Catherine R. Higgins, Ph.D
Retired, Social Work
Fairness and Equitability
We call for justice to be administered fairly and equitably for all in our society.
We affirm that our core work is to address the root causes of poverty, discrimination, and access to opportunity, which have at their core a history of racism.
We acknowledge the need for open and honest dialogue with all of our stakeholders on the issues of racism, inequality, inclusion, and poverty, and we accept the consequences of different opinions and views fearlessly.
Racism and Inequality
We condemn racism and inequality.
We are committed to working for fundamental change in all of our systems that practice racism—both conscious and unconscious.
We affirm that ECS makes every effort for all our employees to be safe at work and free from racism and discrimination. We aspire to make that real in their non-work lives. ECS does not condone any form of racism and/or discrimination towards any of our employees or participants.
Impact
We make a measurable difference in people’s lives.
Using research and data to confirm our impact, we seek out the people and partnerships that increase positive outcomes for those we serve. When we are successful, our actions are replicable and scalable.
Community
We integrate the ideas and perspectives of participants, staff, board of trustees, peer agencies, and stakeholders.
We accomplish more together and we know that collaborative and inclusive relationships strengthen programming and advocacy.
Justice
We confront systems and policies that deprive our participants and their communities of choice and opportunity.
We know that working towards a more just world is a responsibility we all share and we are committed to meaningful change.
Dignity
We honor the inherent worth of every human being.
A fundamental value from both the Episcopal tradition and the social work code of ethics, dignity is at the core of our work, shaping program design, operations, and advocacy. We foster confidence, trust, and resourcefulness, and we believe that all individuals have the courage, capacity, and will to create a personal measure of self-sustainability and fulfillment.
If you plan to give stock, please contact Susan Smart at susans@ecsphilly.org or 215-351-1461.
Make a Gift Today
A gift to the Annual Fund is an unrestricted gift that helps ECS meet the immediate needs of the community. For questions on your Annual Fund gift, please contact Coltrane Jamison at coltranej@ecsphilly.org.
Donate through United Way
Supporting ECS through the United Way Donor Choice Campaign* is a great way to make a difference. When filling out the Donor Choice section of your United Way form to complete your gift enter code #00019.
For questions, please contact Coltrane Jamison, Manager of The ECS Fund at coltranej@ecsphilly.org or 215-351-1436.
*United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ) ECS Donor Choice code number #00019
When you make a memorial or tribute gift to ECS in honor of someone special, you are expressing your love, admiration, and gratitude in a deeply meaningful way. Your gift will honor your loved one, create a lasting tribute, and help to reduce poverty in our region. Memorials and Tribute gifts can be made easily online from our Donate form at the top of this page.
You can use your donor-advised fund (DAF) to make a one-time gift or a recurring gift for even more impact.
For questions, contact Susan Smart at susans@ecsphilly.org or 215-351-1461.
ECS has partnered with The Giving Block where a gift with crypto is a great way to save on taxes. The IRS classifies cryptocurrency as property for tax purposes which means it is typically the most tax efficient way to support your favorite cause. When donating crypto, you receive a tax deduction for the fair market value of the crypto, and you avoid the capital gains tax you would have incurred if you had sold the crypto and then made a donation. That means you’re able to donate more, as well as deduct more on your tax return. The difference? Sometimes more than 30%.
Gifts of Appreciated Securities
You can use stocks, bonds, and mutual funds that have appreciated in value to support our shared vision. You may receive a charitable income tax deduction for the full market value of the stock (up to a maximum of 30% of your adjusted gross income) and avoid paying the capital gains tax on any increase in the value of the stock. Click here for ECS stock transfer instructions. For questions, please contact Debbie Atkinson, Advancement Service Manager, at debbiea@ecsphilly.org or 215-351-1460.
Here’s how individuals can support ECS’ economic mobility efforts through OST programming.
- Speak with your tax advisor to determine whether you are eligible to participate.
- Notify Susan Smart that you intend to make an EITC gift. You can contact Susan at (215) 355-1461 by email at susans@ecsphilly.org.
- Request a joinder from Friends of Education at info@pataxcredits.org.
- Designate Episcopal Community Services in the joinder and remit your donation.
Follow these steps to direct tax credits to ECS’ OST program.
- ECS is a DCED-approved EIO. Simply indicate Episcopal Community Services as your EIO when submitting your EITC contribution paperwork. Need help? We can provide our EIO approval letter, EIN, and instructions to support your business’s compliance process.
- Confirm with your finance or tax advisor that your business has been awarded EITC credits for the current tax year.
- Designate Episcopal Community Services (ECS) as your Educational Improvement Organization (EIO) when submitting your state-required contribution paperwork.
- Mail or wire your contribution directly to ECS once the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) confirms your approval.
For confirmation of ECS’ EIO status or to receive a gift acknowledgment letter, contact Mawusi Simmons at mawusis@ecsphilly.org.
Many employers offer donation matching programs. Doubling your gift is easy—and it means twice the support for ECS’s work in West Philadelphia.
Contact your employer’s Human Resources Department to learn if your company has a matching gift program and to obtain the appropriate form. Include your company’s completed matching gift form with your gift or mail it in after your gift is made through our donation page. For questions, please contact Coltrane Jamison, Manager of The ECS Fund by email: coltranej@ecsphilly.org or phone: 215-351-1436.
In-kind donations like school supplies, hygiene products, or household items directly support families in ECS programs. These gifts meet immediate needs and show tangible care.
Donations are accepted Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm at 6006 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19151. To arrange for larger donations of food and goods, please email rhenam@ecsphilly.org or call 215.528.5147.
You can donate your old car, truck, RV, motorcycle or boat as a form of support and use the proceeds of the sale to keep our mission going through the CARS Program or by calling 855-500-7433 (RIDE).
Join a community of donors who pool resources to fund ECS initiatives. Giving circles amplify individual contributions and foster deeper engagement with ECS’s mission.
Giving Circle Options:
- Recurring Giving Circle
The RGC is comprised of those individuals who have established continuous—month-to-month, or quarterly—annual contributions to ECS. Join our Recurring Giving Circle today! Setting up recurring contributions is easy, and by doing so you become part of the backbone of ECS’s transformational work. Fill out our donation form here and select “Make this gift recurring!” - Sustainers’ Circle
ECS acknowledges supporters who have made annual gifts to The ECS Fund— our unrestricted, general operating support fund—for a minimum of 15 consecutive years. Their consistent and unwavering support of ECS demonstrates their deep dedication to our mission. - Bishops Society: $5,000+
Members of ECS’s Bishops Society join like-minded philanthropic leaders who are committed to empowering individuals and families to chart their own path out of poverty. - Bishop White Circle: $10,000+
BWC members are dedicated to accelerating pathways toward prosperity for those living in poverty in our region. The Bishop White Circle exemplifies a distinguished group of individuals who provide catalytic gifts that disrupt and reduce intergenerational poverty in the community. - Philanthropists’ Circle: $100,000+
ECS acknowledges those individuals who share a powerful vision of economic independence for all. The Philanthropists’ Circle is comprised of those individuals who have made cumulative gifts of $100,000 or more to ECS. Their extraordinary commitment exemplifies the very essence of philanthropy as the “desire to improve the welfare of humanity through charitable activities.” We are deeply grateful for their leadership support. - City Mission Legacy Society
From 1870 to 1958 ECS was formally known as the City Mission. In 1917 Episcopal Community Services established the City Mission Legacy Society to recognize and honor individuals who make provisions for ECS in their estate plans. CMLS members have included ECS in their legacy plans through their will or trust, a life-income gift, or other deferred gifts.
Strategic giving—such as appreciated assets or donor-advised funds—can reduce your tax burden while maximizing your impact. ECS can help you explore the best options for your situation.
These are some common ways giving can reduce your taxes:
- Gifts of Cash
Cash is the simplest asset to donate and the quickest way to make an immediate impact for ECS. If you want to further our work today and claim the entire amount of your gift as a charitable income tax deduction, consider a gift of cash. Make your gift online, via a check or money order or with a wire transfer. - Stocks and Securities
When you give stock or securities (stock, bonds, mutual funds), you may be eligible for a double tax benefit: 1) You receive an income tax deduction for the full, present, fair market value of the assets, and 2) you may completely avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation of the assets. This is one of the easiest gifts to give and one of the most useful in accomplishing your philanthropic goals. Click here for ECS stock transfer instructions. - Appreciated Securities
You can use stocks, bonds, and mutual funds that have appreciated in value to support our shared vision. You may receive a charitable income tax deduction for the full market value of the stock (up to a maximum of 30% of your adjusted gross income) and avoid paying the capital gains tax on any increase in the value of the stock. Click here for ECS stock transfer instructions. For questions, please contact Debbie Atkinson, Advancement Service Manager, at debbiea@ecsphilly.org or 215-351-1460. - Savings Bonds
When you redeem savings bonds, you will owe income tax on the appreciation. So will the person who inherits them. You can eliminate the income tax on bonds you plan to redeem by donating them to ECS. Because ECS is tax-exempt, 100 percent of your gift of savings bonds will go toward the mission to reduce poverty in the region. - Retirement Assets
A gift of your retirement assets, such as an employee retirement plan, IRA, or tax-sheltered annuity, is an excellent way to make a gift. A gift of these assets can shield you or your heirs from taxes while supporting Episcopal Community Services. - Life Insurance
Transfer ownership now:
To make an impact on our mission today, irrevocably designate Episcopal Community Services as owner and beneficiary of an existing life insurance policy. If your policy is paid up, you will receive an immediate income tax deduction based on the policy value.
If your policy is not yet paid up, you will make contributions of cash to ECS to cover future premium payments. For any continuing premium payments you make, you will receive a charitable deduction in the year of the payment.Name us as a beneficiary:
You can name Episcopal Community Services as a beneficiary of all or a portion of your life insurance policy. With this gift arrangement, ECS will receive the proceeds of your policy when you pass away. You can change your beneficiary at any time.
This gift is easy to arrange — simply request a beneficiary designation form from your plan administrator. - Personal Property
A gift of artwork, coins, antiques, or other personal property can be an excellent way to support Episcopal Community Services. The tax benefits of the gift depend on whether ECS can use the property in a way that is related to its mission. Contact us to learn more about this type of gift — we would be happy to help you find the option that best fits your philanthropic goals.
Support children in public schools through Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit program. A high-impact way to support public education and economic mobility.
Charitable Gift Annuities
Charitable gift annuities allow you to make a meaningful contribution while receiving fixed payments for life. It’s a way to support ECS and gain financial stability at the same time.
How it works:
- You donate cash or appreciated securities worth $10,000 or more to Episcopal Community Services. In return, you and/or another beneficiary will receive fixed payments for life.
- Your payment rate is based on your age (payments start at age 65 or later) and will never change.
- A portion of your payments will be tax-free.
- The older you are — or the longer you defer starting your payment — the higher your payments will be.
Benefits to you include:
- Lifetime payments that will never change.
- Capital gains tax savings when you fund your CGA using appreciated stock.
- You are eligible for an immediate charitable income tax deduction.
- Your gift passes to Episcopal Community Services outside of the estate process.
- You create your legacy of helping others to remember that their capacity is limitless.
Have questions? Get in touch with our Donor Relations team by using the form at the bottom of our Donate page.
Charitable Remainder Trusts
A Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) is a tax-free trust that pays you and/or other beneficiaries an annual distribution. This payment is either a percentage of the annual value of the trust, or a percentage of the original gift amount.
How it works:
- You transfer cash or an appreciated asset* into an irrevocable trust.
- The trustee then sells the asset, paying no capital gains tax, and reinvests the proceeds.
- For the rest of your life (or a term of years), you and/or another beneficiary receive payments from the trust.
- After your lifetime, the remaining principal is used to support the mission of Episcopal Community Services.
* While donating real estate is the most common way to fund a charitable trust, a wide variety of assets can be used, including cash, appreciated publicly traded or closely held stock, as well as oil, gas, or mineral interests.
Benefits to you include:
- You receive income for life for you or your heirs.
- You receive a charitable income tax credit for the charitable portion of the trust.
- You create your legacy of reducing intergenerational poverty.
Qualified Charitable Distribution
You can transfer funds from your IRA directly to Episcopal Community Services. This is an effective way to have an immediate impact while ensuring our work of guiding Philadelphians out of a cycle of poverty and toward economic mobility.
Here’s how it works:
- You must be 70 ½ or older.
An individual may transfer up to a total of $108,000 per year and a married couple may give up to $216,000 to all organizations. - Your gift must be transferred directly from the IRA account to Episcopal Community Services.
- Your gift is a transfer of funds from your IRA to Episcopal Community Services so it does not count as income for the year.
- If you are 73 and older, the transfer of funds counts towards your annual Required Minimum Distribution from your IRA.
- An individual may take a one-time QCD up to $54,000 to fund a charitable gift annuity (CGA) or charitable remainder trust (CRT).
You can download a sample letter for your IRA administrator here to start the distribution process. You may also be able to request a qualified charitable distribution through your online account portal.
Please note: If you are still working and contributing to a retirement account, this gift could impact your taxable income. Please consult a qualified advisor before making a gift.
Create a legacy of opportunity. Your future gift helps sustain programs that support families for generations to come.
Gifts in a Will
Making a legacy gift in your will or trust is one of the easiest and most popular ways to make a lasting impact for ECS. Once you have provided for your loved ones, we hope you will consider making our work—addressing the root causes of poverty—a part of your life story through a legacy gift.
A gift in your will is one of the easiest ways to create your legacy and offers the following benefits:
- Lasting Impact:
Your gift will create your legacy of empowering individuals to improve their lives. - Flexible:
You can alter your gift or change your mind at any time and for any reason. - No Cost:
Costs you nothing now to give in this way.
Ways to give in your Will:
You can mix these no-cost ways together. For example, you might consider leaving a specific percentage (such as 50%) of the residual to ECS upon the survival of your spouse.
- General Gift: A general bequest is a gift of a specific amount.
- Residuary Gift: A general bequest is a gift of a specific amount.
- Specific Gift: A specific gift is a gift of a particular piece of property. For example, real estate, funds in a bank account or shares of a corporation.
- Contingent Gift: A specific gift is a gift of a particular piece of property. For example, real estate, funds in a bank account or shares of a corporation.
Gifts by Beneficiary Designation
It’s easy to put your bank accounts, retirement funds, savings bonds, and more to use in transforming our communities — and it costs you nothing now.
By naming Episcopal Community Services as a beneficiary of these assets, you can power our mission for years to come and establish your personal legacy of supporting individuals and their families as they determine a path out of poverty and towards prosperity.
Potential benefits of gifts by beneficiary designation:
- Reduce or eliminate taxes
- Reduce or avoid probate fees
- No cost to you now to give
- Create your legacy with ECS
Types of Gifts:
- Retirement Plan Assets: You can simply name Episcopal Community Services as a beneficiary of your retirement plan to be a positive change for our communities.
- Life Insurance Policies: You can name Episcopal Community Services as a beneficiary of all or a portion of your life insurance policy. With this gift arrangement, ECS will receive the proceeds of your policy after your lifetime. You can change your beneficiary at any time and may reduce your estate taxes.
- Bank or Brokerage Accounts: This is one of the easiest gifts to give and one of the most useful in accomplishing your philanthropic goals. The next time you visit your bank, you can name Episcopal Community Services of the Diocese of Pennsylvania (Tax ID: 23-1352290) as the beneficiary of a checking or savings bank account, a certificate of deposit (CD), or a brokerage account.
- Funds Remaining in Your Donor-Advised Fund: What remains in a donor-advised fund is governed by the contract you completed when you created your fund. When you name Episcopal Community Services as a “successor” of your account or a portion of your account value, you support a vision where the path to prosperity is available to all.
How to update a beneficiary designation:
- Contact your bank.
Simply contact your bank, retirement plan administrator, insurance company, or other financial institution to request a beneficiary designation form. You may also be able to log in to your account and update your beneficiaries online. - Use our legal name and tax ID number.
Legal name: Episcopal Community Services of the Diocese of Pennsylvania
Tax Identification Number: 23-1352290 - Let us know.
Please let us know so we can ensure that your wishes are carried out.
Email Susan ->
As the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, ECS connects residents with city programs that support housing, utilities, and home repairs. We also gather community input to inform city planning and advocate for local needs.
Housing Specialist Services
Our housing specialists offer one-on-one support to help residents apply for rental assistance, resolve landlord issues, and access emergency housing programs. We listen, advise, and walk alongside individuals as they take steps toward secure housing.
Rapid Re-Housing
With city referrals, Rapid Re-Housing provides temporary financial assistance and personalized coaching to help families transition smoothly into permanent housing, and ECS supports participants by securing leases, managing budgets, and connecting them with resources that promote long-term stability and independence. To get connected with Rapid Rehousing, participants must first enroll through the Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services (you will be directed to an external site: OHS Website).
Homelessness Prevention
ECS combines landlord recruitment and housing search support, short-term rental and move-in assistance, and ongoing stabilization services like coaching, counseling, and resource connections – all aimed at helping households move beyond crisis and achieve lasting housing stability.
Malvern Behavioral Health
A vital partner in mental health care, offering trauma-informed support and pathways to healing.
Community Dinners
Monthly meals at SBCRC build trust, connection, and dignity—nourishing both body and spirit.
Episcopal Legal Aid
Free legal services for housing, benefits, and family issues—SBCRC is one of its most active hubs.
Racial Equity
The playing field is not level. We understand that the laws and policies that keep people in poverty have a history of racism at their core. We seek to shape and influence those policies on behalf of the families and communities we serve. We are committed to addressing root causes and working for fundamental change in all systems and structures that promote racism—both conscious and unconscious.
Related News & Insights
Expanding Impact: ECS Approved to Lead Neighborhood Advisory Committee
