Faith that lasts a lifetime... and beyond
The Risen Christ Legacy Circle is a community of supporters making plans for their values of hope, equity and generosity to be shared for generations to come.
Your generosity sends a message. It tells your story, and it sustains the values that are important to you. While all gifts to Risen Christ make a difference, planned gifts—gifts that are arranged in advance as part of your financial plan—have an impact that carries forward through generations.
When your values become your legacy, the difference you make in the world never ends.
How do I join Risen Christ’s Legacy Circle?
You can join the Legacy Circle one of two ways!
- Arrange a planned gift of any size to Risen Christ through the vehicle that best fits in your financial plan: bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable trusts and annuities, etc.
OR
- Make gifts totalling $25,000 or more to Risen Christ’s endowment or one of its agency funds.
If you are planning a gift, tell us about it so that we can learn what inspired your gift and ensure that we are reflecting your values.
What are the benefits to joining the Legacy Circle?
Legacy Circle members are recognized for their unique dedication to the education Risen Christ provides. They are recognized in Risen Christ’s Annual Report and on this page of the website, receive special communications throughout the year, and are invited to attend a Legacy Circle celebration each spring.
Most importantly, they will be ensuring high-quality Catholic education remains accessible and affordable to generations of underserved students.
I’m not rich; why would I do something this complex?
Legacy gifts are for anyone! They can be as simple as updating your online accounts to designate a charity as a partial beneficiary, or as complex as working with a lawyer and financial planner to develop a full will and estate plan. Legacy gifts also come in all sizes; donors can set a specific amount or a percentage of as little as 1%.
Isn’t a gift now, while I’m still alive, more useful?
All gifts are helpful towards Risen Christ’s mission! Legacy Circle gifts focus on supporting long-term sustainability and empowering Risen Christ to build towards major strategic initiatives, like improving teacher compensation and expanding academic programs. They also give donors the peace of mind of knowing that their values will carry into the future.
Some Legacy Circle gifts, such as donations to Risen Christ’s endowment and some forms of charitable trusts, are made during the donor’s lifetime, enabling them to watch the impact in real time.
Can you share some resources to learn more about this?
We recommend checking out resources available at the Catholic Community Foundation, or consulting your own financial planner or an estate planning attorney to determine the plan that works best for you.
“As we talked and walked through the halls, pure joy exuded everywhere. The students were attentive, engaged and having fun. We started to support Risen Christ financially soon thereafter.”
Legacy Circle Members Kathleen Cooney and Bob LaBombard
“By establishing this planned gift, I’m directly supporting the most important people—students and teachers. This way, I know my support will be used exactly as intended. I hope others will follow my lead by directly supporting student scholarships and teacher retention.”
Legacy Circle Member John Ossanna (1942–2026)
Okay, I’ve planned a gift! What now?
Tell us about it! We want to learn more about what inspired you and what you value, and be able to welcome you with the other members of the Legacy Circle. You can share details by filling out this Gift Intent Form, or by contacting Chelsea Koplos at the email and phone number below.
For more information:
Contact Chelsea Koplos at [email protected] or (612) 234-8439.
Legacy Circle Members
- Anonymous (2)
- Cindy and John Banovetz
- Elaine Hauff and Doug Berdie
- Robert Devereaux
- Diane and Craig Erickson
- Joani and Tim Essenburg
- Rev. John Forliti
- James Glatzmaier
- Pamala and Rick Gunn
- Mary and Gary Jeub
- Don Kain
- Chelsea and David Koplos
- Kathleen Cooney and Robert LaBombard
- Maureen and Kevin Lahr
- Patricia McGuire
- Rev. Bill Murtaugh
- Phyllis Reardon
- Mary Jo and Walter Roberts
- Kathleen Scott
- Peter Spokes
- Roma Witzig
- Kathy and Al Woodward
- Heidi Berczyk and Jack Zeta
In Memoriam Members
- Anonymous
- Janet McKenzie Anderson
- Rosemary Barry
- Patricia “Trish” Blessing
- Rev. J. Michael Byron
- John and Mary Byron
- Mary Ann Gillespie
- Clarence and Bernice Hynes
- Lucy Klos
- Gloria Klosterman
- Mary E. “Emmy” Marolt
- John Ossanna
- Eloise Suter
*Risen Christ has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this list. If you know of a name that was misspelled or omitted, please accept our sincere apologies and contact the Advancement Office at (612) 234-8439 so that we can update our records.