The Friends of the Vatican is a 501(c)(3) Illinois charitable nonprofit corporation entrusted with the mission to “establish, receive, and maintain a fund or funds for the support of the charitable works of the Vatican, located within the confines of the Vatican City-State, as well as all extra-territorial Vatican property.”
The Friends of the Vatican supports Vatican City by making grants to projects that are selected by the Governorate of Vatican City and adopted by the Board of Directors. The Friends of the Vatican makes those grants from income collected by donors and by using the investment income from its Endowment.
Supporting the Charitable Works of the Vatican
Despite our mission being to support the Vatican's own charitable goals, the Foundation is a completely separate and independent organization. With a strong future plan, the Foundation is geared to provide consistent and valuable support to the needs of the Vatican and Vatican City-State. Our support helps fund vital initiatives, including the restoration and preservation of religiously significant architecture, investing in green energy solutions for historic buildings, and revamping security for His Holiness the Pope and visiting pilgrims.
"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
— James 2:14-17
Meet Our Leadership Team
Our Foundation is guided by a team of experienced and faithful individuals committed to carrying out our charitable mission.
The primary responsibility of the Friends of the Vatican is to grow and manage its investment portfolio from which it makes annual grants to carry out the Foundation’s mission of establishing and maintaining a fund or funds for the support of the Vatican. To that end, the Foundation’s Endowment Fund allows the Friends of the Vatican to respond to the most pressing needs of Vatican City, and is the main source of income from which grants are derived.
Please find the Foundation’s Form 990s previously filed with the IRS below:
