OUR PROMISE FOR THEIR FUTURE 2012 ANNUAL REPORT OUR PROMISE Dear Keepers of Our Promises, Keeping our promises. It’s one of the first things we learn. On the playgrounds these first weeks of school, thousands of elementary school children are reminding each other of this important concept with a simple phrase that crosses generations: “Do you promise?” Even the littlest among us knows that answering “yes” to that question means being accountable for our actions. So what do we promise to our children and their children’s children? Can we promise them a seat in our classrooms? Are we willing to make this commitment for today? For future generations? This annual report will show that you have allowed us not only to say ”we promise," but to fulfill that promise with power and action. Because of you, 1,400 students heard that prom- ise this year. And thanks to your gifts to our endowment programs — which continue to grow — we will be able to make the same commitment to even more of tomorrow’s children. Thank you allowing us to make, and keep, this promise. Now that we’ve promised seats in our classrooms, what else are we willing to commit to All photos ©2012 Stephen Brashear Photography unless otherwise noted. once children are in those seats? Safety? A chance to know and love their God? Character? College? Readiness for the world in which they will live? The answers are clear, and we are absolutely committed to making these promises and keeping them! Thanks to you, this CONTENTS: annual report describes how we have been able to assist our school leaders in making and keeping these promises at extraordinary levels. PROGRAMS 2 AMICI 13 These are hard promises to make and hard promises to keep, but we believe they must be MAKOWICZ FAMILY 4 OUR IMPACT (FINANCIALS) 14 made to fulfill our mission. Thank you. Thank you for being the caretakers, the Keepers of ACUNA/WILCHES FAMILY 6 TRUSTEES AND ADVISORS 16 Our Promises. ST. THERESE CATHOLIC ACADEMY 8 ENDOWMENTS 17 Gratefully, JUAN DIEGO ACADEMY 10 MAJOR BENEFACTORS 18 LEGACY SOCIETY 12 ANNUAL CONTRIBUTORS 19 CELEBRATION OF LIGHT 13 BUSINESS ALLIANCE 24 Fr. Michael G. Ryan, Chair Joe Womac, Executive Director 1 “I like Catholic schools because we get to help in senior lunches, volunteer to help others and go to Mass.” MISSION – Kelly, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School “School is one of PROGRAMS the places I feel at home, my teachers Tuition Assistance are amazing, I can For families facing severe economic hardship, a Catholic school literally feel myself education provides stability, hope, and knowledge to transform “The most important part of their future into a world of promise. The sacrifices they make to getting smarter attend our schools are extraordinary — a testament to the true Catholic school to me is getting every day.” value of the nurturing and faith-filled environment for which to live my life fully, without Catholic schools are known. Through the “Fund a Student” pro- – Zoe, Eastside Catholic gram, donors support individual students with grants of $1,100 leaving God at home: My school per student and receive letters of thanks from those they fund. lives as my family does! That’s FY12 STATS: Grants for Schools something to be proud of.” Some schools face persistent budget challenges, while others – Marcus, Holy Family struggle to fund emergency repairs, safety improvements and Catholic School, Auburn SCHOOLS- IN-NEED deferred maintenance. Each school’s challenges are unique, so we GRANTS employ individualized approaches to address the needs of each. AWARDED This year we successfully matched donors to schools that share their interests, facilitated the exploration and implementation 22 of innovative models, and distributed more than $1.3 million to schools, all so that these communities can maintain their quality AVERAGE academic programs and remain viable for years to come. SCHOOLS- IN-NEED Grants for Educators GRANT The Star Grant program funds creative initiatives for the class- $33,000 room to enhance learning and encourage innovation by our teachers. Fulcrum also proudly supports the development of future leaders in our schools through continuing education initia- “My favorite part about Catholic schools is that I know I’m on the tives at the University of Notre Dame. right path for my future and am receiving a great education.” – Keane, Bishop Blanchet High School 2 3 COMMITMENT “Your generosity has THE MAKOWICZ FAMILY made it possible for Matt (father), Grantham, Ethan, Isabel, & my children to attend Remington – St. Cecilia Catholic School a truly wonderful Matt Makowicz is a single father of four children: Grantham school and be part (12), Ethan (10), Isabel (8) and Remington (7). The family was living in New Jersey, but when things fell apart financially and of a tremendous they lost their home, they moved to Bainbridge Island for a community.” fresh start. – Matt Makowicz The Catholic faith is very important to his family and Matt immediately registered at St. Cecilia parish. Even though the children had been in Catholic schools in New Jersey, he didn’t FY12 STATS: think about enrolling them in the school because he saw it as a financial impossibility. The pastor, Fr. Emmett Carroll, S.J., and principal, Elizabeth Chamberlin, encouraged Matt to come in TUITION and meet with them even though they knew of Matt’s financial ASSISTANCE GRANTS hardship. Feeling that St. Cecilia School could give the children AWARDED a safe, stable and caring environment, they persuaded Matt to enroll the children thanks to financial aid from both the school 1,400 and the Fulcrum Foundation. UNMET St. Cecilia has become a second home for the Makowicz family, REQUESTS where the children have been nurtured spiritually and aca- FOR TUITION demically. It is a loving community that for Matt and his family ASSISTANCE is irreplaceable. 3619 4 5 INSPIRATION “Catholic school THE ACUNA/WILCHES has taught me responsibility, FAMILY respect, service, and Martha Acuna (mother), Santiago & Philippe Wilches – Bishop Blanchet High School leadership, as well Martha Acuna and her two sons, Santiago and Philippe, have had as the importance of a difficult life. When Philippe was five years old and Santiago was perseverance.” nine, they were involved in a tragic car accident. Philippe suf- fered permanent brain damage and is confined to a wheelchair. – Santiago Wilches Santiago also suffered a brain injury and was temporarily para- lyzed, but miraculously he made a full recovery. FY12 STATS: An additional hardship was fearing for their safety in their native country of Colombia, where drug trafficking and guerilla vio- lence is prevalent. Martha was a nurse who was forced to care “Receiving financial assistance has GRADUATION for injured guerillas. If she refused, she and her family would be RATE OF given Santiago the opportunity to persecuted. Her only hope for safety and survival was to leave FULCRUM- further his Catholic and academic the country. ASSISTED SENIORS formation, which in turn has % Martha and her sons came to Seattle in 2007, although her 100 husband has had to remain in Colombia. At the time, they didn’t strengthened our values as a family.” speak English. Santiago is gifted in math and science, but strug- MEDIAN – Martha Acuna HOUSEHOLD gled because of the language barrier. After a difficult time in a INCOME OF public school, he was enrolled in eighth grade at St. Brendan FAMILIES HELPED School with assistance from Fulcrum, so he could live out his BY FULCRUM Catholic faith and receive the personal attention he needed to $ learn English. An ambitious student, he studied before and after 23,741 school and during breaks to catch up to his peers. Now a senior at Bishop Blanchet, Santiago is in the National Honor Society with a 3.7 GPA and has ambitions to be an engineer like his father. 6 7 INNOVATION SAINT THERESE CATHOLIC ENROLLMENT ACADEMY FALL 2010 A 21ST Century Catholic School 91 When Theresa Hagemann became principal of St. Therese School, Seattle, in Spring 2011, she was faced with an enrollment that had ENROLLMENT declined for more than a decade, hitting a low of 91 students the FALL 2012 previous fall. Her first act as principal was to launch a pre-kinder- 180 garten program, knowing it would help level the enrollment trend. But that alone wouldn't reverse years of decline. PERCENTAGE OF “The Fulcrum Foundation truly has made Recognizing a bold strategy was needed, the school vied for an STUDENTS FROM opportunity to become only the second blended technology this amazing opportunity for our school LOW-INCOME learning Catholic school of its kind in the country. Out of dozens FAMILIES a reality.” of applicants nationwide, St. Therese was selected by Seton % – Theresa Hagemann, Principal 70 Education Partners to adopt an innovative model which combines computer-based, individually paced learning with small-group, traditional classroom instruction. Fulcrum assisted by providing financial assistance for the initia- tive, as well as increased tuition assistance to bolster enrollment. It also leveraged its relationships with industry leaders, partnering the school with volunteer experts in technology and finance to help build a long-term plan for the school's success. This fall, the school opened its doors as St. Therese Catholic Academy, welcoming 180 students — 70 percent of whom come from families in need. For the first time in years, the school sees a bright future ahead. 8 9 OPPORTUNITY JUAN DIEGO ACADEMY PRE-K & Holy Rosary, Tacoma, Opens the Region’s KINDERGARTEN First Dual-Immersion Catholic School ENROLLMENT SPRING 2012 Holy Rosary, Tacoma, has been a visible landmark along the I-5 corridor since the freeway's construction, and predates the thor- 31 oughfare by nearly 80 years.