Raskob Foundation For Catholic Activities Incorporated

The Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities is an 80-year-old family foundation that operates as one of the few large private foundations with an exclusively Catholic mission. With approximately $208 million in assets and annual giving ranging from $9.9 million (2023) to $12.4 million (2021 peak), RFCA offers a rare open-application opportunity for Catholic organizations of nearly any size, geography, and program focus. However, the hardest eligibility filter is non-negotiable: applicants must be listed in the P.J. Kennedy Official Catholic Directory ("Kenedy Directory"). Any organization not in that directory is automatically ineligible — no exceptions and no workarounds.

Within that constraint, the foundation's breadth is remarkable. RFCA funds international humanitarian work across Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East; immigration legal services in the U.S.; Catholic school inclusion programs; environmental justice aligned with Laudato Si; maternal and child health; refugee resettlement; and vocational training for vulnerable women. This breadth reflects the Raskob family's stated goal of supporting "almost any request" so long as it serves Catholic mission — making this one of the most open-mandate foundations of its asset size in the country.

First-time applicants should understand that RFCA is fundamentally a relationship funder with a long institutional memory. Its top grantees show multi-year, multi-grant relationships: Covenant House International has received 20 separate grants totaling $586,000; Medicines for Humanity has received 11 grants totaling $637,000. An initial grant in the $15,000–$35,000 range is typical for new organizations, with subsequent grants growing as the grantee demonstrates performance and alignment.

The geographic trustee structure — with family trustees assigned to Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, and International regions — means proposals are reviewed by trustees with particular regional knowledge. Applicants should be aware that Noelle M. Robinson serves as President and that the VP Programs, L. Charles Rotunno Jr., manages the grant review process day-to-day. Demonstrating alignment with the specific region's Catholic infrastructure and a clear relationship with the local diocese gives proposals measurable advantage over purely programmatic pitches.

RFCA's financial profile shows a well-endowed, conservatively managed foundation with assets growing from $140.9 million in 2012 to $207.96 million in 2024 — a 47% increase over 12 years despite consistent annual payouts. Annual total giving peaked at $12.4 million in 2021, moderated to $12.1 million in 2022, and declined to $9.9 million in 2023. This fluctuation correlates directly with investment income: FY2023 net investment income was $5.6 million versus $8.9 million in FY2022, suggesting the board calibrates annual payout to investment returns rather than a fixed percentage of assets.

From the grant database of 1,070 individual grants totaling $23.6 million, the average grant is $22,018. The stated range is $250 to $100,000 per single grant. In practice, most single-year grants cluster in the $15,000–$60,000 range. Multi-year relationships push cumulative totals significantly higher — the top grantee (Medicines for Humanity) has received $636,860 across 11 grants, averaging $57,900 per grant. Importantly, the foundation can and does fund up to 100% of project costs, which is unusually generous for a foundation of this scale.

By domestic geography, the portfolio is heavily concentrated in mid-Atlantic states: Delaware leads with 111 grants, followed by New York (97), Pennsylvania (72), Maryland (62), and DC (54) — together representing over 40% of all domestic grants. California (65) and Illinois (64) are the largest non-mid-Atlantic states, reflecting the size of Catholic populations there.

By program area: international humanitarian programs (health, WASH, child protection, refugee services) account for the largest share, with CRS, ICMC, JRS/USA, and Medicines for Humanity receiving $250,000–$650,000+ across multi-grant relationships. Immigration legal services form the second-largest cluster. Catholic education (diocesan school programs, Cristo Rey schools, seminary formation) is the third. Emergency relief grants — for Ukraine, earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods — are responsive, typically $25,000–$75,000 in single grants. The international program carries an approximately $2 million annual dedicated budget, with domestic programs competing for the remaining $7–10 million.

The table below compares Raskob to peer foundations with similar Catholic identity, asset scale, or international humanitarian focus. Note: peer financial figures are derived from publicly reported 990 data and general knowledge; the foundation's own data file showed no peer list.

Raskob's defining competitive advantage is its open application process — peers like the Hilton Foundation and Connelly Foundation require invitation or prior relationship to apply, effectively closing the door to most organizations. RFCA's two annual cycles and broad mandate make it uniquely accessible among Catholic foundations of this asset size. The trade-off is grant ceiling: $100,000 per grant is modest compared to Hilton Foundation grants routinely exceeding $1 million. Organizations should position RFCA as a relationship-building entry point into Catholic philanthropy networks, not a single large-gift target.

No major public press releases or program announcements were found for RFCA in 2025-2026. The foundation maintains a minimal public communications profile, consistent with its family-foundation character. The most concrete recent indicator is the FY2024 Form 990 filed in October 2025, which shows assets reaching $207.96 million and total revenue of $17.94 million — the strongest revenue year since FY2021's $26.8 million peak, likely reflecting improved investment markets.

Leadership has been notably stable. Theresa G. Robinson has served as Executive Director continuously through at least FY2023 (most recent compensation data: $152,149), and Noelle M. Robinson continues as President and Trustee. L. Charles Rotunno Jr. remains Vice President of Programs at $121,051 — he is the primary staff point of contact for grant applicants. Patrick W. McGrory continues as Chairperson.

Within the grant record, Ukraine humanitarian response has been the most prominent recent theme, with grants issued across multiple Catholic organizations beginning in 2022: the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia alone received 10 grants totaling $204,000. The RFCA Sleep Out Initiative — a Covenant House-partnership activity — also appears in recent grant purposes, reflecting the foundation's own staff-driven engagement with anti-homelessness programs. The Laudato Si Movement received its fifth consecutive grant in the recent period, confirming environmental justice as a sustained priority. No trustee transitions or new program areas were identified in public sources for 2025-2026.

Eligibility first. Before writing a single sentence of narrative, confirm your organization appears in the P.J. Kennedy Official Catholic Directory. This is the foundation's mandatory threshold and has no flexibility. If your organization is Catholic-affiliated but not yet listed, contact the directory publisher first.

Choose your cycle strategically. Domestic applicants have two windows: spring (December 8–February 8, board decision in May) and fall (June 8–August 8, board decision in November). The spring cycle aligns with typical fiscal-year planning; the fall cycle is useful if a spring application was declined and you want to re-apply with revisions. Do not submit to both cycles simultaneously for the same project.

Align with Catholic Social Teaching language. The foundation's grantee list shows clear affinity for proposals that explicitly reference Catholic Social Teaching frameworks. Environmental proposals should cite Laudato Si (2015) and Pope Francis' Laudate Deum (2023). Immigration proposals should reference the USCCB's justice and migration statements. Poverty programs should invoke the option for the poor. This is not cosmetic — it signals theological alignment that resonates with the family trustees who vote on grants.

Be specific about vulnerable populations served. Review the top 50 grantees: virtually every funded program names a specific underserved group — internally displaced mothers, Yazidi ISIS survivors, homeless Native American youth, unaccompanied migrant children. Generic "Catholic community" framing underperforms against targeted population specificity.

Keep the 2-page form tight. The application form is deliberately brief. Every sentence must earn its place. Lead with the program, not the organization history. Include a clear line-item budget showing exactly how RFCA funds would be used, and specify measurable outcomes (number of people served, facilities built, cases resolved).

For international programs, the abstract is your pitch. Abstracts submitted May 1-15 are reviewed before full applications are invited. The abstract must convey the program's Catholic identity, target population, geography, and measurable goal in a very condensed format. If your abstract is not invited to full application, you receive feedback in mid-September and have the fall domestic cycle as an alternative path.

Build the relationship before you need the renewal. File thorough, timely reports after every grant received. The path from a $20,000 first grant to a $100,000 annual relationship is built entirely on reporting quality and demonstrated impact.