Giving

GIVE ONLINE using our Givebutter donation page to process Credit Card, Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and MS Pay transactions can all be completed via one of our links below:

• The Fund for Central Catholic annual appeal

• M.A.G.I.I. Young Alum Giving Program to The Fund

• Foundation, Memorials, & Other Designated Giving Areas- Select to designate gifts to: 

  • The Central Catholic HS Foundation for endowed gifts to named scholarships or funds.

  • Memorialize a recently deceased family member/friend with contributions that follow the deceased’s request unless the donor specifies otherwise.

  • Designate Another Giving Area such as donations to a Special Event (Saints Alive, Annual Golf Outing, or Other Sponsorship) or some other specific designated affinity.

Our Givebutter site allows you the option to cover the transaction fee, extending our ability to put your entire contribution where it is intended. If you need help with a credit card transaction, please contact the Advancement Office by phone at 309.661.7000.

THE FUND FOR CENTRAL CATHOLIC:

Building a Culture of Giving

The Fund for Central Catholic, our annual appeal, allows us to fulfill our commitment to making an outstanding Catholic education affordable and accessible to every student who seeks it. The actual cost of educating a young man or young woman for the year is more than the affiliated tuition charged. Contributions to The Fund help make up the difference and represent the generosity of the entire Central Catholic community. In addition to providing tuition support, these monies help meet the ongoing expenses of operating and maintaining the high school (check out our "What's The Fund" video). The Fund is our most flexible area for contributions as they meet the school’s most needed areas of funding. In addition to being eligible for employer matching gift programs, donors are encouraged to consider making your annual gift a monthly tradition as a recurring contribution and/or pay tribute to a loved one as a Memorium or an Honorarium. Central Catholic recognizes the following giving levels:

The Saints Leadership Society

• Marion Society  $15,000+
• Elizabeth Ann Seton Society   $10,000-$14,999      
• Pope John Paul II Society   $5,000 - $9,999    
• Mother Teresa Society   $2,500 - $4,999        
• Fulton J. Sheen Society   $1,000 - $2,499        

Loyalty Club Gift

• The Fleur-de-Lis Club   $500 - $999 
• The Grotto Club   $250 - $499
• The Patron Club   $100 - $249
• The Blue and Gold Club   $1 - $99
• M.A.G.I.I. Club  $10+  (by young alums)

The Fund for Central Catholic

Please make checks payable to “Central Catholic High School” then in the memo section you can direct your contribution to The Fund, The Foundation, or another specific donor designated affinity area. Contributions can be mailed to the address below.  We don’t recommend sending cash in the mail, but of course it’s accepted; please just let us know where to direct your cash donation.  Want to go ahead and MAKE A PLEDGE COMMITMENT to Central Catholic?  You can actually make a pledge commitment through our online giving Givebutter page or

Simply send us an email.

Many employers offer Employee/Retiree Matching Gift Programs, so when making a gift to Central Catholic High School your contribution could be doubled, maybe even tripled, so make sure you check with your employer.  More information on Matching and Grants can be found below.

Matching Gifts

A great way to extend your personal generosity. Bloomington’s largest employer State Farm Companies offers a matching gift program, for example, through their Foundation up to $4,500.00 per associate (active employee, agent, or retiree) in a calendar year using this login page. Your employer may offer a similar program for your personal contribution. Here is a list of most national companies who offer matching gift programs. While this list is comprehensive, there are additional companies who offer giving programs but are not listed. Even if your company is not on this list, please talk with your employer about the possibility of making a matching gift to send to Central Catholic. The Advancement Office will certify any gift application and return it to your employer. Finally, please be aware that most companies have a window of time to claim your matching gift.

Gifts of stock and securities often confer significant tax benefits for a donor. Contributions of appreciated securities may be deductible at market value and the capital gains tax may be avoided through such a gift. To learn more, please review our Securities Transfer document.

Securities Transfer Document

Central Catholic holds several special events which provide multiple avenues of participation like sponsorships, donations, and other contributions including lending time and talent, not to mention attending to enjoy the experience with your Saints family.  We also have the Saints FAN Club (Funding Athletic Needs), so for more information on this or Special Events check out more below.

​SAINTS ALIVE! 

Our annual dinner auction gala and recognition event, Saints Alive, is the party of parties at Central Catholic. The success of this event is due to a team of volunteers who support the effort, so additional help is always welcomed. They help procure donations of auction items, cash contributions to help underwrite the event, and sponsorship packages, all of which are important areas of support. Don’t forget to attend this fun, festive event each year. E-mail Maggie Stolfa or call 309.661.7000, x. 320 to lend your efforts to this event.

ANNUAL GOLF OUTING & THE SAINTS FAN CLUB

The Central Catholic Annual Golf Outing - The Tim Flynn Memorial is held each summer as a function of our Saints FAN Club. Proceeds from the golf outing benefit the FAN Club (Funding Athletic Needs) in support of our student-athletes and their endeavors. The Saints FAN Club helps provide vital volunteer and financial support for all athletic programs at Central Catholic by funding a portion of our annual athletic budget.  This is accomplished through corporate sponsorships (scoreboards and printed collateral), individual membership opportunities (Family Pass and reserved parking purchases), and concession sells. Contact Maggie Stolfa for more information. 

Our school’s Foundation was established in order paves the way for long-term sustainability of our physical plant and maintaining scholarships in perpetuity to ensure sustained enrollment Planned Giving is a great way to leave a legacy by directing a sizable gift to our Foundation; undesignated Memorial Gifts will be directed to the Foundation also, each one leaving a lasting impression on our school.  More details are below.

PLANNED GIVING

We hope that you will consider making a gift to Central Catholic High School as part of your estate planning. A Planned Gift to Central Catholic High School can take many forms and provides long term support for the school as well as tax benefits for the donor. Central Catholic welcomes planned gifts in the form of Bequests, Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, Life Insurance and can assist donors who wish to include any of these in their estate planning. When considering leaving a legacy, our Planned Gift Intention Form may be useful as you work with your financial and legal specialists.  For more information contact Kevin Cook by email, or at 309.661.7000, x.303.

NAMED ENDOWMENTS

Endowment funds ensure Central Catholic can provide the highest quality education to any student wishing to answer the challenge. Large gifts specified for endowment purposes are placed in the Central Catholic Foundation and can be designated to support scholarships or other school projects according to the donor’s wishes and the school’s greatest needs. There are a number of ways to show your support for Central Catholic, some of which may offer you substantial tax advantages. Cash, checks, and credit card payments, as well as appreciated securities, are common gift mechanisms, and may be used to establish a Living or a Memorial Scholarship/Fund. To hear more about the value of contributions to our school’s Foundation from Board Member Kevin Kuebler please watch this video. We would be happy to discuss how a meaningful gift will benefit you and Central Catholic through a scholarship or other special fund, so please contact Kevin Cook by email, or at 309.661.7000, x.303 to share ideas. 

MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Contributions made in memory of family members or friends will follow the designated area of support determined by the family of the deceased, however, individual donors may designate an alternative destination for their personal contribution. Every memorial contribution will still be recognized as a gift “in memoriam” of the deceased.  Memorials not designated to a specific area will be automatically allocated to the Central Catholic Foundation in support of scholarships and our physical plant for long-term sustainability.  Make sure the name of the individual(s) being memorialized are included with your contribution if mailing it to Central Catholic or when you complete your gift online.

OTHER NAMED GIFTS

Gifts may be offered in the name of yourself or a loved one. One such example of this type of Named Gifts are our Grotto Bricks at Hundman Memorial Field.  Gotto Bricks are available for our Path of Support for $100 each. Grotto Brick Maps & Links can be found at this link. Other naming opportunities are also available by contacting the Advancement Office at 309.661.7000. 
 

Illinois residents can decrease their income tax liability by funding scholarships through the Illinois Invest in Kids Act. Scholarships are funded through private donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) who also administer the application and awarding process. Donations to the scholarship program are then eligible for a 75% State Income Tax Credit. Find out more below.

ILLINOIS’ INVEST IN KIDS TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Did you know that Illinois residents can decrease their income tax liability by funding scholarships? In 2017, bipartisan lawmakers passed the Illinois Invest in Kids Act. This historic law transforms lives by providing up to $100 million in scholarships for kids from low-income and working-class families throughout the state. Scholarships are funded through private donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) who then administer the application and scholarship process. Donations to the scholarship program are eligible for a 75% State Income Tax Credit. 

One donor with a finance background designating our school said, “The program is basically a 4-to-1 match on my investment. Someone can donate $1,000 (to the SGO) and they would then have a $750 income tax credit when filing their taxes.  It really only costs that individual $250 to have Central Catholic receive nearly $1,000 in scholarship funds for a student who needs help.” 

While there are several SGO’s available, all the Dioceses across the state prefer donors and schools to use Empower Illinois. Individuals choosing to participate in the program can select the school they wish to receive the funds. Central Catholic was able to fund one student for the 2018-19 school year, but in year two there were eight students fully-funded through Invest in Kids Scholarships, all through Empower Illinois.  But the need has always outweighed the availability of dollars.  Last year, 33 of the 41 students applying for scholarship through EI were wait-listed.  For the 2020-21 school year, contributions increased allowing for 12 students (including one via the SGO Children’s Tuition Network), to receive a Central Catholic High School education, but 23 students still remained on our waitlist. If you have a source of taxable income from the state of Illinois, then this program could reduce that tax bill to zero AND you would be helping a family who otherwise might not be able to enjoy a Central Catholic experience.