WHERE DO LEADERS COME FROM?
Are they simply born that way? Is leadership something that can be taught? Or are leaders formed by experience?
At the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, we’ve seen firsthand how a Catholic education helps students achieve their academic potential. But that training does more than prepare them for a successful career. It transforms boys and girls into men and women who live generously, serve others humbly and walk spirit-empowered lives.
It is a sacred responsibility, but we need your help to do it.
A BOLD VISION
The Learn to Lead Campaign will extend the extraordinary legacy of a system of 23 schools serving families from Virginia Beach to Charlottesville, from Bristol to Roanoke, and from Danville to Richmond. Together these schools shape the lives of more than 7,000 young people – helping them realize their greater purpose – succeeding, leading and serving God, their families, churches, and communities.
Our goal is to raise $30 million to prepare student leaders in the Diocese of Richmond over the next decade. Crucial initiatives will fund local priorities at our 23 schools, enhance financial aid, support economically-disadvantaged schools, develop and retain outstanding teachers and promote Catholic education to a new generation of students.
$12 MILLION LOCAL SCHOOL CAMPAIGNS
$7 MILLION FAMILY FINANCIAL AID
$6 MILLION TEACHERS & LEADERS
$4 MILLION MISSION SCHOOLS
$1 MILLION MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT
$12 MILLION
LOCAL SCHOOL CAMPAIGNS
The cornerstone of the campaign is the local initiatives championed by individual schools to meet specific facility and programmatic priorities. Click a school’s link below to learn about their unique initiatives.
$7 MILLION
FAMILY FINANCIAL AID
Providing financial aid to families who qualify is key to the mission of Catholic Schools. The calculated unmet need of families who apply for financial assistance is currently $3.5 million per year. Expanding financial aid opportunities will provide access to a greater number of lower and middle-income families. The goal is to increase the enrollment of our schools. These funds will build on the $15 million tuition assistance endowment whose annual proceeds are distributed through the Catholic Community Foundation.
See how your scholarship donation can go even further through the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Educational Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit (EISTC) program. The program allows donors at every income level to make contributions to schools while receiving a 65% state tax credit, with the remaining 35% also eligible to be claimed as a charitable deduction.
$6 MILLION
TEACHERS & LEADERS
These funds will provide capacity to fund professional development, expand teacher resources, support the necessary compensation to attract and retain outstanding teachers, and stimulate partially or fully endowed faculty chairs for specific areas such as religion, language, the arts, and STEM.
Support will be provided for a collaborative partnership with Villanova University and other key institutions of higher learning to build excellence in school leadership. Funds will also be used to recruit, develop, and retain individuals whose faith, passion, and abilities equip them to lead their school to high levels of mission success.
$4 MILLION
MISSION BRIDGE GRANT FUND
Funds will provide bridge support to a select group of mission schools as determined by socio-economic, enrollment and financial factors. These grants can be used for priorities such as enhanced enrollment and development efforts, facility improvements, and curricular and extracurricular program enrichment.
$1 MILLION
MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT
Funds will enable a target marketing campaign that will inspire school age families to consider the blessings of a Catholic School education for their child. Funds will also be used to provide development consulting and coaching support to help schools prepare for a successful local campaign and to provide post campaign development planning, coaching and support services.
