Center partners with FADICA to pilot Catholic social tradition course for philanthropists

July 29, 2022

This spring, the Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities (FADICA) partnered with the Institute for Social Concerns’ director of Catholic Social Tradition (CST), Bill Purcell, M.Div., to develop an online course on CST and philanthropy. The 9-week pilot course and certificate program paired philanthropists and grantmakers together to learn about and discuss the ways in which CST can inspire and inform philanthropy. The idea for the course originated when Alexia Kelley, MTS, president and CEO of FADICA, wanted to create a CST certificate program that focused on philanthropy and contacted Purcell. The two worked with a group of global CST experts to develop curriculum for the course, granting them the added benefit of making the content specific to philanthropy. Given the busy schedule of FADICA’s constituencies and future participants in the course, it was decided that the course should be conducted online. 

From the start, Purcell and Kelley knew that the program had to be more than just an introductory theology course. Philanthropists who are FADICA members already have a broad understanding of religion. Purcell and Kelley developed an academic advisory council to consult on curriculum development and whose members would later become the guest speakers for each session. The council included CST scholars and practitioners from around the world, including Megan Clark, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and religious studies at St. John’s University in New York. Session contributors hailed from around the world, and included Bishop Soto of the diocese of Sacramento, Calif.; Rev. Peter Knox, S.J. from the Jesuit School of Theology in Nairobi, Kenya; and others. The series of nine classes they created sought to discuss how decision makers can engage CST in the practice of philanthropy. Each session intentionally followed a read, watch, pray format. Purcell noted that many of the class participants were particularly eager for practical knowledge through the lens of CST. 

“The Catholic social tradition is both inspiring and challenging for anyone, including philanthropists. We are excited about this collaboration with the center to bring this beautiful tradition and philanthropy together,” said Kelley.

The pilot of this course will be completed in early August 2022 with the presentation of a multimedia capstone project. According to Purcell, the course has been beneficial to both FADICA and the center: for the former, it has provided an extra educational service to members and created connections with universities, and for the center it has provided a wider sphere to connect with on CST. Moving forward, FADICA and the center anticipate offering the course on an annual basis with an in-person capstone that will alternate between being held in Rome and at the University of Notre Dame. 

Learn more about FADICA at fadica.org.