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Donors to Catholic schools \"much more proactive today\"

by Zoe Ryan

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February 7, 2011

An article in The New York Times yesterday highlighted the higher involvement wealthy donors are taking in New York Catholic schools.

“The relationship between the church and its contributors used to be basically, ‘Pray, pay and obey — give us money, we’ll take it from there,’ ” said Francis J. Butler, president of Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, a national network of Catholic philanthropies. “But donors are much more proactive today. They are concerned about the quality of the schools, the leadership; they’re drilling down into these problems."

The archdiocese of New York recently closed 27 schools.