Our Sisters Devoted Their Lives to Serving Others.
For nearly 175 years, our Sisters have lovingly and compassionately ministered to children, adults, and families to keep one essential promise: to help others become the persons God created them to be.
Now they need you.
Most of our Sisters have now reached or are nearing retirement. Rapidly rising costs and an aging congregation, combined with a lifetime of low wages in active ministry, have strained our savings. Many Sisters also have health needs that require specialized care not covered by Medicaid or Medicare. Our Sisters are responsible for all of their retirement needs: they do not receive any diocesan funding.
So today we prayerfully ask you to consider making a generous donation to support the health and retirement needs of our Sisters.
Please give generously.
Don't Want to Donate Online?
Donate by Phone: 414-744-1160
Donate by Mail:
Click here to download our donation form. Then mail the completed form with your check to:
Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi
Advancement Department
3221 S. Lake Dr.
St. Francis, WI 53235
Please make check payable to Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi
All gifts are tax deductible. Our EIN Tax ID Number is 39-0806271.
Giving Societies: Celebrating Our Donors
Our Giving Societies recognize and celebrate the many individuals, foundations, and companies whose generous gifts help ensure that our Sisters have a safe, healthy, and spiritually rewarding retirement. We honor our generous donors at all levels with special recognition, gatherings, and other courtesies. See the list below to learn more about our different Giving Societies.
- Fioretti Society: Donors who are graduates of St. Mary’s Academy High School, St. Francis, Wis. Learn more here.
- St. Francis Society: Donors who have included the Sisters in their will or designated the Sisters as a beneficiary of other assets. Learn more here.
- St. Clare Society: Donors who make a recurring monthly or annual gifts of any size. Learn more here.
- Canticle Society - Donors who have given regularly for 5 or more years. Learn more here.
- The Assisi Society: Donors who give a minimum of $10,000 a year. Learn more here.
- 1849 Society - Donors who leave transformative gifts. Learn more here.
- By God's Providence Society - Donors to our successful Spirit of St. Francis Capital Campaign for our new convent. Learn more here.
Donor Stories: Lives Transformed by Love and Faith
Since 1849, the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi have served thousands of individuals and families across the country and world. Their commitment to loving service continues today through our 10 corporate ministries. The lives or families of many of our donors have been transformed by our ministries or by a Sister(s). Here are their stories.
We want to hear from you! Let us know how the Sisters have impacted your or a loved one’s life. Click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page to submit your story. Or, if you prefer to share your story over the phone, call Nancy Ketchman, Director of Advancement, at 414-294-7329.
Special Fundraising Needs
- Sharing Our Blessings: A 10-year campaign to raise $25 million for the health and retirement needs of our Sisters. These needs include safety enhancements in the homes of Sisters still living within their communities to allow them to safely age in place. Click here to learn more about the Sharing Our Blessings Campaign. For an example of specific items and services needed, click here for our current Wish List.
- Cycling Without Age Program: An electric-assist trishaw (three-wheeled bike) with volunteer driver to help our Sisters re-engage with the natural world and surrounding neighborhood. Click here to learn more.
Please contact Nancy Ketchman, Director of Advancement, at 414-294-7329 or email nketchman@lakeosfs.org if you have questions about including the Sisters in your will; making a gift from your Donor Advised Fund, Foundation, or Trust; making a tax-free gift from IRA (if you are 70 1/2 or older); giving stock or bonds; or other planning giving options. You can also visit our Planned Giving page here or select one of the options listed below.
Other Ways of Giving
Enrollment Cards and Calendars
Every year, we create greeting cards and mail them to our donors. Click here for currently available cards and how to order. There is no set charge for these cards, but we ask that, if able, you make a donation that you feel is appropriate. Your contribution help supports the health and retirement needs of our Sisters. Thank you.