Mission and History

The Catholic Schools Foundation was incorporated in 1989 as an offshoot of the St. Anthony’s scholarship fund, which was established in 1983 by Most Reverend Thomas V. Daily and Paul J. Birmingham. CSF was established to help raise funds for scholarships and programs that allow students from low-income backgrounds to benefit from high-quality Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Boston.

As the years have rolled by, our structure has changed but our mission has remained the same; providing families financial need so their children can receive a quality education, a chance to have a bright future. Today, over thirty years later, CSF has expanded thirty-fold with the support of donors and active members from all sections of the community – business, academia, private and religious.

Our main goals center around:

  • Ensuring that all families who wish to send their children to Catholic school can do so despite their financial situation.

  • Helping schools build and maintain sustainability to guarantee a brighter future for Catholic education.

Our Mission

The Catholic Schools Foundation changes lives by providing families with demonstrated financial need an opportunity to give their sons and daughters a quality education, focused on Christian values and character formation at Catholic Schools located throughout the Archdiocese of Boston, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender.

Building Minds Scholarship Fund

The Building Minds Scholarship Fund is the signature program of the Catholic Schools Foundation. Through this fund, thousands of children in need receive scholarships to attend Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Boston. Scholarships are given primarily to students in high-poverty neighborhoods and are awarded without regard to race, religion, ethnicity or gender.

 

Operating Principles

We support the concept of a strong Catholic Schools Office with clear protocols established, measurable standards for school quality, dedicated resources and adequate authority to rationalize and thereby strengthen the network of schools in the Archdiocese of Boston.

The CSF will significantly focus its allocations in support of this objective and will direct funds towards schools that are viable in the long-term meeting the standards.

Our ultimate objective is to maximize the number of children attending quality Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Boston while enhancing opportunities for disadvantaged students.

“I believe that CSF is the best cause for providing young people a strong education along with the self-confidence and discipline to succeed in life.”

PETER LYNCH