Papal Foundation awards $15M for worldwide programs amid renewed U.S. Catholic giving

Following encouragement from Pope Leo XIV during a Vatican audience, the Papal Foundation, a U.S. nonprofit, has awarded more than $15 million in grants in support of Catholic charitable projects worldwide. The funds—from contributions by a donor collaborative of wealthy U.S. Catholics—will finance initiatives including schools for marginalized children in India and job training for vulnerable women in the Philippines. The record-level giving, alongside 25 new donor families, signals renewed philanthropic momentum tied to the first U.S.-born pope, with funds advancing education, poverty alleviation, and global community development.