Legal Updates for Religious Institutes

10/1/2024 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Presenter: Michael Airdo & Mollie Werwas

The legal landscape continues to become more complex for religious institutes. With each year, new statutes and cases draw new boundaries and distinctions that can impact all aspects of an institution’s operations. This presentation will provide attendees with an understanding of a range of topics, keying attendees into areas of law in which they need to know more and helping direct them towards workshops that best suit their needs.  

1. The Evolution of Community Investing and Religious Congregation Strategies

10/2/2024 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Presenter: Jeannine Jacokes, Cathi Kim, Kenya Davenport & Sr. Marlin Llanes, OP

Religious institutes have been on the leading edge of community investing since its humble beginnings in the 1970s to address redlining and disinvestment in low income and minority communities.  Their work seeded the creation of the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) sector, which has blossomed into 1,500 lenders nationwide.  In December 2023, the US Treasury Department’s CDFI Fund published new guidelines for lenders to retain this designation – which may change which organizations can still call themselves CDFIs or how they operate.  At this critical juncture, this panel representing diverse types of CDFIs will discuss how community investing has evolved in the past three decades, what the future holds, and how and which CDFIs will fit into the community investing strategies of religious institutes. Partners for the Common Good (Partners), Southern Bancorp, and Inclusiv will discuss evolution of the sector and the future. Adrian Dominican Sisters, a pioneer in impact investing, will discuss how their impact investing over time has evolved, in addition to discussing if and how the new CDFI certification could impact how they evaluate CDFIs for future investing.

3. Moving Forward in the Midst of Multiple Transitions

10/2/2024 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Presenter: Dayna Larson-Hurst & Ray Mattes

This session will highlight the sometimes-overlooked components of transitions faced by religious institutes in an era of fewer numbers, multiple layers of decision making and the rapidity of change.  Culture, systemic dynamics and the impact on physical, psychosocial, spiritual and emotional well-being will be explored.  

5. Cyber Security Awareness & Best Practices

10/2/2024 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Presenter: Holly Boullion

Religious institutions are not immune to cyberattacks. Regardless of your organization’s size or complexity, if you have access to sensitive information, use online services, or maintain data that is critical to your operations, you could be a perfect target for an attack. In today’s world, cybersecurity is not just a problem for the IT department. Every staff member plays a critical role in protecting your organization and its constituents. If you want to remain operational to carry out your mission, it’s imperative to increase awareness of information security topics within your user base, and this workshop is designed to help you do just that. This session will provide information on current threats and mitigation strategies in a way that all employees can understand. Topics covered can be used as guidelines for training your employees and constituents.

10. Pulling Back the Curtain: A Primer on Appreciating the Importance of Catholic Religious Collections for United States History

10/2/2024 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Presenter: Carol Coburn, Barbara Mattick, Malachy McCarthy & Thomas Rzeznik

The Roundtable brings to fore why religious collections are important for society and future understanding of religious life. Too often, religious archives are considered the dustbins of history when in fact they contain the rich narratives of men and women committed to a better society. Each religious community had a unique role to play in nation-building, whether it be education, healthcare, or social welfare. Their individual response to local issues demonstrated Christ’s presence among these underserved populations.

7. Tax Exemption Topics for Religious Institutions

10/2/2024 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Presenter: Jennifer Gniady

The vast majority of Catholic institutes and their ministries obtain federal tax exemption through the group ruling held by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  During this session, we’ll walk through the application processes and the obligations that come with exemption under the group ruling, including the relationship of dioceses to religious institutes and the most common issues that delay applications.  We’ll also talk about the connection to The Official Catholic Directory for those organizations that have their own federal exemption determination.  Attendees will come away with insight into how some of the IRS processes are different for members of a group ruling and practical resources for resolving issues with their tax exemption. In addition, we will touch on the role that tax exemption and the OCD play in decisions about compensation to religious members, as well as additional timely tax topics, such as new guidance from the IRS for unrelated business income, conversions between types of exempt entities, and developments in specific tax programs such as the Employee Retention Credit.

9. Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) and the Religious Institute and Sponsored Ministry: Introduction and Example of Use in Ministry

10/2/2024 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Presenter: Christopher Fusco, JCL, Esq. & Br. Lawrence Harvey, CFX

In January 2023, Chat GPT passed 100 million users after 3 months. By contrast, Facebook passed 100 million users after 54 months. By January 2024, Chat GPT had 181 million users and in December 2023, its website generated 1.6 billion visits. This presentation will provide a brief introduction to AI and highlight some legal, ethical and risk management considerations that a religious institute or sponsored ministry should keep in mind: misinformation, privacy, defamation, cybersecurity, regulatory activity, and broader societal discussions. It will also include a discussion on creating, administering, and implementing an AI Policy for the religious institute or sponsored ministry. The presentation will conclude with a real-world example of how AI has been used by a religious institute in evaluating how its charism has impacted the lives of those its serves through its sponsored ministries.

11. Interpreting TRENDS for Leadership

10/2/2024 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Sr. Susan Durkin, OSU & Matt Wade

Designed for leaders and councilors, this workshop will focus on how to interpret the data and results of your completed TRENDS analysis. It is appropriate for religious institutes of all types, charisms and sizes. Highlights will include discussion of the mortality tables, the impact of future vocations, and the importance of realistic cost of care and elder care assessments. TRENDS will be compared to the NRRO’s Retirement Needs Analysis report and time will be spent interpreting their meaning. Questions related to being adequately funded for retirement will be addressed. The Past Service Liability will be explained as well as the impact of cash flow on retirement funding. The goal is to help leadership ensure that there are sufficient resources for both elder care and ministry. The strengths and limitations of the program will be discussed, such as the appropriateness of TRENDS for international institutes. The various charts and graphs within the TRENDS program will be explained.

13. Community and Sustainability: Navigating the Decarbonization Journey

10/2/2024 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Henry Hundt & Bob Warwick

Our presentation will examine intersection of faith and environmental stewardship, by exploring how religious communities can help combat climate change through building decarbonization. The workshop will introduce the concept of decarbonization in an accessible way, highlighting its significance in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and offering practical, cost-effective strategies tailored for older religious buildings. These strategies include enhancing energy efficiency, electrification, on-site renewable energy generation, and smart energy management. The presentation will feature the detailed experience of the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael (CA) on their decarbonization journey in addition to lessons from various religious communities that have successfully undertaken decarbonization projects. The best practices will underscore the environmental and financial benefits that can be achieved when reducing building energy consumption and emissions. The talk will also provide guidance on financing options and community engagement, and an overview of current technologies to consider. Finally, attendees will receive a step-by-step roadmap to help start their decarbonization journey, equipped with resources for further assistance and a network of support for these initiatives.

15. Welcome Home: Supporting members transitioning to a new “home”

10/2/2024 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Dayna Larson-Hurst & Sr. Stephanie Still, PBVM

When a person needs to move due to a need for increased support or other circumstances, we want the transition to go smoothly.  We want there to be no conflicts and no challenges and we want them to embrace this change. As much as we wish this to be true, we know this is not always the case.  During this workshop we will share some of the common dilemmas and obstacles that can occur and how you may be able to mitigate them to make for a smoother transition home. 

16. DIY Search

10/2/2024 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Presenter: Mary Foley & Rev. John D. Merkelis, OSA

Many religious institutes are facing widespread retirements and the need to find new individuals to take on the mantle of leadership and administration.  While executive search firms can offer value to the process, religious organizations can undertake successful, independent searches and save time and money.  This session’s 10 Steps to Search Success will; provide you with a highly effective search process; address common missteps and how to avoid them; illustrate the importance of onboarding and year-one follow-up, particularly if the transition is to a first-time lay leader; provide options for hybrid search plans, and better enable you, should you prefer to engage a search firm, to evaluate the processes and merits of those under consideration.

18. "New Treasures": A Call to Collaboration

10/2/2024 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Presenter: Jessica Cook, Sr. Teresa Maya, CCVI, Bridget McDermott Flood & Sr. Helena Monahan, CCVI

Incarnate Word Foundation is initiating a NEW TREASURES FUND to serve as a visible witness to the shared commitment of Religious Congregations of men and women to serve the most vulnerable in our society.  The Fund provides a vehicle to pool and invest a portion of the financial resources of Congregations, those coming to completion as well as those continuing to invite new vocations.  Pooling maximizes their potential for responding to the needs of the area.  The workshop will explain the steps required to launch such a program, legal implications, accounting implications, and designing decision-making processes for funding.

20. Top 5 Challenges in Managing Transportation for Religious Communities

10/2/2024 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Presenter: Brad Forbush & Doug Reading

This workshop introduces the findings of a nationwide survey of Religious Institutes that identify how the transportation needs of communities are changing due to the aging population of drivers and the rising cost of providing vehicles and related services. You will discover the Top 5 Challenges compiled from the survey results, and you’ll have the opportunity to discuss practical solutions with a panel of experts including a member of Religious Leadership, a Controller of a Congregation and several experts from the insurance and transportation industries. During the workshop a facilitator will guide you through an Action Planning process to help you begin to develop a 2024 Transportation Strategy for your community.

21. Sharing a Chief Operating Officer (COO)

10/3/2024 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Presenter: Sr. Susan Becker, RDC, Sr. Regina Holtz, FSP, Sr. Mary Catherine Redmond, PBVM, Sr. Patricia Vetrano

The workshop will be presented by the members of the three participating institutes.  The presentation will include the process through to its development and engagement of the COO.  The workshop will cover achieving consensus on the methods by which common needs and understanding of each other’s particular needs, existing services, service structure, project cost, and cost-sharing were considered.  Sr. Patricia Vetrano will discuss her experience relative to the utilization of a COO during her tenure as President of the Sisters of Mercy Mid-Atlantic Community.

23. On-Site Solar: Incentives, Financing, and Cost Savings

10/3/2024 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Presenter: Jeff Bohrer & Monica Niehaus

Learn how Jeff Bohrer, Director of Facilities at Mount Saint John, made a case for a Net-Zero Energy campus in Beavercreek, OH. During this workshop, success stories will be shared from the Inflation Reduction Act, and case studies with economics will prove how onsite solar can "bring more green" including much-needed financial resources. Laudato Si and a call for care of creation started the solar movement at religious institutions for reducing carbon emissions. Because of financing solutions and new incentives, more non-profits can benefit from the cost savings of renewable energy.

25. Moving into the future with wisdom, age

10/3/2024 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Presenter: Sr. Amy Hereford, CSJ, JD, JCD

This workshop will address the current issues facing many religious institutes regarding viability and governance, stewardship and legacy, decisions and due diligence, participation and collaboration. 
Responsible stewardship for religious communities today requires attention to the rapidly changing viability of communities, and careful attention to options and possibilities, as well as the ability to examine options, balancing the costs of legal, financial, planning assistance with the cost of the care of its members and its property.  Based on experience working with communities, the workshop will examine how long planning processes take, how communities balance community involvement and consensus with confidentiality and expediency. It will provide an overview and lessons learned from emerging governance models.

26. Demystifying Impact Strategies

10/3/2024 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Presenter: Zela Astarjian, Sr. Sue Ernster, FSPA, Dave Helgerson & Elizabeth Monticelli

More and more, Catholic fiduciaries are making impact investing a priority which has become a key theme in messaging from the Vatican, as well as an ongoing topic amongst religious orders.  In this session we will discuss how within the realm of impact investment strategies, two primary approaches exist: market return impact investments (involving profitable companies), and concessionary strategies (prioritizing social or environmental impact over financial returns). These strategies are not mutually exclusive, and both have a place within a Catholic-aligned endowment portfolio.

28. Best Practices in Managing Your Human Resources

10/3/2024 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Presenter: Mary Kessler

1Managing your human resources has become more difficult in these ever-changing times. This workshop will examine what the best employers are doing to stay up to date with the latest trends and priorities facing managers and leadership in men's and women's religious congregations. Topics include building effective teams, training in relevant skills, fair performance-based compensation and selective hiring. Practical examples and user-friendly tools are included.

30. Thriving Together: Innovative Approaches for Aging Congregations

10/3/2024 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Presenter: John Capasso

Across the country, religious congregations are facing extreme challenges. From providing and affording necessary care to their aging members, to convent maintenance, a lack of new members, and increasing administrative and financial responsibilities, difficulties are mounting. In this session, we will explore these challenges, and the unique strategies and solutions congregations can deploy to overcome them. In real-world case studies, you’ll learn how Health Dimensions Group (HDG), assisted several women religious congregations in identifying ways to address their aging motherhouses, fund their retirements, care for older Sisters and maintain their sense of community.  HDG partnered with the congregation’s leaders and leadership teams in 2023 to assess their challenges and opportunities. Interviews began with the congregations’ leaders, followed by visits to each community, convent tours and meetings with their leadership teams. The meetings explored the joys and fears of aging, congregational challenges and preferred ways for the sisters to receive care and services.  After gathering this and additional information, HDG developed a SWOT analysis and recommendations for each congregation, to provide care and services for their aging members. Finally, HDG will facilitate a capstone meeting in January to explore ways in which the congregations could collaborate to achieve a more efficient collaborative model of care.

31. Advanced Topics in Accounting

10/3/2024 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Adam Counts, Joseh Jarvie & Kellie Ray

Individuals interested in learning about implications of accounting standards affecting religious congregations at a moderate to advanced level. The presentation includes a variety of topics that will help participants to identify potential accounting and finance issues to be addressed at their Community including but not limited to internal controls, common accounting items within religious communities and upcoming tax changes.

33. Being BOLD – Affiliations/Partnerships to Ensure Viability of Ministries: A Case Study on How One Community Searched for a New Owner to Carry ....

10/3/2024 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Craig Abbot, Lynn Daly & Sr. Jane Herb, IHM

33. Being BOLD – Affiliations/Partnerships to Ensure Viability of Ministries: A Case Study on How One Community Searched for a New Owner to Carry Their Legacy into the Future 

Under the leadership of Sr. Jane, the IHM’s in Monroe, Michigan were forward looking, knowing that the ownership and maintenance of their Motherhouse campus, which includes the IHM Senior Living Community, was something they wouldn’t want to have the burden of caring for in the medium-term future.  This session will be a case study on how the IHM’s determined it was time to sell their campus and senior living ministry (of which many Sisters are residents).  Sr. Jane will discuss the discernment process to get to that history-making decision.  Lynn Daly will talk about the search process, including an exercise incorporated early in the process to ensure alignment between individual members of the IHM Leadership and the Board of the Senior Living Community.  Finally, Craig Abbott will discuss why St. Therese, a multi-site senior living community in Minnesota, was interested in buying a Motherhouse campus in a different state.  Attendees will leave with “Points to Ponder” and “Lesson’s Learned” by those who were part of this significant milestone in the IHM’s long-history.  We will ensure sufficient time is allotted to allow attendees to ask questions.  

35. What’s Up with Archives and Why Should I Care?

10/3/2024 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Sr. Jan Cebula, OSF, Sr. Ginger Downey, OLVM, Sr. Susan Durkin, OSU, Sean Hurley, Patricia Lawton...

Sr. Jan Cebula, OSF, Sr. Ginger Downey, OLVM, Sr. Susan Durkin, OSU, Sean Hurley, Patricia Lawton & Ellen Pierce

The archives for congregations of women and men hold the memory of the congregation and tell their story, not only the good works, but the members who contributed to the overall story of religious life.  The importance of planning for these collections cannot be underestimated and the value of the archives in telling accurate stories to future generations is priceless.  Leaders and Archivists have articulated that their focus is on more pressing needs, or that this is a daunting process or that they don’t know how to begin.  At the same time, congregation members wonder why collections need to be saved and who might be interested in using them. These collections are worth saving.  This panel presentation will focus on the importance of these collections to researchers and future generations while also discussing the more practical aspects.  We will hear about the process through the eyes of a leader, a librarian, an archivist, and an attorney.  Attendees will hear tips, strategies and learn about resources to help them through this process.  Information shared will benefit leaders and staff of women's and men's congregations.

36. Congregational Sustainability Planning: Are You Still on the Right Path?

10/3/2024 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM

Presenter: John Bolton & Renee Gallagher

As Congregations continue to mature, organizational sustainability remains a critical topic. Ensuring your Congregation has a well-defined process to incorporate financial obligations modeling with portfolio asset allocation decisions will be an important driver in meeting long-term objectives. Many Congregations are also integrating impact investing into their portfolios, which may introduce unique risk / return characteristics into your financial modeling.  Additionally, investment markets have undergone changes, as the “zero interest rate” regime seems to be in the rearview. These factors necessitate rethinking how sustainability is modeled for your Congregation.  Each Congregation has both opportunities and challenges based on their lifecycle and resources.  We will review best practices when reviewing your organization’s sustainability, as well as encourage self-reflection on your Congregation’s own planning efforts.  

38. Beyond Conservation: Imagining a Land Justice Property Plan

10/3/2024 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM

Presenter: Brittany Koteles, Janelle Orsi & Sr. Pat Siemen, OP

Land Justice is the practice of centering ecological and racial healing in decisions about how land is used, loved, and governed by people. It has three components: protecting the land from extraction; regenerating its health; and expanding land equity to those who have been most harmed by our extractive economy – especially Black and Indigenous communities, and other people of color. Land justice calls us into a different way of relating with the Earth and each other. At this critical moment, religious communities have the potential to inspire a national conversation and movement for land justice – transforming long-held cultural and theological beliefs about property, land, and relationships, and inspiring healing stories on sacred lands. After a brief overview of land justice, participants will hear from a cast of key players in the creation of a “land justice property plan.” By elaborating on land justice examples and stories from perspectives of sister, lawyer, and partner organization, we hope to debunk some of the myths about land justice and expand participants’ imaginations about what’s possible for the future of their lands. Among topics we’ll explore: What’s unhealthy about modern property law, and how can the decisions we make – and the experiments we try – help to change it? How can we create solidarity-based relationships with potential new stewards?  What does land justice look like in action? How can religious communities support one another to take big risks while caring for one another?

40. Canonical Conundrums in the Cloister: A Case Study Approach

10/3/2024 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM

Presenter: Sr. Nancy Bauer, OSB, JCD

This seminar will focus primarily on monasteries of nuns (moniales) but will also be helpful for monasteries of sisters (sorores). It will begin with an overview of how nuns are coping with Cor Orans six years after it made its appearance. The presenter will also provide an update on other newer church legislation as it applies to contemplative monasteries. The major portion of this seminar will consist of case studies that look at canonical resolutions to issues that are relevant to monasteries. The case studies will address questions such as the following: When is it time for a monastery to consider suppression? Are there advantages to transfer or translocation of a monastic community? What happens to the property and remaining members of a suppressed monastery? What are the necessary procedures for dismissal of a member? What is the relationship between a member on exclaustration and the prioress/abbess?  

41. 2024 – 2025 Government Programs Update

10/4/2024 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Presenter: Constance Neeson & Lisa Anderson

 & This workshop will cover the latest changes in government benefit programs for 2024, with a look ahead to pending changes for 2025, including 2024 income and asset standards for various programs, Medicare D changes, and updates to Authorized Representative Forms for various programs.  Benefit Programs discussed will include:  Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicare A, B, C & D, Medicaid (for the Aged, Blind, Disabled, and Low-income Working Adults), Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Specified Low-income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB), the Qualified Individuals program (QI-1), the Low Income Subsidy (LIS or "Extra Help") for Medicare D, and State Prescription Assistance Programs (SPAP).  We will also discuss changes in any legislation which may impact benefit eligibility for members of religious orders.  Information will assist the Benefit Eligibility Coordinator of each religious order in managing ongoing participation in government programs.

Opening Reception

10/1/2024 6:45 PM - 8:00 PM

Hot Buffet Breakfast

10/4/2024 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM