Catholic Extension is a national fundraising organization dedicated to aiding and fortifying impoverished mission dioceses across the United States. Since its inception in 1905, it has contributed over $500 million to American communities, motivated by a need, passion, and commitment to enhance the growth of the Catholic faith.
The Catholic School Leadership Development Grant Program is a strategic initiative to nurture and retain leadership talent within the Catholic school system in Extension Dioceses. By partnering with Loyola Marymount University’s Catholic School Leadership Academy, the program offers a graduate level virtual online Certificate in Catholic School Administration, specifically tailored for novice and prospective leaders in Catholic schools. The program, which covers 80 percent of tuition costs and additional funding for certain travel expenses, is structured around three core themes: mission effectiveness, operational management, and instructional leadership. Over a period of one year, participants engage in a curriculum designed to bolster their leadership capacities, imparting them with essential administrative skills tailored to the unique needs of Catholic school administration. Successful completion demands a two-year service commitment to a Catholic school in their diocese and the implementation of a project to improve their local Catholic school strategically. Desired outcomes of the grant program include the retention and promotion of promising leaders within Catholic schools and the application of newly acquired administrative knowledge and skills to strengthen these institutions at a local level.