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Family and friends, former and current students and their families are invited to join the Notre Dame mission through their spiritual and material support. A quarterly newsletter, Vision and Challenge, is published by the Development Office to share current updates about Sisters of Notre Dame in life and ministry. To have your name placed on the mailing list, e-mail Carmela Burke or see the Response Form.

The Sisters of Notre Dame are financially independent from the Catholic Church. Although a number of the sisters receive a small stipend for their services, additional sources of income are needed especially for the retired sisters and for ministries which meet the needs of the poor, both in the United States and in Africa.

Four funds have been established:

The Retirement Fund supplements Social Security to provide total care for approximately 25 retired sisters; according to the National Religious Retirement Office, this need is substantial since the province’s Retirement Fund is less than 50% of the recommended amount.

The Life and Ministry Fund underwrites the living expenses and ministry activities of the sisters, particularly the sisters in the province who give uncompensated service to the church and for several sisters who are disabled.  

The Uganda Mission Fund supports St. Julie Convent and School in Buseesa, Uganda, opened in 1995 and 1997 respectively. With faith in God’s providential care and the generosity of many donors, the sisters made a commitment to the poor of Uganda, realizing that this action would in turn create financial challenges.

Our donors have supported the mission generously. The students have excelled, the people of Buseesa are thriving, and vocations are increasing. In the spring of 2009, we will open a second house near Kampala to serve the people there and provide a home for Ugandan Sisters of Notre Dame who are attending college.

The average life expectancy for the people of Uganda is 43 years. There is an urgent need for education, leadership training and economic development so that the people may experience the goodness of God as they improve their lives.

The Julie Fund provides grants to various SND projects that assist the financially-disadvantaged and vulnerable. The maximum annual grant is $2,000 for each project; recent grants have been awarded to:

Conejo Youth Employment Service, Thousand Oaks
Employment counseling for youth-at-risk

La Reina High School, Thousand Oaks
Scholarships for deserving students

St. Anthony Parish, Long Beach
Bibles for adult education

St. Lawrence School, Los Angeles/Watts
Scholarships for deserving students

Ventura County Prison Ministry, Ventura
Bibles and evangelization materials for prisoners

[Applications for Julie Fund grants may be made only by Sisters of Notre Dame of the California province.]  

Donors are asked to consider contributions through:
Cash Gifts
The easiest gift to make is a gift of cash; these donations are deductible for income tax purposes, subject to Internal Revenue Service limitations and guidelines.

Matching Gifts
Many large corporations will match their employees’ donations. Donors are encouraged to contact their Human Resources Officer for further information.

The Internal Revenue Service tax-exempt number for the Sisters of Notre Dame of Los Angeles is 95-2005867.

Memorial Gifts in Lieu of Flowers
A number of SND friends have asked about contributions in memory of a loved one who has died, in lieu of flowers. The following information would be appropriate to include in a newspaper obituary notice:
"In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the
Sisters of Notre Dame
c/o Development Office
1776 Hendrix Avenue
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360."

Life Insurance
Donors may make The Sisters of Notre Dame of Los Angeles the beneficiary of a life insurance policy. The policy proceeds are then deductible for estate tax purposes. A current income tax deduction is also possible for making the Sisters of Notre Dame the owner of a policy.

Marketable Securities
A gift of marketable securities which are otherwise subject to long-term capital gains is often advantageous. A donor may avoid payment of capital gains tax on the increase in the value of the stock and receive a deduction for the full fair market value of the stock at the time of the gift, subject to limitations.

Donors are encouraged to consult with their own financial and tax advisers before finalizing gifts. Contact the Development Office, Carmela Anne Burke at 805-917-3714 for further information. Be assured that the grateful prayers of the Sisters of Notre Dame accompany their benefactors each day.