Scanlan Foundation Announces a 25-Year Strategic Plan
with Revised Funding Procedures
Scanlan Foundation has carried out its mission “to further the Roman Catholic Church in the State of Texas” since January 25, 1947. In the beginning, its leadership was originally composed of three individuals: Lillian Scanlan, Stella Scanlan and Walter Brown. Today, Scanlan Foundation’s board of directors consists of five members: His Eminence Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Larry W. Massey, Jr., Will Cravens, Kirk Pfeffer and Paul Layne. Over the past 75 years, Scanlan Foundation’s mission has guided its decision-making processes in responding to the many requests made for funding from Catholic organizations across the state.
In keeping with its mission, Scanlan Foundation has decided to revise its funding procedures to address the future needs of the Church in Texas and to be more impactful in its granting of monies. On August 11, 2021, the Scanlan Foundation board approved a new strategic plan to be launched October 1, 2021. Scanlan Foundation believes that it can best further the Roman Catholic Church in the State of Texas by building a culture of vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and holy families.
In his speech to mark the Diocese of Galveston’s 75th anniversary in 1922, Bishop Christopher Byrne, the first bishop to serve on the board of Scanlan Foundation, stressed the importance of vocations in Texas and concluded “If Catholicism does not bring forth this fruit of vocations, then Catholicism is dead.” A director of Scanlan Foundation for just three months until his untimely passing, Bishop Byrne had made it his life mission to promote vocations in the State of Texas. “Here we are a century later with nearly six million Catholics in Texas,” states Scanlan Foundation President Larry W. Massey, Jr. “Vocations are more important than ever.”
The Scanlan Foundation board has identified four strategic priorities: Marriage & Holy Families, Catholic Education, Evangelization & Discipleship, and Life & Human Dignity. Each of these areas will be prioritized for funding in order to drive a greater impact on vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and holy families.
Scanlan Foundation has always considered Catholic education to be critical to strengthening the fabric of our society. In the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, we have identified the following primary vehicles for impact in the High School Education category: Campus Ministry, Faculty Formation, and Tuition Assistance. We will continue to accept applications for the aforementioned types of requests in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. In all other dioceses in Texas, we will now provide grant funding directly to the dioceses outside of Galveston-Houston for their respective Catholic schools because we believe that individual bishops best understand the needs of their respective schools.
Grant application forms for Catholic dioceses, ministries, high schools, higher education institutions and campus ministries at institutes of higher education will be made publicly available for download on the Scanlan Foundation website (www.scanlanfoundation.org/grant-application) on October 1, 2021.
Scanlan Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was founded in 1947 to support the mission of the Catholic Church in Texas through funding Catholic religious, charitable and educational institutions in Texas. You may submit questions or comments for the Scanlan Foundation’s grants department by email to: grants@scanlanfoundation.org.