Philanthropy as ministry. That is the powerful force driving the National Catholic Community Foundation (NCCF), an Annapolis-based organization that offers Catholic and non-Catholic families the opportunity to engage in philanthropic efforts that can be passed from generation to generation.

"As Catholics increased in affluence and sophistication, they recognized that they didn’t want to give their money to the government (upon their deaths)," said Dana P. Robinson, the chairman of NCCF’s board of directors who works as senior vice president of PNC Bank in Philadelphia and a 30-year veteran of the financial services industry.

"They want their money to go into a fund that has some influence," Robinson said, "and they are looking for an organization that respects the Catholic ethics we uphold. People who become our clients are grateful for the opportunity to participate in philanthropy."

The NCCF combines Catholic philanthropy and the community foundation model to serve its clients.

Donors, be they Catholic or non-Catholic, make a minimum investment of $10,000. That tax-deductible donation continues to grow as it is managed by NCCF, a 501c(3) organization incorporated in Delaware in 1997 that is independent of any diocese.

The NCCF currently oversees the funds of some 50 clients worth approximately $4.5 million. Some of these investments are in donor-advised funds, planned gifts, charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts.

Catholic groups and religious organizations are so enthusiastic about the idea behind the NCCF that they signed up as co-founders. Among those listed are: the Catholic Medical Mission Board, Daughters Charity, Franciscan Sisters, Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Order of Carmelites, Sisters of Mercy, Xaverian Brothers and St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, Md. The 12 members of NCCF’s board of directors hail from Massachusetts to Florida and as far west as Missouri.

Each donor or donor family decides what charity will receive the proceeds from their fund annually. Although working within the institutional Church is encouraged, the recipient organizations can be Catholic or non-Catholic, as long as they are a legally-recognized charity and their work does not oppose the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Geography is also not a problem — as the recipient organization can be located down the street from the donor or half a world away. No matter their location, each recipient organization must file an annual written report on how the funds were spent.

NCCF President Edward H. Robinson, brother of Dana Robinson and a parishioner of St. Mary Parish in Annapolis, said donor-advised funds are a revolutionary way of thinking about donation dollars.

"We’ve been trained to give in baskets or to write a check when we are asked," he said. "(The NCCF) is about thinking beyond the survival mode. Here, donors of a moderate income level get to decide how much to give whom for generations. It’s like having a private foundation without the cost of set up, the cost of managing it and the hassles that come with running it."

NCCF takes the concept of donor advised funds to an even higher level by passing the direction of the fund to each subsequent generation.

"Most charitable foundations don’t let their donor-advised funds go past one or two generations," he explained. "The money then goes for whatever the foundation decides is best. NCCF turns it over for generations to come."

This philosophy has several merits, Robinson said, one of which is parents setting an example of philanthropy in the home.

"Kids need role models and they look to celebrities or athletes. But we believe the best role models are parents," he said. "Philanthropy changes a person because they feel so much different inside. The kids feel that change, and it creates an incredible bond."

An NCCF fund also brings extended family members together because they have to gather to decide which organizations are going to receive funds in the upcoming year, he said.

"Some charities spend the money as soon as they get it, or even before they get it," Robinson said. "But who is going to keep these charities alive in 20 years? NCCF is here to help the donor move forward in their philanthropy for the long term and get their loved ones involved in the process. It’s a gigantic Catholic bank."