What began as an idea to show young professionals the impact of philanthropy has grown into an established giving society of more than 140 families and individuals and a total contribution of more than $542,900.
The 83.33 Society, which was established five years ago, began when then-President and CEO Msgr. John Enzler asked Matt Carroccio and Caitlin Chalke to engage young professionals in Catholic Charities’ “Our Community. Our Commitment. Our Legacy.” campaign.
Carroccio and Chalke went on to help Catholic Charities create a community of young professionals whose parents and grandparents had an affinity to Catholic Charities. Their goal was to recruit 100 families to make a $500,000 impact over five years. Since its inception, the reach of the society has spread, and the original financial goal has been exceeded.
At the time of the campaign, Catholic Charities was providing a Cup of Joe breakfast to men and women leaving shelters every morning. The cost was about $2.75 a day, or $1,000 a year. It occurred to Carroccio that a monthly recurring gift of $83.33 was easier for young professionals to make than writing a check for $1,000.
“I wanted people to be able to visualize the impact of their gifts,” Carroccio said. “When you see someone hungry on the street you can think to yourself, I may have provided breakfast for that person today.”
And so, the giving community was created in a way that fosters a spirit of philanthropy at a manageable level for those new to Catholic Charities or to philanthropic giving. It was named the 83.33 Society after the monthly giving level.
The group will mark its anniversary with a gathering on March 7 with remarks by President and CEO Jim Malloy and John Veihmeyer, chair of the Board of Directors, that celebrate the creation and on-going success of the giving society.
To recruit founding members in the group’s first year, a series of small gatherings were held to share the vision for the giving society. In those gatherings, society chairs heard from potential members that they would value service opportunities with their children, a professional network of like-minded colleagues and a forum to spend time with families from parishes other than their own.
The COVID health emergency in 2020 could have been a roadblock to building the society, but Carroccio and Chalke showed potential members that, especially then, their gifts were crucial to serving those struggling and society members could make a bold and positive impact on their community.
and Courtney and Tommy Billings at the 83.33 Society’s first cocktail party in 2019.
“It’s up to us to provide a vehicle of sustainability for the organization,” Chalke said. “A way for people to grow in their philanthropy as they grow in their own careers.”
Carroccio added, “This is a launching point. We are the farm team for Catholic Charities. We aim to maintain our panache so that our kids will want to join when they become adults.”
Today, the group hosts family friendly service activities twice a year — adults working alongside children to put together cold-weather care packages for clients in the winter and make friendship bracelets for young clients in the summer.
for Catholic Charities’ clients.
Current society chairs, Chris and Michelle Connolly, hope to continue to incorporate a variety of service activities for families, as well as more professional networking opportunities for adults.
To learn how you can participate, visit the 83.33 Society web page.
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