Faith in a Time of Crisis

March 2020

Faith in a Time of Coronavirus

President's Message

I don’t need to mention the name of the virus that is affecting all ages, ethnicities, and faiths. More than ever, it is a time to join forces with people who care about basic human rights and needs—healthcare choices, education, and social services—that help the most vulnerable. It’s the practice of our faith that is a guaranteed right in our country, and our faith is what guides us in every decision we make, from where we give our charity to how to use scarce hospital resources.

At CCF-LA, we are protecting the safety and health of our employees by working remotely and learning the meaning of the term “social distancing.”

Ensuring the wellbeing of our staff is first and foremost. Our corporate culture recognizes that our employees are critical to our mission success. So, we have initiated and tested systems to ensure that our clients continue to have exceptional services and the personal attention of our staff while they operate from their homes.

To that extent, we have provided online capability, equipment for home use, and stepped up our security to ensure that our operating systems stay protected and virus-free. We have daily call-in staff meetings, and we are using online resources to manage workload, think strategically, and problem solve.

We pray that these are very temporary measures, not the least because we miss working together in the same environment. As we like to say at CCF-LA, we are the power of one and the power of many, which is part of our philanthropic network. Every employee at CCF-LA is a very important person, and together we have created a team that lives our mission.

— Kathy Anderson, President and Executive Director

Blessing Those

Who Bless Us

Featured Client: Jesuit Fund for Spiritual Development

For centuries, the work of Jesuits has enlightened the lives of countless people worldwide. As a token of gratitude, Kevin Miller established the Jesuit Fund for Spiritual Development to support the Jesuit community at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, Miller’s alma mater.

“The idea was to offer opportunities for a variety of things, like new garbs they haven’t had in 20 years or provide funds for missions, pilgrimage trips, or anything else their very tight budgets may not allow for but would represent the opportunity for them to grow as individuals and as a community,” Miller said. Read more.

From the Desk of Our CFO | Arnulfo Cueva, Jr.

In contrast to the extraordinary portfolio results reported in 2019, performance so far this year has suffered dramatically as a consequence of the coronavirus. The results posted at the end of February are no longer relevant, and we will be posting first-quarter results soon.

Meanwhile, we are in constant communication with our fund advisers and our portfolio managers, continuing to maintain a long-term perspective. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding the fund options we make available to our clients.

Latest from the CCF-LA Blog

Celebrating St. Katharine: Patron of Philanthropy

During one of our regular “I wonder…” conversations among the Development Team here at CCF-LA, we mused about who was the patron saint of philanthropy? We discovered that St. Katharine Drexel holds the honor, and her feast day is March 3, which joyfully coincides with CCF-LA’s first business booked in March of 2015. Read more from Maggie, Development Manager .

Teaching and "Learning" Lent

As the parents of four girls, my husband and I found that the teenage years are the most challenging when teaching about Lent. When they were growing up, our family would often join the parish groups that make sandwiches for the homeless and then deliver them to remind us of those less fortunate and how they suffer. But as our girls grew, this became more difficult. Read more from Bernadette, Development Assistant.

My Lenten Journey Through the Coronavirus Fears

My goddaughter is one of hundreds of thousands of college students being sent home for the rest of the semester, working remotely to finish out their school year. She is 20, the same age my mother was when she was interned in a prisoner-of-war camp in the Philippines at the onset of World War II. Read more from Louise, Communication Specialist.

Event Spotlight:

A Great Night to Be Catholic: CCF-LA Celebrates Cardinal's Awards Recipients

One of the most invigorating aspects of the evening was that each honoree came from a different background, representing different stages of the faith journey. Some have dedicated their careers to service, others offer their personal time, and another shared a recent conversion. Read more from Kara, Development Manager.

We're hiring!

Join the CCF-LA team for an immersive opportunity to learn and grow in the field of professional philanthropy management. The following positions are open until filled:

Executive Assistant
College Summer Intern

If you or someone you know is interested, visit our website for the full job description and learn how to apply .

" He taught us how to live, so that we might not die forever; he taught us how to die, so that we might live forever. "

St. Augustine

OUR MISSION: CCF-LA empowers charitable individuals and organizations across cultures and generations through professional philanthropy management solutions that allow clients to develop and sustain their philanthropy in support of Catholic values. Learn more.

View archived issues of the CCF-LA monthly e-newsletter here.

PROFESSIONAL PHILANTHROPY MANAGEMENT