Friday evening, officials with Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso announced that Tim Ackert, a 1962 graduate of Cathedral High School, and his wife, Norma, have pledged $1.78 million to Cathedral High School.
“I made my bequest to Cathedral High School because I very much believe in the mission of providing resources to those who have not had the opportunities that I had growing up. When we were in El Paso for my 50th high school reunion and saw the success rate of the Cathedral graduates, I was floored and decided to do what I could to help future students with needs become successful,” Ackert shared.
It is the second largest single gift made to the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso.
“We are deeply grateful to Tim and Norma for their commitment to Cathedral and Catholic education, and appreciative of this gift, which will have a significant impact on the under resourced students from El Paso and Juárez,” Catholic Foundation Chief Operating Officer Linda Caro said.
“We hope this inspires many more gifts to Cathedral, an institution that has been educating men in this region for almost 100 years.”
The Foundation was established in 2001 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to create an endowment that would provide continual resources for parishes, schools, ministries, and charities in the Diocese of El Paso for years to come.
In 2001, 122 seed donors contributed $177,000 to create a Catholic Foundation, which has now grown to be a philanthropic leader that helps improve the lives of thousands of people.
The Catholic Legacy Fund reached $20 million in 2020 on its way to our short-term goal of $25 million. The Catholic Foundation now manages 101 separate endowed funds to provide continual resources for years to come.
The Catholic Foundation manages six programs: Catholic Legacy Fund, the Foundation’s endowment program; Progress, the Catholic Ministry Appeal; Planned Giving; Foundation Scholarships; Stewardship; and Grants.
