The Our Lady of Loreto Philanthropic Association, Inc. (OLOLPA)
How did
the OLOLPA get started?
It started with a party. The alumni and parishioners of Our Lady of
Loreto, school and church respectively, attended an All Classes Reunion in
April 2002. The event was attended by
over 600 people who had some affiliation with the parish, school, or the
neighborhood of
It was tempting to form a standard alumni association
or another type of fraternal organization.
The founders, however, realized that to truly engage in the spirit that
had been at the root of their common experience, the influence of Our Lady of
Loreto, they chose instead to create an organization that would have a
charitable purpose.
The theme of Catholic elementary education was chosen
both because Our Lady of Loreto School served grades 1 through 8, and because
this educational niche was greatly underserved.
Ample opportunities exist for collegiate and even high school
scholarships through the generosity of many programs. Precious little financial support exists for
families choosing Catholic elementary schools.
Indeed, tuition cost for Catholic elementary school is beginning to
rival that of Catholic high school. The
future of Catholic elementary education is potentially compromised by
increasing costs.
The OLOLPA recognizes the importance of Catholic
elementary education, not exclusively for its academic record. Rather, the term of elementary school
encompasses the “formative years” of childhood.
Catholic elementary schools, unlike their public school counterparts,
are free to include in their curriculum, the development of conscience, an
appreciation for discipline, the importance of service to others, and, most
importantly, a love of God.
What is
the Mission
The
What is
the Vision of the OLOLPA?
The OLOLPA, while currently a small organization, has
the vision of supporting the choice for Catholic elementary education in the
broadest possible manner. If sufficient
funds were available, the OLOLPA would envision the payment of full tuition for
every child whose family wanted to opt for Catholic elementary education. This is, obviously the grandest possible
mission for this organization.
The ability of the OLOLPA to continue to operate as
it does or to increase its scholarship awards is contingent on the matched
vision of the general population of potential members and donors. The OLOLPA needs to grow its membership and
donor base to continue its work.
Donations
to the OLOLPA are Tax Deductible
The OLOLPA is a recognized tax exempt 501 (c) (3)
organization. Donations to organizations
exempt under section 501 (c) (3) of the IRS Code are tax deductible under
section 170 of the Code. Such
organizations are qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises,
transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code.
Donations of $250 or more must be formally
acknowledged by the OLOLPA according to IRS Publication 557. Formal acknowledgement will be sent to the
donor via email or regular mail per the donor’s preference.
OLOLPA
Registration with the Pennsylvania Department of State
The official registration and financial information
of the Our Lady of Loreto Philanthropic Association (OLOLPA) may be obtained
from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within
Statement
of Non-Discrimination Policy:
The OLOLPA will admit members of any race, color,
national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and
activities generally made available to members.
The OLOLPA will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national
or ethnic origin in the administration of its policies, scholarship programs or
any other OLOLPA administered programs.
What does
the OLOLPA do?
The OLOLPA is a 100% volunteer-run, membership based,
public charity whose mission is to provide scholarships to children attending
Catholic elementary school. The OLOLPA
occasionally sponsors fundraisers to support its activities and its overhead. The OLOLPA operates this website for the
purpose of providing information about its program and mission to the public. We accept donations and memberships through
this website for the convenience of our patrons.
The OLOLPA, originated by the Alumni of Our Lady of
Loreto Catholic School, Southwest Philadelphia (closed 2000) also uses part of
this website to the keep alive the memories shared by the OLOL Alumni over the
40 years that
The officers and members of the OLOLPA recognize that
it was the influence of the Teachers, Bernardine Sisters, Clergy, Parents,
Staff, and Community of Our Lady of Loreto Parish and School that formed the
character of OLOL graduates. OLOL Alumni,
like many graduates of
What does
the OLOLPA not do?
- The OLOLPA does not lobby or participate in political campaigns
- The OLOLPA does not currently offer grants to organizations or to
individuals outside the scope of its scholarship program
- The OLOLPA does not offer scholarships to children in high school,
college, or graduate programs.
- The OLOLPA does not evangelize on behalf of any church.
Is the
OLOLPA directly affiliated with the Catholic Church or any other parent
organization?
No. The OLOLPA
is an independent self-directing, self-managed organization. The OLOLPA is not directly or indirectly
affiliated with any other organization.
How many
people does the OLOLPA employ?
The OLOLPA currently employs no staff. All activities of the OLOLPA are managed by a
volunteer board who donate their time and efforts because of a deep believe in
the organization’s mission.
What is
the cost of operating the OLOLPA?
The OLOLPA operates with the minimal possible
overhead. The organization has no formal
office space. Its organizational address
is the home address of one of the OLOLPA founding officers.
The primary cost of operation for the OLOLPA is the
maintenance of the OLOLPA’s website.
This results in an annual expenditure of about $250 which includes
monthly hosting fees and domain registration.
Additional operating costs include printing and
postage for meeting announcement cards and the annual scholarship program. These costs, outside of the scholarship award
itself amount to about $300 annually.
The current cost of the scholarship program itself is about $550 which
includes the annual $500 award and a plaque for the winner.
Total operational costs for the OLOLPA are,
therefore, around $1200 annually in the absence of any costs of fundraising events. Fundraising events are planned to be self
supporting as well.
How does
the OLOLPA raise money?
The OLOLPA raises money from membership dues, direct
donations, and occasional fundraising events.
The primary source of income for the OLOLPA is membership dues. It takes twenty basic members annually to
fund the scholarship award. Direct
donations are contingent upon the availability of funds and the inclination of
a prospective donor. The OLOLPA has, for
the past four years, participated in the annual Feast of St. Anthony
Celebration at St. Barnabas Church,
What does
the OLOLPA do with money received in excess of operating expenses?
The OLOLPA is a fiscally frugal organization. The primary use of revenues received is to
support immediate operational expenses described above. The OLOLPA is interested in long-term
stability and growth, therefore, the OLOLPA puts any excess revenues in a
reserve fund. The capital goal of the
OLOLPA is to build the reserve fund to $10,000 prior to expansion of the
scholarship program. The OLOLPA is open
to expanding its activities at the request of prospective donors, provided that
the new activities are self-supporting and do not diminish the OLOLPA’s
potential for long term sustainability.
Is the
OLOLPA willing to accept donations to support other types of programs?
The OLOLPA is willing to discuss additions to its
current activities at the bequest of prospective donors, provided that these
additional programs would be self-supporting and that the terms of the donation
did not compromise the independent operation of the OLOLPA. Legacy or memorial scholarships are one type
of option. Contact with the OLOLPA to
discuss the terms of such an arrangement would be most welcome.