NINE YEARS OF PROVIDENCE

by Dennis J. Gerber, Jr
President and CEO, Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund

This month marks nine years since the founding of the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund. As of February 2026, more than $388 million in contributions have been entrusted to KCCF. More than $250 million has been granted to support the Church, strengthen families, serve the vulnerable, and advance faithful initiatives around the world. Our grants have reached four continents. Our donors span the globe.

When I step back and consider those numbers, I am filled with gratitude. And if I am honest, I still pinch myself. What began as a vision to build a faithful, disciplined, Catholic philanthropic infrastructure has, by God’s grace, become a living instrument of generosity.

Nine years is long enough to see fruit. It is also long enough to know that none of this was inevitable.

LEARNING TO TRUST A CALL

Before there were assets under management, before there were systems and teams and reports and meetings, there was simply a call. A quiet but persistent invitation to build something that did not yet exist. And that call required trust.

I think often of my wife and her openness to the Holy Spirit. There were seasons of uncertainty. Seasons of risk. Seasons where the outcome was far from clear. Her willingness to say yes, to support the mission, to allow our family life to stretch in faith, has been one of the hidden pillars of this work.

Behind every institution are unseen sacrifices. Behind every milestone are prayers whispered in kitchens and living rooms. The story of KCCF is not just a financial story. It is a spiritual one. It is a story of fidelity in small things that made larger things possible.

GROWTH AS A CATHOLIC ORGANIZATION

I also reflect with deep appreciation on our founding board. It is no small matter to join a startup non-profit and assume fiduciary responsibility for a mission still taking shape. Yet they did so with courage and seriousness.

Over the years, our relationship has matured. We have weathered growth, complexity, hard questions, and significant opportunity. We have refined governance. We have strengthened controls. We have sharpened clarity around our Catholic identity and our institutional discipline.

Looking back, I see providence in how we came together. Different backgrounds. Different gifts. A shared commitment to do this well and to do it faithfully. The integrity of KCCF today rests in no small part on their steadiness and trust.

BEHIND EVERY GRANT, A PRAYER

In nine years, KCCF grants have touched four continents. They have supported dioceses and parishes, religious communities, Catholic schools, pro-life ministries, humanitarian relief efforts, evangelization initiatives, and innovative works of mercy.

Each grant represents more than a transaction. It represents a donor’s intention. A family’s values. A prayer that their resources might serve something eternal.

We often speak in totals. Two hundred fifty million dollars granted. Three hundred eighty-eight million received. But behind those totals are thousands of individual decisions to give. Thousands of acts of trust.

And that is what fills me with the most hope. Catholic generosity is not fading. It is growing. It is becoming more intentional, more thoughtful, more strategic, and more aligned with the mission of the Church.

To steward nearly $400 million in contributions over nine years is a profound responsibility. We are entrusted not simply with funds, but with mission. Not simply with compliance, but with conscience.

I feel that weight daily. And I am grateful for it.

THE FUTURE OF CATHOLIC GENEROSITY

KCCF exists to provide disciplined governance, doctrinal alignment, and institutional integrity so that generosity can flourish with confidence. We are not merely administrators of donor-advised funds. We are builders of infrastructure that allows Catholic philanthropy to endure and scale.

The good accomplished through this platform does not belong to any one individual. It belongs to the Church. It belongs to the donors. It belongs to the communities served. We are stewards of something larger than ourselves.

Nine years is a milestone. It is not a finish line.

I am deeply excited about the future of Catholic generosity. There is a great wealth transfer underway in our country. There is renewed hunger for faith-aligned stewardship. There are families and advisors looking for structures that combine professional excellence with authentic Catholic identity.

The next chapter of KCCF will require continued discipline, clarity of mission, and courageous leadership. It will require growth without compromise. Innovation without dilution. Expansion without losing the spiritual center that brought us here.

But if the first nine years have taught me anything, it is this: when generosity is rooted in faith, and when governance is rooted in integrity, growth becomes a form of service.

As we mark this anniversary, I give thanks. For the donors who have trusted us. For the board who has guided us. For the team who carries out the work daily. For my family, whose sacrifices have made this possible. And above all, for the providence of God, who writes better stories than we could ever plan ourselves.

The good we have done is real. The good ahead is even greater!

START YOUR JOURNEY

Our team shares your values and understand that every charitable situation is unique. We are here to provide answers to your questions regarding The Charitable Fund or walk you through getting started with an account.

Open Account