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Hank Worden, Chair Board of Directors
The past two years have been ones of transition for Nazareth Guild. The board has taken this opportunity to focus on the needs of the community and the true mission of the organization. The community continues to inspire us to build on our history of serving the schools, students, and families in the Diocese of Spokane. The future is bright for Nazareth Guild.
We are delighted to welcome Debbie Battaglia back to Nazareth Guild as she steps in as the Executive Director. Many of you have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Debbie from her years of service to the organization. Debbie’s energetic, welcoming personality and her ability to build relationships within the community will continue to create strong ties between Nazareth Guild, the Diocese of Spokane, Catholic schools, and donors.
Debbie’s impact is already evident as revenue and donations have increased significantly. The Celebration of Light more than doubled in revenue from last year, and 2023 ended one of the most successful years in fundraising even with her few short months at the helm.
We know our sustained growth will be built through long-lasting investments. We are embarking a journey to build our endowments through current gifts as well as planned legacy commitments [see article]. The ability to continue to support schools and families will rely on both current gifts and long-term investments.
We look forward to continued growth and making a meaningful impact on the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Spokane. Thank you for your continued trust and investment in the mission.
Hank Worden
Chair, Board of Directors
Debbie Battaglia, Executive Director
I am extremely honored and beyond grateful to serve as the Executive Director of Nazareth Guild. I started working with this organization over ten years ago, and my journey has been a blessing. We have never wavered from our mission: to serve the K-12 Catholic schools in Eastern Washington.
During my time with Nazareth Guild, I have witnessed inspirational stories of those who give and those who receive. For example, the Nicholas Family turned their grief into an opportunity to provide funding for teachers to purchase reading novels for their students. A gesture that helped to heal their hearts and honor the memory of their loved one. And then there are notes to donors from students expressing gratitude for receiving tuition assistance. One student said the support he received has made a significant impact on his educational journey. His school is a place to learn and grow in his faith. He thanked donors for believing in him. This school year Nazareth Guild awarded tuition assistance to 661 students; they are all grateful for your generosity!
We need Catholic schools, Catholic schools need us, and Nazareth Guild needs your continued support! Now is the time to prepare for the future and provide stability for Nazareth Guild and Catholic schools by focusing additional efforts on growing the NG Endowment. The goal is to raise FIVE MILLION DOLLARS before 2030.
This endeavor will enable us to secure our future and continue our efforts as one of the main supporters of Catholic schools and the children who attend them. I look forward to working with the entire Eastern Washington community to ensure future generations will have access to excellent Catholic education in our Diocese. We need you to say YES to the Catholic Schools!
Peace & Gratitude,
Debbie Battaglia
Executive Director
Celebration of Light Breaks Records
This past September, the community gathered for a special evening for the Celebration of Light at the Hemmingson Center on the Gonzaga University campus. Thanks to the incredible support from donors, it marked one of the most successful events to date raising more than $575,000!
The highlight of the evening was honoring Tim & Jackie Welsh with the Ann Doherty Lifetime Achievement Award. The ongoing and unwavering support from the Welsh family has truly had an impact on Catholic education in Eastern Washington. From their support of several individual schools over their lifetime and supporting Nazareth Guild from the early days, Tim and Jackie’s generosity continues to lead the way.
Sponsors of the event set the tone for success as more than $235,000 was raised to underwrite the evening. Twenty businesses and individual partners sponsored the event to ensure all gifts go directly to schools.
The success of the evening will allow Nazareth Guild to increase funding to schools. In fact, tuition assistance for the 2024-25 school year will increase more than 18%. Teacher grants awarded in December also increased funding materials to support learning in the classroom.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the evening and for supporting Catholic schools in Eastern Washington!
Growing the Endowment
Nazareth Guild has seen remarkable success over the last twelve years. Through the generosity of so many, the Catholic schools are being supported in a variety of ways that are making a big difference. The board recognizes the need to build on this success, and growing the endowment is one way to provide for the long-term health of the organization. The current endowment balance sits at $1 million. The goal is to increase this to $5 million by 2030.
The endowment provides Nazareth Guild a consistent stream of income for specific programs as well as general support. The corpus of the gift remains intact while the investment income is used to provide annual support.
There are many ways to make a gift:
- One-time via check or online
- Recurring monthly gift via check or online
- Stock transfer
- Charitable rollover from an IRA
- Planned estate gift
Every gift to Nazareth Guild matters. Annual gifts continue to support current programs, and gifts specifically to the endowment support current and future success.
Designating your gift to the endowment will contribute to our goal. You may give to the general endowment or one of the many named Nazareth Guild endowments. With a commitment of $25,000, a donor can also create their own named endowment.
Another important way we will continue to grow the endowment is through planned estate gifts. Including Nazareth Guild in your estate plans is one way to contribute to the long-term growth of the endowment. If you are considering including or have included Nazareth Guild in your plans, please contact us. We want to ensure these future gifts are directed to match your interests.
No matter how you give, your gift is a treasure and a blessing for the Catholic schools in Eastern Washington. We are beyond grateful for your belief in our mission to make sure these schools stay viable, excellent, and available to any family who desires a Catholic education for their child.
To learn more about our newest endeavor and how you can become a Nazareth Guild Legacy Member, call or email Nazareth Guild at 509-744-3259 or info@nazarethguild.org
