History

Archbishop James P. Lyke, OFM established the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia in 1992 as a corporation separate from the archdiocese and accountable to a board of directors. “We are acting as no more than good stewards by putting this Foundation in place,” announced Archbishop Lyke in the Georgia Bulletin.

In the early years, the Foundation focused on giving grants to make a difference in archdiocesan schools, ministries, and nonprofits. The largest gift was from the will of Roberto Goizueta, creating the Goizueta Fund for the general purposes of the Foundation. In 2010, the Foundation also received a generous gift of $7.6 million through the charitable remainder trust of Jim and Jinny Conrads, creating the Conrads Family Education Fund to benefit Catholic schools in the archdiocese.

Under the leadership of Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory and a new board of directors, the role of the Foundation expanded in 2008 beyond grant-giving to include a focus on growing endowments for Catholic organizations and gift planning services for Catholic donors to help them make a lasting impact.

Since 1997, the Catholic Foundation has awarded more than $25 million in grants to Catholic and community nonprofits. Recipients include parishes, Catholic schools, ministries, and local nonprofits, including Catholic Charities and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Over its 30 year history, the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia has played a vital yet often quiet role in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. It continues to work toward the important vision of ensuring that the Catholic community and its ministries have the financial resources to serve and make a difference in the lives of current and future generations.