About Custos Foundation
The Custos Foundation is a lay-led charitable foundation dedicated to guarding and fostering Catholic Tradition. Building a bridge between generous funders and worthy Catholic projects around the world, the Custos Foundation seeks to contribute in a particular way to the growth and expansion of Catholic liturgy and life, educational efforts aimed at a renewal of Catholic thought and a Christian social order, and other fruitful initiatives.
Focus Areas
Catholic liturgy and lifeCatholic education and formationPromotion of traditional Catholic valuesSupport for sacred spacesPlanned giving and bequests
Funding Style
unrestricted/general operating supportcapital/building campaign supportprogram/project supportmulti-purpose grantmaking
Topics
About Custos Foundation
Custos Foundation’s largest recent commitments have gone to Syracuse University, including a $3,660,000 general support grant in 2025 and a $3,340,000 building campaign grant in 2024. That scale sits alongside a much wider pattern of smaller awards to Catholic organizations working in liturgy, education, and traditional religious life. The foundation’s stated purpose is to guard and foster Catholic Tradition, and its grants reflect that aim through support for Catholic liturgy and sacramental life, renewal of Catholic thought, and efforts tied to a Christian social order. The foundation also backed Friends of the Consoling Sisters with a $200,000 general support grant in 2025, and it made several smaller awards to Catholic institutions and associations in the United States. Philadelphia appears in the grant list as a recipient location as well, but the funding pattern is not limited to one city or institution. Custos Foundation uses both general support and program support, and its recent activity shows a mix of large capital-related funding and narrower project grants.
What Custos Foundation Funds
Custos Foundation gives across several connected Catholic priorities. In higher education, it awarded Syracuse University $3,340,000 for a building campaign in 2024 and $3,660,000 for general support in 2025. In support of religious communities, it gave Friends of the Consoling Sisters $200,000 in 2025 for general support. The foundation also funded Catholic intellectual and ecclesial work. It awarded the International Institute for Culture Inc $77,500 in 2025 for general support, following a $25,000 program support grant to International Institute of Culture Inc in 2024. For Vatican-related and Catholic charitable efforts, it made $10,000 grants in 2025 to the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See and to Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Its grants also reached sacred and traditional Catholic associations, including the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre-Jerusalem.
How Custos Foundation Gives
Custos Foundation’s typical grant size is $8,875 at the 25th percentile, $17,500 at the median, and $853,750 at the 75th percentile, showing a wide spread between routine grants and major commitments. The recent record includes both one-time general support and larger campaign funding, especially the two Syracuse University awards across consecutive years. The foundation is lay-led and does not fund individuals. It also does not make program-related investments. The active grant program says the foundation identifies, vets, and supports projects worldwide, and it does not accept unsolicited applications.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4M
Total Assets
$2.1M
Total Revenue
$1.2M
Total Expenses
$4.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $9K and $854K, with a median of $18K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$18K
75th Percentile
$854K
Geographic Reach
Regional6 states funded
About 23% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Christopher Laconi
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