Our Mission
The Galileo Foundation seeks to strengthen the mission and the capacity of the Catholic Church, to support initiatives of the Holy See and the apostolic mission of His Holiness Pope Francis.
The foundation is committed to funding projects which advance key initiatives of the Holy Father, such as the global fight against human trafficking, giving a voice to the plight of migrants and refugees, support for the Christian communities in the Holy Land and the promotion of dialogue, understanding and collaboration between all faiths on Earth.
What We Do
We believe strongly in working to promote fraternity between the Church and other Faiths. We support philanthropic collaboration on projects across traditional faith lines for the betterment of the Human Family.
We also seek to strengthen the capacity of the Church and its organization at its centre through various projects which have, in the past, included support for the Holy Father’s apostolic visits abroad, the renovation of Vatican nunciatures, as well as restoration projects in the Vatican Museums and support for the Pontifical Swiss Guard, protecting the person of the Pontiff since 1506.
Some of our projects are discreet by their very nature, but others, like promoting the work of the sisters of Talitha Kum against trafficking, we are proud to celebrate.
Our boards in the UK and the US, like our valued supporters, come from all faiths. Whatever their belief, they are united in recognizing the unique moral leadership of Pope Francis in promoting justice and peace, and eradicating inequality in our world.
We invite you to join us at the Galileo Foundation in helping to make the world a better and a fairer place for all God’s children.
“As my predecessor Pope Benedict XVI stated, and I myself have repeated on several occasions, these are true crimes against humanity.”
POPE FRANCIS on Modern Slavery.
Our Board
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give….”
Winston S. Churchill
John McCaffrey
President of Galileo Foundation
John McCaffrey founded the Galileo Foundation in 2017 as a result of his work for Pope Francis and the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences. As an international fundraiser for over 25 years, he has worked for some of the world’s finest universities, museums and cultural institutions, and with many of the world’s most notable benefactors and philanthropists, including Bill and Melinda Gates and HM King Charles while Prince of Wales.
John has been recognized for his work for the Catholic Church by two Popes: in 2006 Pope Benedict XVI bestowed the Order of Saint Gregory (Knight Commander) upon him, while in 2019 Pope Francis promoted John within the Order to the rank of Knight Grand Cross, the highest honor that a layperson can receive in the Church for his fundraising and philanthropic work for the Church and interfaith relations.
John was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and was educated at Saint MacNissi’s College, Garron Tower and at Cambridge University.
Lucy Doughty
Chair of the UK Board
Lucy Doughty is one the leading Catholic philanthropists in the UK and Dominican Republic. She is Chair and Co-Founder of her late husband Nigel’s Doughty Family Foundation and is a keen supporter of education for young women and girls in the developing world, particularly her native Dominican Republic. The Doughty Family Foundation funds and supports multiple charities in the UK, Dominican Republic and globally. These include the NSPCC, ChildLine, Newark Womens Refuge, Womens Aid, Project Copey and multiple hospital wings and centers that cover pediatrics, oncology, intensive care and endoscopy.
In addition, Lucy works closely with the UN on education for young girls, and is a member of Gordon and Sarah Brown’s foundation which promotes work in this area. (Gordon Brown is a former British Prime Minister and the UN Special Envoy for Global Education). Lucy is also an advisor and regional advocate for A World at School Latin America and a board member and trustee of TheirWorld with Sarah Brown.
Lucy is also the founder of In Conversation Loves. It is an outreach platform of the Doughty Family Foundation that partners with various charities and speakers on a monthly basis to bring them to a new audience of philanthropists.
John Normand
UK Director
John Normand is Head of Investment Strategy for AustralianSuper, Australia’s largest superannuation fund and one of the largest pension funds in the world. He leads the Fund’s research on asset allocation across public and private markets, and is based in London.
Before joining the Fund he spent 24 years at J.P. Morgan, where he was Head of Research for several asset classes, most recently Cross-Asset Strategy. Prior to J.P. Morgan, he worked at UBS Asset Management and at the World Bank.
He holds degrees from Georgetown (BA in Economics), Princeton (MPA in Economics & Public Policy), and London School of Economics (MSc in Philosophy & Public Policy). He is also a CFA charterholder.
He was a founding Trustee and Finance Committee Chair of the Louisiana School for Math, Science & the Arts, which is the US’s first public, residential high school for those disciplines. He established the foundation’s endowment policies, managed its asset allocation, and endowed a scholarship for overseas learning and service. He also serves on Board of Advisors for the Baratta Center for Global Business at Georgetown University.
Lillian Heidenberg
US Trustee
Lillian is an International Art Dealer, Consultant and Collector. Lillian Heidenberg Fine Art is a private gallery featuring many of the most important artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. A world-renowned expert on modern sculpture, Lillian founded her gallery in 1975 on 57th Street in New York City. The gallery has represented a remarkable selection of artists including Henry Moore, Lynn Chadwick, Joan Miró, Fernando Botero.
Lillian has a special interest in modern British sculpture and is a world renowned expert on Henry Moore and Lynn Chadwick. Her collection spans the twentieth century until today featuring many of the most influential international artists from the United States, Europe, China, and beyond. Lillian has advised many important private collectors, museums and institutions around the world. The gallery has exhibited at Art Chicago, Art of the 20th Century, Palm Beach Art and Antiques Fair, the ADAA Art Show and the Asian Contemporary Fair.
Today, they continue to work with modern and contemporary masters through their private gallery with offices in New York, Miami, and Southampton.
Eric Siddall
US Trustee
Eric Siddall is a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles. With almost two decades of experience in the largest prosecutorial agency in the United States, Eric has handled some of the most complex and impactful cases in the most underserved communities, including prosecutions of violent street gangs, sexual predators, domestic violence murderers, and a murderer of a police officer.
Beyond his role in the courtroom, Eric has worked with the families of victims and offenders to promote healing, reconciliation and rehabilitation. He is a strong advocate for victims’ rights, while also supporting rehabilitation programs that provide offenders with counselling, career education and other resources to turn their lives around and become productive members of society. He also serves as the board member of Justice for Murdered Children.
Eric has written extensively on criminal justice issues and has trained prosecutors and police officers through programs directed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the United States Department of Justice.
Eric is a past board member and vice president of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys and the Latino Prosecutors Association. He received his Juris Doctorate from Fordham University School of Law and studied philosophy at Boston College.
Other Staff Members
History of The Galileo Foundation
2017
John McCaffrey founded the Galileo Foundation in 2017 as a result of his work for Pope Francis and the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences.
Feb 2019
First Papal Audience for the Galileo Foundation
On February 8th 2019, the feast day of St Josephine Bakhita, the patron saint of victims of trafficking, Pope Francis received the trustees and benefactors of the Galileo Foundation in private audience in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican.
In his remarks to the foundation, Pope Francis conveyed his personal appreciation for the foundation’s ‘generous commitment to the Church’s pastoral mission. Your sponsorship of a wide variety of projects expresses something of the very universality of the Church herself.’
He continued: ‘I would like principally to emphasize your contribution to raising awareness of the plight of those who suffer from poverty and exploitation, especially those entrapped by the deadly crime of human trafficking.’ – Pope Francis to the Galileo Foundation, February 8th 2019.
Pope Francis concluded by encouraging the foundation to keep on generously giving this important witness and to undertake its work ‘with joy’.
Those participating in the 2019 Private Audience with Pope Francis also enjoyed private visits to the Pontifical Academy in the Vatican Gardens, the Swiss Guards and a gala private dinner and tour in the Vatican Museums after hours, including a visit to the Sistine and Pauline Chapels and the Apostolic Palace.
Ambassador, Joyce DiDonato, receiving the thanks of Pope Francis following her
performance of ‘Ave Maria’ at the conclusion of the papal audience.”
May 2019
10th anniversary of Talitha Kum, for which the Galileo Foundation commissioned the campaign ‘Nuns Healing Hearts’, which was launched by Pope Francis at the Vatican.
The resulting exhibition was a collaboration between Talitha Kum-UISG and photographer Lisa Kristine, with the support of the Galileo Foundation.
Read more:
Nov 2019
Galileo In Tokyo – To celebrate the visit of Pope Francis to Japan (November 23-26 2019) the Galileo Foundation supported renovation works at the Apostolic in Tokyo where the Holy Father stayed.
The foundation also staged an exhibition to coincide with his visit which featured a description of the Pope’s mission as well as a detailed explanation about modern slavery and trafficking. The exhibition was opened by HIH Princess Takamado of Japan, and it ran for one month in the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum and the Gyoko underground subway gallery where thousands of people were able to see it every day. During the visit of Pope Francis Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State, made a private visit to view the exhibition (photographed below with John McCaffrey).
Feb 2020
Pope Francis launched the ‘Super Nuns’ online campaign, an initiative conceived
by the Galileo Foundation with Edelman PR in New York for Talitha Kum.
Read more:
Galileo Foundation raising awareness about human trafficking – Vatican News
In Fight to Stop Human Trafficking, Nuns Take to the Streets – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
July 2022
As well as photographer Lisa Kristine, The Galileo Foundation was delighted to welcome Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, Sister Gabriella Bottani and Mons. David Charters from the Holy See Mission who moderated a symposium on Human Trafficking before the exhibition launch.
To mark the International Day Against Human Trafficking, the foundation in collaboration with the Holy See Permanent Mission to the United Nations, staged the ‘Nuns Healing Hearts’ exhibition at the United Nations at the end of July.
Read more:
Oct 2022
Inaugural ‘Faith & Philanthropy’ Summit at The Vatican
Read more:
May 2024
The Galileo Foundation celebrated the creation of a ‘Benefactors’ Circle’ for the Mensa Project of the Swiss Guards with a dinner hosted by the Commander of the Swiss Guards in the Barracks, accompanied by a private tour of the Apostolic Palace and greeting with the Holy Father Pope Francis at the general audience.
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