Catholic education has long stood as a beacon of hope, providing a nurturing environment where students can grow not only academically, but spiritually and morally. Guided by the Catholic Schools Blueprint for Excellence, the Diocese of Dallas is committed to providing quality Catholic education to our families. The Dallas Diocesan Education Endowment Trust (“Endowment Trust”) and the Bishop’s Invitational have been instrumental in serving those with the greatest need, providing tuition assistance so that more children across the Diocese have access to a faith-based education. We are grateful for the generosity of the faithful who provide the financial assistance to families in our community who have a deep desire to provide a Catholic education for their child but do not have the financial means to do so. We look forward with great hope to the future as we continue our sacred mission to nurture the minds and spirits of our children.
In 2010, our area Catholic Schools were welcoming fewer students than in prior decades as cost of education kept rising. Recognizing this challenge, the Bishop of Dallas, now Cardinal Kevin Farrell, saw an opportunity to leverage donations to the Diocese to support the development of children’s faith and education. Understanding that an endowment could be a valuable tool for providing ongoing and sustainable support, the Dallas Diocesan Education Endowment Trust was established in 2010. The Endowment Trust aimed to assist families unable to pay full tuition, paving the path for more students to enroll and remain in our Catholic schools.
Len Ruby faithfully served as Committee Chair until February of 2024. Joe Murphy currently serves as Chair of the Administrative Committee, leading a dedicated team of leaders from across the Diocese. Together, and thanks to the generous support of living and deceased donors, the Endowment Trust has taken the original $13 million and grown it to more than $45 million. Their fruitful investment strategy has allowed the Endowment Trust to support students across the Diocese with a distribution of up to 5% of the fund each year through investment earnings, while maintaining the corpus of the Trust intact.
What has the Endowment Trust accomplished so far?
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The Endowment Trust focuses on providing tuition assistance to the students with the greatest financial need. This year, we are supporting nearly 1,000 students with more than $2 million in assistance being distributed annually.
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From its beginning through this 2023-2024 school year, the Endowment Trust has distributed a total of $15.3 million to more than 8,000 students. Additionally, the Endowment Trust has successfully supported at least nine area Catholic schools, ensuring their continued operation during especially tough economic times such as the recession or pandemic, when many families could not pay their part of the tuition.
How does it work?
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Every year, the Endowment Trust distributes up to 5% of the endowment’s market value averaged over the most recent 5-years to provide tuition assistance.
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We seek ways to keep families in our Catholic schools even when tough economic realities unfold. For example, the Endowment Trust has been able to quickly provide extraordinary distributions when other supporters were unable to fulfill their commitments, or when families endured significant losses and hardships and could not pay their part of the tuition (e.g., during recession and pandemic).
Who should know about the Endowment Trust?
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The Endowment Trust Administrative Committee is working closely with the Diocesan Office of Development and the Catholic Schools Office to enhance the visibility of the Endowment Trust throughout the Diocese of Dallas. The goal is to increase awareness in parishes and schools to further its mission and impact for students in need.
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The Catholic Schools Office coordinates and distributes the tuition assistance program for Diocesan schools on behalf of the Bishop’s Invitational, the Diocesan Educational Endowment Trust, and other community partners. As funds continue to grow, this partnership enhances collective efforts to provide assistance to families who need it most.
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Since 2011, the Bishop’s Invitational has distributed more than $5 million to more than 1,900 students. Other donors in 2023-24 provided $165K to 35 students in additional tuition assistance funds.
How to learn more?
To invest in this legacy for Catholic education, contact Kelly Halaszyn at the Diocese. He will be happy to connect you to others who can share more and answer your questions.
