Frank Feeman has been a champion of the Fulcrum Foundation for 20 years. Frank was a founding board member and served as treasurer of the board during his tenure as CFO of the Archdiocese of Seattle, until he retired from both roles in 2018. Frank served as chair of Fulcrum’s finance committee for years, helping to steer the foundation into a bright future. He recently stepped down from the finance committee to focus his time as a Fulcrum ambassador, bringing Fulcrum’s mission directly to Catholic schools in Western Washington.
We cannot thank Frank enough for all he has done for Fulcrum and the Archdiocese of Seattle. The commitment of his time and talent these past 20 years has made it possible for Fulcrum to change the lives of so many Catholic school students and families. Thank you, Frank!
Please enjoy this reflection from Frank about his time with Fulcrum:
I had finished 10 years of service on the Archdiocesan Finance Council a few years before the Fulcrum Foundation was established. My wife, DeAnn, and I have seven children—all are graduates of St. John Parish School and Bishop Blanchet High School. We were Catholic school parents for 28 years. Our grandchildren are attending St. John now. We know the value of a Catholic education!
Through my work on the Finance Council, I was well aware of the need for more support of our Catholic schools. The opportunity to serve our schools through Fulcrum was a good fit.
Fulcrum assists families, schools, and teachers. Our Catholic schools teach over 20,000 students each year. Our students grow in the faith and become good and well-prepared citizens. We have more families in our parishes because of our Catholic schools.
Thanks to Fulcrum, many of our schools remain open and over 1,900 of our families can afford a quality Catholic education for their kids each year. In addition, early education programs and teacher development are supported. There is no doubt that we have more schools, more students, and more parish families because of the support of our Catholic schools by Fulcrum.
Far and away, the best experiences I have had over my Fulcrum years were my visits to our Catholic schools. I have visited many of the schools in our archdiocese. Each one is special (not just different—special). I am always moved by the faith and generosity of our students, the generous work of our teachers, and all that is accomplished by our schools–often with limited resources. I have been moved by the stories of our Catholic school parents. My work at Fulcrum has taught me the value that every one of our schools brings to our Church.
I would encourage donors and Fulcrum Trustees to visit a Catholic school other than the one your family attends. You will be moved! Fulcrum Ambassadors can help you make this connection.
After this experience, consider the fact that while Fulcrum has done splendid work serving so many families, more great work is needed. Additional families need support. Schools will continue to need our help as costs increase and they struggle to balance families’ resources and fair compensation and other costs. Our schools need new generations of great teachers and leaders. Our schools are essential to our Church. We need to keep working! We are not done!