By Lois Rogers | Features Editor
Throughout the past year, Catholic school alumni with fond memories of their own grade school experiences in the Trenton Diocese have been encouraged to connect and engage with their alma maters by way of a fairly new program called the Catholic School Alumni Partnership.

The partnership, developed under the Foundation for Student Achievement, was established last summer by the diocesan Departments of Catholic Schools and Development.

As the new school term begins, the alumni outreach will commence its second season of assisting 35 grade schools and three high schools in building a level of support and advocacy that will help ensure the future of Catholic education in the four counties of the diocese.

CAP serves as a basis for a centralized alumni relations program in which the elementary schools and the three participating high schools – Mater Dei Prep, Middletown; Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, and Holy Cross, Delran – have been able to coordinate outreach to alumni from one central location – the Chancery in Trenton.

Beth Gregg, associate director of the Department of Development, described the CAP initiative as a relatively new effort in support of Catholic elementary schools that began in the Brooklyn Diocese in 2009. It has since spread to seven archdioceses and dioceses including the Archdioceses of New York and Bridgeport and the Dioceses of Brooklyn, Buffalo, Norwich and Rockville Center.

While alumni outreach is standard in colleges, universities and many private schools, few Catholic elementary schools had alumni associations or effective fund raising programs, she said.

For years, there had been discussions about connecting with alumni but until CAP came along with the centralized system, there didn’t seem to be any way to accomplish it, said Gregg.

Last year, with the diocese leading the way, schools were asked to provide as much information as possible about their alumni dating back to 1945. Over the summer of 2012, the schools were also asked to round up volunteers who could input the resulting alumni data into a computer database.

The information was turned over the Department of Catholic Schools and once all of the alumni names were entered into the computer system, the diocese interfaced with the schools and coordinated their mailings. The schools conducted three mailings – sent out by the Chancery – to the alumni, helping to raise awareness and support for the individual schools.

With the mailings stressing the nature of CAP as a program that will stabilize and enhance the schools well into the future, the response in the Diocese of Trenton was overwhelmingly positive, Gregg said.

“Our initial CAP mailings generated not only numerous, generous gifts to the schools, but also inspired many alumni to share their memories,” said Gregg.

Samplings of comment included this from a 1972 grade school graduate: “Sister helped me with math every day at lunch, she was one of the greatest teachers! I appreciate everything she did for me.” Another comment, this from a 1983 graduate stated, “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to give back. I have only fond memories of the life lessons and education I received.”

“The schools tell us every comment is appreciated and treasured,” said Gregg. She noted that the CAP program is being extended to include alumni of schools that have closed. Funds received from alumni of closed schools will go directly to benefit the students in the schools of the Trenton Diocese in the form of tuition assistance.

Gregg said the first quarterly CAP checks resulting from the letters over the course of the last school year are expected to be sent out by the end of August to the schools for which the funds were designated.

She noted that among the schools, Freehold’s St. Rose of Lima alumni contributed 50 gifts totaling almost $6,000. Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, received a $2,000 gift from an alum while Pope John Paul II Regional School, Willingboro, had a $1,000 gift.

For more information about CAP, contact Gregg at 609-403-7146 or go to http://www.capdot.org