Woodlawn Foundation: Spreading the Love of Opus Dei

The Woodlawn Foundation, Inc., a non-profit corporation, spreads the love of Opus Dei by receiving donation and making grants to other non-profit organizations receiving pastoral care from the Roman Catholic institution. The foundation takes its name from the first Opus Dei cneter in the United States, the Chicago-based Woodlawn Residence opened in 1949.

Today, the foundation provides grants from donations to roughly 40 to 50 non-profit corporations annually. It contributes to long-term needs via the administration of charitable remainder trusts, bequests, and charitable gift annuities as well as gifts of real estate and securities. It has indeed nearly all types of charitable gifts from donors as well as provided assistance to these donors in minimizing their tax obligations.

The Woodlawn Foundation, Inc., in fact, chooses its officers and directors based on their professional financial and legal expertise in these matters. It has also established long-term professional relationships with third-party legal, financial and investment counsellors, thus, ensuring its compliance with the laws while maximizing the usefulness of donations for non-profit purposes.

The foundation also maximizes its capital grants by making them as matching grants, which also means that the capital grants are contingent upon the organization meeting its fundraising goals. Its Challenge Grants Capital Campaign emphasizes the need for grantees to engage in their own fundraising activities while the foundation carefully measures their progress. It also records pledges and loans in its audited financial statements.

Donors usually make three-year pledges for their capital donations. Many of them are then able to give large gifts for capital projects because of the long-term pledges while many also indicate their intentions for making regular donations, usually on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.

Donations can be made via automatic, bank draft, and credit card methods. Contributions are deductible from 30% (appreciated property) to 50% (cash) of adjusted gross income.