Catholic colleges, foundations urged to help strengthen K-12 schools

Published: 2007-10-08

PALO ALTO, Calif. (CNS) -- Catholic colleges and universities must team up with foundations to help strengthen Catholic elementary schools and high schools, especially by identifying trends and helping schools respond to them, a leading foundation official said. Francis J. Butler, president of Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, spoke Sept. 28 in Palo Alto at a conference on "The Revitalization of American Catholic Education." "More than ever before, the church has the benefit of active and informed major donors deeply interested and involved in Catholic schools," he said. "But this new activism is also a formidable challenge for the schools," Butler added. "For institutions unaccustomed to the culture of business, the language and practice of social investing, partnerships and quality control is a tall order. Add to this the intricacies of having to qualify for public funding through federal and state initiatives, and one can easily appreciate how much the schools must rely on outside assistance."

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