Venice | The Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida is pleased to announce that grant applications are now being accepted for the Marilyn Brummer Fund. Ms. Brummer was a devout Catholic and an active parishioner at St. John XXIII Catholic Church in Fort Myers, Florida. She was incredibly generous with her time, her talent, and her treasure in order to make a difference in the lives of others, especially students and the most vulnerable among us.
As a part of her Catholic Legacy, and through a generous gift from her estate, Marilyn created a fund with the Catholic Community Foundation to continue supporting causes which she cared about most, long after she is gone. This year, the CCF will be awarding a total of $60,000 in grants to programs, projects, or entities that are located in, and associated with, the Diocese of Venice in Florida. The program, project or entity must be involved in one of the following areas:
• Anti-human trafficking assistance
• Programs that assist single mothers
• AFCAAM of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. in Fort Myers
Grant applications must be submitted online and can be found on the Catholic Community Foundation website (www.ccfdioceseofvenice.org) under “Community Grants.” All applications are due by July 31, 2024. For any questions, please contact the Foundation at CCF@dioceseofvenice.org or call 941-441-1124.
The Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida began operating in 2004 as an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that works with all the Parishes, Schools and Catholic entities within the Diocese of Venice. The Foundation provides the tools and resources to help Faith-filled donors provide long-term support to the Catholic entities of their choice. Last year alone, the Foundation distributed more than $3.6 million in support throughout the Diocese and beyond thanks to the generosity of Catholic donors.
If you would like to learn more about creating your own Catholic Legacy with the Catholic Community Foundation, or if you would like to learn more about other gifting options, please contact Michael Morse at 941-441-1124 or Morse@dioceseofvenice.org.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane, as well as board members of the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida, Inc., are seen with some of the Foundation scholarship recipients during at a reception May 16, 2024, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice.
BOB REDDY | FC
Giselle Cisneros Lobo, of Venice High School, was one of 22 the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida, Inc., scholarship winners honored during at a reception on May 16, 2024, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice.
BOB REDDY | FC
VENICE | Bishop Frank J. Dewane, joined by board members of the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida Inc., honored 22 scholarship winners during a ceremony May 16, 2023, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice.
The recipients of the Mary Fran Carroll, Coseglia, Schaerf and Schwarz Scholarships were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements and for their commitment to continuing their education in pursuit of wide-ranging career paths such as education, medicine, business, engineering and more. The foundation scholarship committee carefully reviewed 85 applications before determining the winners. Many of the foundation board members were present for the luncheon.
Bishop Dewane opened the presentation with prayer and said he was impressed with the new foundation scholars, noting their academic success and ambition to seek out distinctive goals. “We pray that what they embark upon, the students will certainly be successful in their life.”
Michael Morse, executive director of the Catholic Community Foundation, congratulated the new scholars, saying the young men and women are worthy to forever be known as Foundation Scholars.
“These scholarships were created by individuals (and couples) to support higher education, because they strongly believe in it,” Morse said. “Our committee works hard in the selection process, and it is one of the most rewarding things the board does. When we see your application and what you have done and what you have done and are going to do, it gives us all hope for the future.”
Lily LaMorey — the James and Margaret Schwarz Scholar — graduated from Cardinal Mooney Catholic High in Sarasota, and said she is pursuing a career in elementary education at the University of South Florida because her work as a summer camp counselor was “the most fulfilling thing I have done.”
Cameron Phayre, of Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, was named one of four Frank and Florence Coseglia Memorial Scholars (he is also a Mary Fran Carroll Scholar). Cameron will attend the University of South Florida in the fall to study global business.
“My passion is to bring the benefits of innovation and technology into the lives of others to make the world a better place,” he said. “This overarching theme has inspired my career path. My long-term career goal is to either run a successful business or lead as a chief officer at a software or tech company.”
Mary Fran Carroll Scholar Anastasilia Lezhanina, a graduate of North Port High School who will be studying hospitality management and tourism and will also study film making at State College of Florida, is an immigrant who fled the Ukraine when the war with Russia began in 2022. She thanked the foundation board for awarding her the scholarship because without it she could not afford to go to college.
“My family arrived in this country with nothing, and college would be too expensive for my family. This scholarship will help me start my path, so that I will be able to achieve my dreams.”
The Mary Fran Carroll Scholarship provides a total of 16 academic scholarships ($3,500) to residents of Sarasota County and is available for tuition, books and fees. This year there were 15 traditional scholarship winners (high school graduates pursuing an undergraduate degree) and one non-traditional winner (an adult learner seeking an advanced education after being away from school for a number of years). The scholarship is renewable annually up to a total of five academic years ($17,500 total) for students maintaining a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.2 or greater, while also making progress toward their career goal. In the past year, many students had their scholarship renewed.
The Coseglia Scholarship provides a one-time scholarship ($1,100) to one financially needy graduating senior from each of the four Catholic High Schools within the Diocese of Venice. The winners were nominated by their high schools and approved by the Foundation Board.
The Frederick W. Schaerf, M.D., Ph.D. Neuroscience Scholarship provides a one-time scholarship ($4,000) to a graduating senior from Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers interested in pursuing a career in neuroscience or similar field. This was the fifth year the scholarship was offered.
The Schwarz Scholarship is a one-time college scholarship ($7,500) to be awarded for tuition, books, fees, and housing expenses for a student graduating from Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota.
During the scholarship ceremony, the recipients shared their personal experiences as well as college and career goals. Each expressed their appreciation for the scholarship from the foundation. Many specifically explained how the scholarship money will assist in lessening the financial burden of attending college and pursuing their career goals.
The Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida Inc. was established to provide philanthropic opportunities for individuals, such as Mary Fran Carroll, to create lasting gifts in support of Catholic programs and ministries within the Diocese of Venice. This year, the Foundation is on track to distribute $3.5 million in endowed support for Catholic Schools, Parishes, Seminarian education, programs for the needy, college scholarships and more.
To learn more about the Catholic Community Foundation, contact Michael Morse at 941-441-1124 or by email at Morse@dioceseofvenice.org or visit www.CCFDioceseofvenice.org.
2024 Catholic Community Foundation
of Southwest Florida, Inc. Scholars
Mary Fran Carroll Scholars — traditional
• Jewel Medina, Venice High School, University of Central Florida (UCF)
• Charlotte Gillis, North Port High School, UCF
• Emmalee Bunnell, Venice High School, Marymount Manhattan College
• Danile Potepa, Riverview High School, University of South Florida (USF)
• Christina Bowser, Sarasota High School, State College of Florida
• Ornella Rokh, Venice High School, Boston University
• Cameron Phayre, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, USF
• Miranda Lauber, Riverview High School, Florida State (FSU)
• Jackie Williams, Suncoast Polytechnical School, USF
• Anastasilia Lezhanina, North Port High School, State College of Florida
• Marco Vegh, Riverview High School, University of Florida
• Giselle Cisneros Lobo, Venice High School, Georgetown
• Peyton Pablo, Venice High School, FSU
• Summer Maclay, Venice High School, FSU
• Hailey Renner, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, Florida Gulf Coast
Mary Fran Carroll Scholars – non-traditional
• John Quigley, Ringling College of Art and Design
Frank and Florence Coseglia Memorial Scholarship
• Cameron Phayre, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, USF
• Beata Blood, St. John Neumann Catholic High School, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Teresa Klucik, Donahue Catholic Academy of Ave Maria Parish, Ave Maria University
• Naissa Esperance, Bishop Verot Catholic High School, USF
James and Margaret Schwarz Scholarship
• Lily LaMorey, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, USF
Frederick W. Schaerf, M.D., Ph.D. Neuroscience Scholarship
• Naissa Esperance, Bishop Verot Catholic High School, USF
You Can Now Donate from Your IRA and Receive Fixed Payments for Life
By Michael Morse, Executive Director, Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida.
With the passage of the SECURE Act 2.0 on December 29, 2022, individuals can now establish a charitable gift annuity with the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida through a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from their individual retirement account (IRA).
Charitable gift annuities date back to 1919 but remain a great way for donors to support their favorite charity and received fixed payments for life in return. Donors have historically established gift annuities with gifts of cash, stock, or other appreciated assets. The ability to fund a gift annuity with a distribution from an IRA is a brand-new option.
A major benefit of this new option for donors that are 73 or older, is that the QCD contribution will count toward the annual required minimum distribution (RMD) from their IRA. Donors will also benefit from the security of a fixed income from the Catholic Community Foundation for the remainder of their and/or their spouse’s life. Additionally, donors will be providing future support to the Catholic Parish, School or entity about which they care most.
In order to establish a charitable gift annuity using a QCD from an IRA, you must be at least 70 ½ years of age at the time of the transfer, the annuity can only benefit the donor and/or their spouse, and it must come from a traditional IRA. This option can only be used in a single calendar year during the donor’s lifetime and there is an aggregate limit of $50,000 per taxpayer. A married couple can each contribute $50,000 from their respective IRAs for a total of $100,000.
It is important to remember that there is no federal charitable income tax deduction for the QCD transfer. Also, when using a QCD to establish a charitable gift annuity, the payments received by the donor(s) will be subject to ordinary income tax.
For donors interested in establishing their Catholic Legacy by supporting the long-term sustainability of the Church, while at the same time generating lifetime payments for themselves, a charitable gift annuity with the Catholic Community Foundation may be a great option.
If you would like to learn more about establishing a charitable gift annuity with the Catholic Community Foundation, or if you would like to learn more about other gifting options, please contact Michael Morse at 941-441-1124 or Morse@dioceseofvenice.org.
BOB REDDY | FC
VENICE | Bishop Frank J. Dewane, joined by Board members of the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida Inc., honored 23 scholarship winners during a ceremony May 19, 2023, at Epiphany Cathedral Parish Hall in Venice.
The recipients of the Mary Fran Carroll, Coseglia, Schaerf, Toner, Schwarz and Carey Scholarships were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements and for their commitment to continuing their education in pursuit of wide-ranging career paths such as education, medicine, business, engineering and more. The Foundation Scholarship Committee carefully reviewed 91 applications before determining the winners. Many of the Foundation Board members were present for the luncheon.
Ava Shields, a recent Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School graduate, thanks the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida, Inc., and its board for awarding her a scholarship during a May 18, 2023, luncheon at Epiphany Cathedral Parish Hall, Venice.
Bishop Dewane opened the presentation with prayer and said he was impressed with the new Foundation scholars, noting their academic success and ambition to seek out distinctive goals. “God has blessed you each with different gifts. Enjoy what you are going to do but keep an eye on that goal of living your faith.”
Michael Morse, Executive Director of the Catholic Community Foundation, congratulated the new scholars, saying the young men and women are worthy to forever be known as Foundation Scholars.
“We do a lot of things at the Foundation and an important component is that our donors decide where every single dollar goes,” Morse said. “Our donors do it because they believe in a lot of things. Most importantly, they believe in the next generation. After meeting you and reading the applications and learning what you want to do, the impact you’ve already had – not just on your community, but in your parishes and families — it fills (myself and the Foundation Scholarship Committee) with hope. You, as the next generation, are wonderful.”
Ava Shields, the James and Margaret Schwarz Scholar, graduated from Cardinal Mooney Catholic High in Sarasota and said she is choosing to study education at Florida Atlantic University because during her senior year she worked with fifth and eighth grade students at Incarnation Catholic School. “Before I did that, I didn’t know I wanted to be a teacher. It took that internship to realize that. I’m super excited to go out and become a teacher and to change lives the way other teachers have helped change mine.”
Jacob Roberts, of Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers, was named one of four Frank and Florence Coseglia Memorial Scholars. He will attend the University of Central Florida in the fall to study computer science. He applied for the scholarship because he has always been involved in the Hispanic community at St. Andrew Parish in Cape Coral, speaking at Spanish Mass and much more. “I always wanted to be someone who gives back to the community, especially when the hurricane (Ian) struck. It made me realize I want to be someone who pushes his vision forward and helps other people. I am studying computer science in order to give back to the community that raised me, thanks to the faith I was able to build upon in my life.”
Mary Fran Carroll Scholar Paige Singleton, a graduate of Venice High School who will be studying forestry and environmental biology at Whitman College in Walla-Walla, Washington, thanked the Foundation for the scholarship and said her goal in life is to help the environment. “I chose this career path because I love the environment. I want to spend my life protecting this beautiful world so everyone can enjoy it as much as I have.”
The Mary Fran Carroll Scholarship provides a total of 15 academic scholarships to residents of Sarasota County and is available for tuition, books and fees. This year there were 14 traditional scholarship winners (high school graduates pursuing an undergraduate degree) and one non-traditional winner (an adult learner seeking an advanced education after being away from school for a number of years). The scholarship is renewable annually up to a total of five academic years for students maintaining a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.2 or greater, while also making progress toward their career goal. In the past year, many students had their scholarship renewed.
The Frederick W. Schaerf, M.D., Ph.D. Neuroscience Scholarship provides a one-time scholarship to a graduating senior from Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers interested in pursuing a career in neuroscience or similar field. This was the fourth year the scholarship was offered.
The Coseglia Scholarship provides a one-time scholarship to one financially needy graduating senior from each of the four Catholic High Schools within the Diocese of Venice. The winners were nominated by their high schools and approved by the Foundation Board.
The Schwarz Scholarship is a one-time college scholarship to be awarded for tuition, books, fees, and housing expenses for a student graduating from Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota.
The Foundation also presented the Barry L. Carey M.D. Scholarship, which provides a renewable college scholarship for tuition, books, fees, and housing expenses to practicing Catholic high school seniors graduating this year from Catholic, private, home school, or public schools within the 10 counties of the Diocese of Venice. In addition, scholarship recipients must be the first generation in their family to attend a college or university.
Meanwhile, the Dr. Steve Toner Math Award Scholarship provides one non-renewable scholarship to a student graduating from St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples who is interested in pursuing a career is science, technology, engineering or math.
During the scholarship ceremony, the recipients shared their personal experiences as well as college and career goals. Each expressed their appreciation for the scholarship from the Foundation. Many specifically explained how the scholarship money will assist in lessening the financial burden of attending college and pursuing their career goals. In total, the Foundation will have awarded $167,900 in scholarships for 2023 (this includes both new winners and renewals).).
The Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida Inc. was established to provide philanthropic opportunities for individuals, such as Mary Fran Carroll, to create lasting gifts in support of Catholic programs and ministries within the Diocese of Venice. This year, the Foundation is on track to distribute $3.5 million in endowed support for Catholic Schools, Parishes, Seminarian education, programs for the needy, college scholarships and more.
To learn more about the Catholic Community Foundation, contact Michael Morse at 941-441-1124 or by email at Morse@dioceseofvenice.org, or visit www.CCFDioceseofvenice.org.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane and the board of the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida, Inc., are seen with scholarship recipients during a May 18, 2023, luncheon at Epiphany Cathedral Parish Hall, Venice.
BOB REDDY | FC
2023 Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida, Inc. Scholars
Mary Fran Carroll Scholars — traditional
Paxton Barrick, Venice High School, University of Florida;
Aiden Ericson, Venice High School (2022), University of Florida;
Natalie Kisgen, Venice High School, University of Florida;
Rebekah Kertz, Venice High School (2021), University of Florida;
Christian Mendez, Venice High School, Florida Polytechnic University;
Paige Singleton, Venice High School, Whitman College;
Ella Smith, Venice High School, Lehigh University;
Stephen Akers, Venice High School, Belmont Abbey College;
Nicolas Cox, Sarasota High School, University of Florida;
Alyssa Collier, Riverview High School, University of Florida;
David Williams, Venice High School, University of Central Florida;
Marina Berardi, Venice High School, Ringling College of Art and Design;
William Martin, Venice High School (2022), University of Central Florida;
Kiersten Rau, Venice High School, Michigan State University.
Mary Fran Carroll Scholars — non-traditional
Karla King, University of South Florida.
Frank and Florence Coseglia Memorial Scholarship
Celeste Harrell, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, University of Florida;
Serene Aviles, St. John Neumann Catholic High School, University of Florida;
Michael Long Jr., Donahue Catholic Academy of Ave Maria Parish, Ave Maria University;
Jacob Roberts, Bishop Verot Catholic High School, University of Central Florida.
Barry L. Carey, M.D. Scholarship
Andres Plata, Donahue Academy of Ave Maria Catholic School, Ave Maria University.
James and Margaret Schwarz Scholarship
Ava Shields, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, Florida Atlantic University.
Frederick W. Schaerf, M.D., Ph.D. Neuroscience Scholarship
Audrianna Larrea, Bishop Verot Catholic High School, University of Florida.
Dr. Steve Toner Math Award
Tye Phoenix, St. John Neumann Catholic High School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
