Holy Name of Jesus, the local Catholic school in Windsor Terrace, was in trouble. It needed money to stay open and stay off the dreaded list of Brooklyn Diocese schools slated for shutdown. So it followed the model of many secular institutions: it formed a foundation and got alumni and local businesses to pony up.
The parents, alumni and parishioners who started the not-for-profit also had a fancy dinner-dance to make a more direct appeal to alumni.
In two years, they pulled in more than a half-million dollars.
“We used to call Holy Name the best-kept secret in Brooklyn, but now the secret seems to be out,” said Principal Robert Hughes.
It couldn’t have come at a better time. With Catholic schools getting slapped across the wrists, Holy Name parents took the pre-emptive approach.
“We wanted Holy Name to be around for our children and grandchildren, just as it was there to serve our parents and grandparents,” said Kathleen Pynn Cottingham, the foundation’s president and a proud alumna.
The foundation did more than raise money. Brooklyn Diocese Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio recently cited the Holy Name Foundation as a potential model for other parochial schools.
Sure, if every school did as good a job raising money, DiMarzio would have one less headache.
