The LC Fund for Priestly Formation is focused almost entirely on supporting Legion of Christ–affiliated educational and formation institutions, with major gifts directed at seminarian/novitiate programs and Catholic humanities higher education. Grants fund institutional development and educational research tied to priestly formation and Catholic schooling, signaling a mission-driven, internal philanthropic portfolio rather than broad public grantmaking. Giving appears oriented toward sustaining the order’s training pipeline and affiliated colleges.
Highly concentrated: very few grants but large award sizes, including one multi-million dollar commitment. Funding is directed repeatedly to Legion of Christ entities (several repeat grantees), indicating core/institutional support rather than broad, one-off community grants.
A $4,001,000 grant to Investment and Research in Education Inc. anchors the LC Fund for Priestly Formation’s recent giving and shows the scale at which it supports Legion of Christ–affiliated education. The funder’s largest awards go to institutions tied to priestly formation, Catholic humanities education, and related educational development, rather than to a broad mix of outside nonprofits. Recent grants also include $600,000 to The Legion of Christ Inc., $500,000 to Legion of Christ College of Humanities Inc., and $500,000 to Legion of Christ Novitiate & College of Humanities, indicating a portfolio centered on sustaining the order’s training and schooling pipeline. Smaller support appears alongside those major gifts, including funding for a regional Legion of Christ network in Atlanta. The pattern points to a mission-specific funder that backs internal educational institutions, formation programs, and affiliated research or development efforts. Across the recent record, the foundation’s grantmaking is structured around institutions that prepare students and candidates within the Legion of Christ ecosystem, with Catholic education as the organizing frame.
In educational development, the LC Fund for Priestly Formation gave $4,001,000 to Investment and Research in Education Inc. for educational purposes, making institutional support a central part of its recent profile. It also awarded $600,000 to The Legion of Christ Inc. for educational development, showing continued backing for the order’s broader formation infrastructure. Catholic humanities higher education is another clear theme: the funder gave $500,000 to Legion of Christ College of Humanities Inc. for education. Formation-related support also appears in the $500,000 grant to Legion of Christ Novitiate & College of Humanities for educational development, linking academic training with novitiate preparation. A smaller $8,000 grant to Lcna Atlanta Inc. for educational purposes extends the pattern to regional Legion of Christ activity.
Recent grants cluster tightly around a narrow size band, with p25 at $500,000, a median of $550,000, and p75 at $600,000. The distribution is pulled upward by one much larger award of $4,001,000, while most other grants sit at half a million to six hundred thousand dollars. The pattern is institutional and repeated: The Legion of Christ Inc. appears in both 2023 and 2024, and the Cheshire, Connecticut formation and humanities institutions also receive support in consecutive years. The funder is not an individual-giving vehicle and does not make program-related investments, which is consistent with grantmaking through an organizational structure rather than personal philanthropy.
$5.1M
$10.2M
$9M
$10.9M
Most grants fall between $500K and $600K, with a median of $550K.
25th Percentile
$500K
Median
$550K
75th Percentile
$600K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CT.
P JOSE GERARDO CARDENAS
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Notable grantees: INVESTMENT AND RESEARCH IN EDUCATION INC, THE LEGION OF CHRIST INC, LEGION OF CHRIST COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES INC, LEGION OF CHRIST NOVITIATE & COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES, LCNA ATLANTA INC
Grant recipients are all in the United States, with the strongest concentration in Connecticut and Georgia. Cheshire, Connecticut appears twice, including grants to Legion of Christ College of Humanities Inc. and Legion of Christ Novitiate & College of Humanities. Cumming, Georgia appears in both the largest grant and a smaller award to Lcna Atlanta Inc., while Roswell, Georgia is home to The Legion of Christ Inc. The foundation gives 0% of its grants to recipients in Texas, despite its Houston headquarters.
It supports Legion of Christ–affiliated educational and formation institutions, including seminarian and novitiate programs, Catholic humanities higher education, educational research, and regional Legion of Christ networks. The recent grants are concentrated in organizations tied to priestly formation and Catholic schooling.
The recent grant distribution is centered on large institutional awards: the 25th percentile is $500,000, the median is $550,000, and the 75th percentile is $600,000. One grant is much larger at $4,001,000.
All of the recent grants in the provided data go to U.S.-based recipients, for a 100% U.S. recipient-country distribution.
Yes. The Legion of Christ Inc. appears in both 2023 and 2024, and the Cheshire, Connecticut institutions also receive support in consecutive years. That points to recurring support for affiliated organizations rather than isolated one-off awards.
The top state by grant count is Connecticut. Cheshire is a visible recipient city there, while Georgia also appears frequently through Cumming and Roswell.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INVESTMENT AND RESEARCH IN EDUCATION INC | Cumming, GA | $4,001,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| THE LEGION OF CHRIST INC | ROSEWELL, GA | $600,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| LEGION OF CHRIST COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES INC | CHESHIRE, CT | $500,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| LCNA ATLANTA INC | Cumming, GA | $8,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| The Legion of Christ Inc | Roswell, GA | $600,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT |
| LEGION OF CHRIST NOVITIATE & COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES | CHESHIRE, CT | $500,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT |
INVESTMENT AND RESEARCH IN EDUCATION INC
$4,001,000EDUCATIONAL
THE LEGION OF CHRIST INC
$600,000EDUCATIONAL
LEGION OF CHRIST COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES INC
$500,000EDUCATION
LCNA ATLANTA INC
$8,000EDUCATIONAL
The Legion of Christ Inc
$600,000EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
LEGION OF CHRIST NOVITIATE & COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES
$500,000EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT