15 Years of OCCIF

An early OCCIF presentation in the Diocese of the West Assembly

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ;

It is hard to believe that it has been 15 years since we started OCCIF. Back then we were an informal collection of clergy and Orthodox Christian professionals that were frustrated with how difficult it was to get capital improvement loans. We felt there had to be a better way to get Orthodox churches the funds that they desperately needed.

It took some time to work out the details, but OCCIF came to life thanks to the collaboration of many talented individuals. One of our early projects saved the Monastery of St. John. OCCIF worked with many investors to create a mortgage that cut their payments in half, and moved the Monastery towards financial independence.

Since then we have helped many others spread Orthodoxy throughout the United States by providing loans to purchase, refinance, and refurbish our Holy Institutions. Today we continue our work, helping connect Orthodox institutions with the funds they need.

Our success has brought a new problem — we have more requests for funding than we have funds. Please consider a donation or investment in OCCIF today. With your support, we can help even more Churches and Institutions as we move forward.

Father John Dresko
President/CEO
Orthodox Church Capital Improvement Fund

All About OCCIF Video

We are pleased to present a new video About OCCIF, which features our new board members and how we are helping grow the Orthodox Church in the United States.

Reaching Out

One of the best ways to get the word out about OCCIF is through many presentations that we do at the Diocesan Assemblys, parish meetings, and even the All American Council. Meeting new and old friends at these gatherings is one of our favorite things to do, and key to understanding how we can use our ministry to help the growth of the Orthodox Church in the United States. All of the members of OCCIF’s board are active, Orthodox Christians, so we are dedicated to the growth of the Orthodox Church. Another fact that few people realize: OCCIF is a volunteer organization. All of our OCCIF board members volunteer their time to attend all of the many meetings and presentations that we’ve done over years. We feel it is an honor to be able to serve our church in this way – plus it’s great to meet so many new people in the many jurisdictions throughout the United States. Over the years many clergy, financial, legal, and business professionals have put in thousands of hours to keep OCCIF running smoothly and to continually improve the services that OCCIF can provide. Since we started, we’ve moved from simple contracts to a tiered investment system offering competitive returns for Orthodox investors.

Building Up: A Few OCCIF success stories

The Monastery of St. John

One early OCCIF project was to raise funds to refinance the mortgage at the Monastery of St. John in Manton, CA. OCCIF was able to provide a new loan that cut the Monastery’s interest rate in half, and help move the monastery to financial independence.

St. Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Cathedral

OCCIF helped provide funding to St. Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral in Santa Rosa, California, to complete its new Parish Hall. The facility consists of a large multi-purpose dining and meeting space, full commercial kitchen, and bookstore. Today St. Seraphim is a thriving parish, and continues its outreach in Northern California.

Holy Theotokos of Iveron Russian Orthodox Church

Holy Theotokos of Iveron is a ROCOR (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia) Church located in Honolulu, and is home to the Wonderworking Iveron Icon. Holy Theotokos is visited by hundreds of the faithful from all over the world. OCCIF worked with clergy to finance a larger building. Today Holy Theotokos can accommodate twice as many guests into their parish.

Remember, OCCIF is a charitable donation

OCCIF is a 501(c)3 charity. Consider donating appreciated stock, make a direct donation of your RMD from an IRA, or you can make a simple cash contribution. We would appreciate whatever you can donate!

15 Years of OCCIF

All About OCCIF Video

Reaching Out

Building Up: A Few OCCIF success stories

Remember, OCCIF is a charitable donation

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