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Dignity as a Foundation

At the heart of our work at the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a core belief in the dignity of all people. This means that everyone is worthy of respect and love, regardless of health, intellectual or physical ability, age, race, or life circumstances. This commits us to a fundamental equality grounded in human dignity: those who are not considered healthy, smart, vigorous, and economically successful deserve the same respect as those who do enjoy these characteristics.

Our mission, though, goes beyond that. It translates this core belief in dignity, which in our case flows from our commitment to Catholic teachings, but which is also affirmed by many outside this tradition, into specific actions. We exist to support and advance the health and well-being of precisely those New Yorkers whose dignity is at risk of being overlooked or denied – the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable – because they are equal in dignity, yet too often encounter rejection or discrimination by people and systems. They are our focus and it is a privilege to use the resources of this Foundation in service to them.

Of course we cannot do this alone, but only in partnership with our grantees. Across the State, countless organizations are daily serving those most in need – and in many cases have been doing so for decades. It is humbling to be a part of these efforts through our grantmaking. It is also why we are always so excited to announce and celebrate our latest round of grants: more than $200 million and 539 grants to community-based organizations, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, food banks, schools, and other nonprofits that will address a wide range of public health challenges that disproportionately impact underserved New Yorkers. With this round of grants, the Foundation surpasses $1 billion in grantmaking since our first year of operation in 2019.

The entire team here takes inspiration from the life and legacy of our namesake, Mother Frances Cabrini. A woman fiercely devoted to upholding the dignity of all people, she continuously dedicated her time and efforts to those most underserved, willing to go wherever a need existed. While her commitment took her to multiple continents and countries, we follow her example today by bringing this same mentality to the counties, cities, and towns of New York State.

I once again invite you to learn more about our mission and grantees here, and I look forward to sharing more about the Cabrini way of grantmaking over the next year. It is our hope that each year we make progress toward affirming and promoting the dignity of all New Yorkers. Our commitment to do so is at the heart of this Foundation.

Sincerely,

Daniel Frascella

Chief Programs and Grants Officer