Page 27 - CJA_AR18-19_092519_FINAL

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR OF
Leadership Giving
Dear Alumnae, Parents,
Grandparents and
Friends of Cor Jesu,
First, thank YOU for making
the 2018-2019 fiscal year a
successful one for Cor Jesu.
Your gifts allowed us to complete
construction on the additional music and
orchestra space, continue building funds
for the new chapel, and perhaps, most
importantly, offer a Cor Jesu education
through financial aid assistance to a
record 40 percent of our families.
As we celebrated the Beatification of
Blessed Clelia Merloni and congratulated
Sr. Barbara Thomas, ASCJ on her new
role as U.S. Provincial Superior of the
Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
we pondered internally how we, as
Cor Jesu, take a leadership role in
accessibility for all. Guided by the steps
in the Strategic Plan, we restructured
the Advancement Department to
allow for an enhanced focus on both
our enrollment and affordability.
As a result, we were fortunate to add
Abby Samel as CJ’s new Director
of Advancement in February. Abby
brings a unique combination of
experience in advancement and
communications/marketing to CJ,
which she is using to successfully lead
the Advancement Team and guide
our admissions marketing efforts. Her
role’s heightened focus on these areas
will propel CJ forward in a quickly
evolving Catholic school landscape.
As part of the transition, I moved into a
new role as Director of Leadership Giving
where my focus is to ensure Cor Jesu’s
affordability for the near term and for
the future. Our goal is to significantly
increase financial aid, which calls for a
combination of unrestricted giving for
the current year’s financial aid, as well
as another significant 10-year growth in
our Endowment Fund to $18 million.
As part of our progress, we are thrilled
to announce that we will be able to
meet our financial aid goals for the
Class of 2024! A generous alumna
and her husband have offered to meet
100 percent of the calculated need for
all applicants accepted into the Class
of 2024. That, friends, is a gift like
none Cor Jesu has ever seen before,
and we are humbled and grateful
for the opportunity. We received
this incredible gift during the year of
Blessed Clelia Merloni’s Beatification…
what a testament to her legacy and the
Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus!
Our goal is to continue offering financial
aid at this level with your help and that
of many others in our community. May
we all honor the legacy of Blessed Clelia,
all the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus and our community by giving with
our hearts so that all qualified young
ladies can access a Cor Jesu education.
On behalf of our students and their
families who are touched by the Sacred
Heart of Jesus every day, thank you! Your
generosity does not go unnoticed, and we
are forever grateful for your commitment
to Cor Jesu and Catholic education.
Sincerely,
Katie Magee Thiemann ‘81
Director of Leadership Giving
corjesu.org | 25