Catholic schools in the Diocese of El Paso have the funds to provide scholarships for economically disadvantaged students. Distributions from this funds are distributed based upon need. The Foundation's goal is to build all of the Catholic schools endowment funds to a combined $12 million in order to support and sustain Catholic education in the Diocese of El Paso in perpetuity.
The Foundation currently manages 84 separate endowment funds for charities, ministries, parishes, and schools. Of these, 22 funds are designated for Catholic schools with a combined value of $6,562,037. Each of El Paso’s Catholic schools has at least one endowed fund for scholarships. Every spring, the Foundation distributes 4% of the fund’s value to schools. Building our Catholic school endowment funds to $12 million will generate $480,000 annually to support Catholic education. We’ll continue to build from there. The Foundation's goal is to build the Catholic schools endowment funds to $12 million in order to support and sustain Catholic education in the Diocese of El Paso in perpetuity.
The Foundation will award $179,507 in financial aid to 80 Foundation Scholars attending El Paso’s Catholic Schools. Most of this scholarship aid ($133,977) is being distributed from scholarship endowed funds, with the remainder ($45,530) coming from donations and a grant from the Hunt Family Foundation.
Our Scholarship Program complements the Office of Education’s Financial Aid Program that provides more than $250,000 a year in scholarship aid. Individual schools also provide financial aid to students from individual donations and school scholarship programs, and use tuition discounts for low-income students and families who have multiple children attending.
The Foundation received a dollar-for-dollar matching grant for Catholic schools from the Scanlan Foundation to raise a total of $140,000 in 2015 for our endowed scholarship funds. We are using the grant to challenge the schools to raise between $5,000 and $20,000 each for a total of $70,000 that will be doubled by the grant from the Scanlan Foundation.
The Diocese of El Paso is working hard to meet its mission of overseeing Catholic schools that are excellent, accessible and affordable for all families. The Foundation is proud to be a Catholic school partner. We know that education changes lives, these scholarship opportunities for Catholic schools are truly transforming lives.
As a diocese, our goals for El Paso’s Catholic schools are to:
January 23, 2019
Why Do We Need to Teach Our Children to Give?Efforts to teach Stewardship to children are most successful if you concentrate on some basic concepts. These concepts can be discussed in the classroom, in children’s liturgies, children’s catechetical programs or at home.
Read moreNovember 02, 2018
El Paso Giving DayHeard of El Paso Giving Day but don't know what it's all about? Here are all the facts you need to know.
Read moreSeptember 21, 2018
Catholic Foundation Honors Religious Sisters, Raises $90,358 at 12th Annual Foundation of Faith DinnerThe Catholic Foundation honored the Daughters of Charity and Sisters of Loretto with the 4th Annual Dei Gratia Award for their extraordinary contributions to the Diocese of El Paso for over a century. The event raised $90,358 in just one night. Proceeds benefit the Foundation whose only purpose is to serve the Catholic Church in the Diocese of El Paso.
Read moreJuly 24, 2018
Beloved Principal Honored with a Legacy FundAn anonymous donor created the Elizabeth Wiehe Scholarship Fund for St. Raphael School as a way to give back and to keep the legacy of a beloved founder, teacher, and longtime principal alive. The fund will provide scholarships for students who could not otherwise afford to attend St. Raphael.
Read moreJuly 05, 2018
4th Annual Dei Gratia Award Winners AnnouncedThe Daughters of Charity and Sisters of Loretto will be honored as the recipients of the Catholic Foundation's 4th Annual Dei Gratia Award during the 12th Annual Foundation of Faith Dinner: Walking with the Saints on Thursday, September 20, 2018 at the El Paso Convention Center.
Read moreMay 22, 2018
Increase your Retirement with the Catholic FoundationYou make a donation using cash, marketable securities or other assets, and we, in turn, pay you a fixed amount for life. In addition to the opportunity to increase your retirement income as you help shape our future, gift annuities offer you numerous tax benefits.
Read moreMarch 05, 2018
Alumni Give Back to Cathedral High SchoolThe Cathedral High School Alumni Association seeks to continue the tradition of Lasallian brotherhood and leadership by bringing alumni together, recognizing the achievements of the alumni community, and raising scholarship funds for deserving and committed students.
Read moreFebruary 07, 2018
Loretto Alumna Inspires Women in Science & Engineering FestivalLoretto Academy Alumna and teacher, Nicole Cobb, Class of 2002, inspires the 1st Annual WiSE Festival celebrating Women in Science & Engineering
Read moreJanuary 27, 2018
Cathedral High School Hunt Family Foundation Scholars: Champions On and Off the FieldIn August 2013, the Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso received a five-year, $125,000 grant from the Hunt Family Foundation to provide scholarships for economically disadvantaged students. Three of those Hunt Scholars are at Cathedral this year.
Read moreSeptember 24, 2017
The Catholic Foundation raises $121,460 in just one night at the 11th Annual Foundation of Faith Dinner, Honors Rudy & Elvia Miles with 3rd Annual Dei Gratia AwardThe Catholic Foundation raised $121,460 in just one night at the 11th Annual Foundation of Faith Dinner and celebrated the accomplishments of Rudy & Elvia Miles with the 3rd Annual Dei Gratia Award. Proceeds benefit the Foundation whose only purpose is to serve the Catholic Church in the Diocese of El Paso.
Read moreJuly 18, 2017
Bishop Mark J. Seitz Establishes Scholarship Fund for DreamersMost Reverend Mark J. Seitz, D.D., Bishop of El Paso, announced the establishment of the Soñador Scholarship Fund, managed by the Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso, at a press conference and unveiling of his Pastoral Letter on Migration to the People of God in the Diocese of El Paso at Sacred Heart Church on July 18, 2017.
Read moreDecember 06, 2016
Benefactor Mike Miles Shares "The Try" with Miles Scholars at our Catholic High SchoolsIn 2009, Mike and Clara Miles donated $2.7 million to the Catholic Foundation for the Cathedral High School Scholarship Fund, Loretto Academy Scholarship Fund, Father Yermo High School Scholarship Fund, and the Bishop's Scholarship Fund.
Read moreOctober 18, 2016
St. Matthew Catholic School Class of 2017 & 2018 Come Together to Raise $4,600 for Scholarships7th & 8th graders raised thousands of dollars for the St. Matthew Catholic School Endowment Fund, a permanent fund that provides needed scholarships and financial aid for students attending St. Matthew.
Read moreSeptember 21, 2016
Join us for a Youth Mass with Fr. Leo Patalinghug!Every year we celebrate our Catholic high school seniors with a mass in their honor. This year, St. Raphael Parish will host the mass to include all of our youth and special guest, Foundation of Faith Dinner keynote speaker, Fr. Leo Patalinghug.
Read moreMay 09, 2016
Catholic Foundation Announces 2016-2017 Bishop’s, Faith, Hunt, & Miles ScholarshipsIn 2016, the Foundation is awarding $158,498 in financial aid to 71 Foundation Scholars attending El Paso’s Catholic Schools.
Read moreSeptember 19, 2019
The Foundation of Faith Dinner aims to bring the community together to celebrate faith, experience the wisdom and grace of renowned national and international speakers, and disseminate the Stewardship message of, “Pray, Serve, Give.” This year our guest is Catholic Christian Award-winning singer and songwriter.
View DetailsEndowment funds provide a vehicle through which individuals make outright or planned gifts that will have an everlasting impact on the parish/school. In time the income generated by the gift will far exceed the original donation.
As a result, endowed funds provide a perpetual, supplemental source of income for such things as the enhancement of programs and ministries, facilities maintenance, scholarships and seminary assistance, priest retirement, etc. Learn more about endowment funds.
In addition to online donations, there are a variety of ways you can donate to support this fund.
To donate by phone, please call:
(915) 872-8412
(Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT)
To mail your donation:
Download our Donation Form PDF
Monthly giving can be a powerful way to provide sustainable, long-term support for our Catholic community. As little as $20 (66 cents a day) can make a difference for the people and parishes that are helped by the ministries and charities of the Diocese of El Paso.
Make a planned gift through a charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, life insurance policy, retirement plan, or other planned giving instrument.
Donors may create a Named Fund with a gift or pledge of $10,000 or more over a five-year period benefiting the endowment fund of their choice. If you are interesting in establishing a Named Fund in honor of an endowment fund, please contact us online or call (915) 872-8412.