Luis Alberto RosalesCARF's work goes ahead because there are three saints who are very committed to it".Nearly 2,000 young people were able to study thanks to the CARF Foundation in 2022In 2023, the CARF Foundation has assisted 2,171 students. Of these, 427 are European, 415 were born in the Americas, 214 in Africa, 169 in Asia and 11 in Oceania. To help all these students, the Foundation had 8,972,838 euros, from wills and legacies, periodic and one-time donations, and income and revenues derived from the assets belonging to the organization.
As the document detailing the 2023 fiscal year points out, CARF allocated more than five million euros in aid. Of all the available resources, more than 76 % went to the formation of seminarians and priests; almost 8 % to administrative expenses; 6.85 % to labor costs; 4.45 % to advertising and marketing; almost 4 % to amortization and depreciation; and, finally, 0.77 % to the Patronage of Social Action.
Institutions
The CARF Foundation contributed 3 million euros to help maintain the academic institutions and residences in Rome, and another 2 million euros for the same purpose in Pamplona.
The institutions maintained by the Foundation are:
- Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Rome),
- the faculties of ecclesiastical studies of the University of Navarra (Spain),
- the international ecclesiastical college Sedes Sapientiae (Rome),
- the Altomonte and Tiberino priestly colleges (Rome),
- the Bidasoa international seminar (Pamplona)
- the Echalar, Aralar and Albaizar halls of residence (Pamplona)
- Los Tilos Residence (Pamplona, Spain)
In addition, throughout 2023 the Foundation contributed 55,440 euros to attend to various material needs of priests and seminarians. Among the projects to which this money was given are medical aid for seminarians and priests, the provision of liturgical objects and support for parishes with few resources.
CARF Foundation students
The report published by the Foundation indicates that the average annual cost per student is 18,000 euros, broken down as follows:
-11,000 euros for room and board
- 2700 euros for university tuition
- 800 euros for human and spiritual formation
- 3,500 euros of allowance for academic training
On the other hand, personal costs are borne by the students themselves, their diocese or the religious congregation to which they belong.
Of the 2171 students assisted by the CARF Foundation in 2023:
- 925 are theology students,
- 193 study philosophy,
- 251 are pursuing studies in Canon Law,
- 120 receive training in Social and Institutional Communication,
- 647 are members of the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences,
- 35 attend as listeners.
In addition, the Foundation can proudly say that four alumni who earned its grants at some point received an Episcopal appointment in 2023. These alumni are:
- Juan Manuel Cuá Ajucum, bishop of Quiché (Guatemala)
- Teodoro León Muñoz, Auxiliary Bishop of Seville (Spain)
- Francisco José Prieto, Metropolitan Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela (Spain).
– Raimo Goyarrolabishop of Helsinki (Finland)
Campaigns
Throughout 2023, the institution launched four campaigns that received a great response from donors and benefactors:
- Share God's smile on earth: put a face to your donation". Through this campaign, those who help the students know the biography of the beneficiary.
- Help sow the world with priests: no vocation should be lost". This initiative seeks to promote vocations to the priesthood on the Internet and social networks.
- You give life to the Church: donate legacies and wills in solidarity". With this campaign, the CARF Foundation obtains a large part of its financial resources.
- "Donate a backpack of sacred vessels". With this initiative, all seminarians graduating from the seminary "Sedes Sapientiae" and in Bidasoa, receive a backpack with sacred vessels and an alb.
What is CARF?
The CARF Foundation was founded in 1989 with the mission of promoting vocations to the priesthood and assisting seminarians in their studies. It is committed to the human, academic and spiritual formation of those who benefit from its scholarships, and upholds the values of responsibility, innovation, transparency and closeness between benefactors and students.
In FY2023 the organization undertook a rebranding, updating its brand identity, and has increased its social media presence to reach more people.
