The Archdiocese of Detroit Endowment Foundation (AODEF) is a Michigan nonprofit corporation established to receive assets from parishes, Catholic schools and other Catholic organizations and ministries. It uses those assets to provide perpetual funding for the benefit of the Archdiocese of Detroit and the people it serves. The AODEF was not created to offer donor advised funds or endowment accounts to individuals and other entities, and as a result did not obtain a separate IRS tax exemption (it is exempt under the Catholic Church’s group ruling) and is not required to file a tax return with the IRS because of its status as an “integrated auxiliary” of the Catholic Church. The Archbishop of Detroit is the sole member of the AODEF, and elects and removes its trustees. The assets of the AODEF are invested under the supervision of the Archdiocese of Detroit Finance Council.
The Catholic Foundation of Michigan is a Michigan nonprofit corporation established to receive assets from the public, including individuals, trusts and other entities, and to primarily use those assets to provide perpetual funding for religious, educational and charitable activities for the benefit of the Catholic Church and the parishes, schools, ministries and other Catholic organizations within the Archdiocese of Detroit. The Catholic Foundation has its own separate IRS tax exemption as a public charity and files a separate tax return with the IRS. The Foundation does not have a sole member, but is a directorship organization, with the Archbishop of Detroit and the Moderator of the Curia as ex officio board members, along with other directors elected by the board from individuals nominated by the Archbishop of Detroit.