In 1998, Lucille Lieb created the Frank, Anna, Madeleine, and Lucille Lieb Memorial Endowment honoring her family and recognizing the generous support they gave to the poor and marginalized people of the Spokane community.

The Catholic Foundation has been managing the Lieb Endowment since its inception.

Through annual cash distributions, the endowment supports the House of Charity, Catholic Charities programs that assist the poor, Our Place Community Ministries, and Immaculate Heart Retreat Center, in addition to the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Washington.

The Catholic Foundation’s trustees determine annually which charities should receive 20 percent of the endowment return, according to Lucille Lieb’s directive. Her stipulation requires the organizations selected by the board serve low-income and elderly persons.

Past recipients have included DominiCare in Chewelah, Holy Family Adult Day Health, Wisdomworks, L’Arche, Meals on Wheels, St. Vincent de Paul at Lourdes Cathedral, and Immaculate Conception Parish in Republic, Washington. The CF Board is awarding two grants this year:

    1.    St. Anthony Parish, Newport, Persons-In-Need program, whose mission is to benefit the poor and elderly with medical needs.

    2.    Missionary Sisters of Charity (living at St. Patrick’s Covent at St. Patrick’s Parish in Hillyard, Spokane)—Members of Mother St. Teresa’s community, four sisters who are permanent residents of the convent visit nursing homes in our city and minister to the poor and the elderly in a variety of ways.

The Catholic Foundation Board members are grateful to Lucille Lieb, who had great vision in 1998 to launch a faith-filled endowment that is making a lasting and far-reaching difference to the most in-need communities of Spokane. Her spirit is truly advancing the mission of the Gospel.