THE SOFTWARE IN CATHOLIC USA

The Software Market in Catholic Diocese.

What happens in 6-12 months when Ai takes over ? Will it be Catholic Ai Values?   

Will it be Catholic owned or non-Catholic owned ?  

(Data compiled on June 2026) 

Catholic School Software: Ownership & Mission Report

Are the software companies serving Catholic institutions actually Catholic-owned?

ONLY  OPTIONC  is a 100% OWNED CATHOLIC COMPANY

Software Brand	Full Company Name	Owner / Parent Company	Headquarters	Founded	Publicly Traded?	Catholic Owned?	Serves Catholics?	Mission Verdict
OptionC	OptionC (Option C)	Catholic-owned, independent	USA	2004	❌ No	✅ YES	✅ Catholic Only	✅ 100% Catholic Mission
FACTS SIS (formerly RenWeb)	FACTS Management Co.	Nelnet, Inc. (NYSE: NNI) Publicly traded conglomerate	Lincoln, NE	1986	✅ Yes (NNI)	❌ No	⚠ Faith-based incl. Catholic	❌ Secular — Serves All Schools
PowerSchool	PowerSchool Holdings, Inc.	Bain Capital (Private Equity, $5.6B buyout 2024)	Folsom, CA	1997	❌ Taken private 2024	❌ No	❌ All K-12 Schools	❌ Secular — Serves All Schools
Blackbaud	Blackbaud, Inc.	Publicly traded (NASDAQ: BLKB) Vanguard, BlackRock, State Street	Charleston, SC	1981	✅ Yes (BLKB)	❌ No	⚠ Nonprofits & All Schools	❌ Secular — All Denominations
Gradelink	Gradelink, Inc.	Privately held — independent	USA	~2003	❌ No	❌ No	⚠ Private & Faith-based Schools	⚠ Secular — Serves Faith Schools
Infinite Campus	Infinite Campus, Inc.	Privately held — independent	Blaine, MN	1993	❌ No	❌ No	❌ Primarily Public Schools	❌ Secular — Public K-12
Skyward	Skyward, Inc.	Privately held — independent (owner-operated)	Stevens Point, WI	1980	❌ No	❌ No	❌ Primarily Public Schools	❌ Secular — Public K-12
TADS	TADS (The Admissions & Data System)	Ministry Brands (Reverence Capital Partners, PE-backed)	Minneapolis, MN	1985	❌ No (PE-owned)	❌ No	⚠ Private & Faith-based Schools	⚠ Multi-Market / PE-Owned
WeShare	WeShare / WeGather	Ministry Brands (formerly LPi, then acquired)	Tampa, FL	~2010	❌ No (PE-owned)	❌ No	⚠ Catholic + Multi-church	⚠ Multi-Denom. / PE-Owned
Faith Direct	Faith Direct	Ministry Brands (Reverence Capital Partners, PE-backed)	Tampa, FL	~2000	❌ No (PE-owned)	❌ No	⚠ Catholic + Multi-denom.	⚠ Multi-Denom. / PE-Owned

 

Legend & Key Findings

✅ Positive / Catholic mission confirmed     ⚠ Partial — serves Catholics but also other denominations or markets     ❌ No Catholic ownership or exclusive Catholic mission

Key Findings:

1.  OptionC is the only platform in this comparison that is 100% Catholic-owned and serves Catholic institutions exclusively.

2.  FACTS / RenWeb is owned by Nelnet, Inc. (NYSE: NNI) — a publicly traded student loan and financial services conglomerate with no Catholic mission.

3.  PowerSchool was acquired by Bain Capital in a $5.6 billion private equity deal in 2024, with no religious mission or Catholic ownership.

4.  ParishSOFT, TADS, WeShare, and Faith Direct are all owned by Ministry Brands, which is itself backed by Reverence Capital Partners — a New York private equity firm.

5.  Blackbaud is a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: BLKB) primarily owned by institutional investors such as Vanguard and BlackRock, with no Catholic identity or mission.

6.  When Catholic schools and parishes use these platforms, their sensitive family, student, and sacramental data is managed by secular, profit-driven corporations that also serve competitors.

Only OptionC is built by Catholics, for Catholics — exclusively.  |  www.OptionC.com

Jesus asks: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

It is an open, probing question about whether humanity will remain persistent and trusting in God during difficult times

Parish Management Software: Who Really Owns It?

A Catholic Leadership Research Report — Catholic Ownership & Mission Alignment

Key Findings for Catholic Diocese & Parish Leaders

LEGEND:  ✅ Catholic-owned / Catholic-exclusive     ⚠ Serves Catholics but not exclusively     ❌ Secular, PE-owned, or pan-denominational

1.  OptionC is the ONLY platform in this comparison that is 100% Catholic-owned AND serves Catholic institutions exclusively. Every other platform is owned by private equity, Wall Street institutional investors, or secular corporations.

2.  Flocknote is a notable Catholic-founded company: founded in 2009 by Catholic engineer Matthew Warner, inspired by Catholic Social Teaching and Distributism, and structured as a 100% employee-owned worker cooperative. It is the closest runner-up to OptionC — but it serves all faith denominations, not Catholics exclusively.

3.  Ministry Brands (owner of ParishSOFT, Faith Direct, and WeShare) is backed by Reverence Capital Partners, a New York private equity firm. Your Catholic parish data is managed by a PE-owned conglomerate with no Catholic identity or mission.

4.  Pushpay / ParishStaq was taken private in 2023 in a ~US$898 million buyout by BGH Capital (Australia) and Sixth Street Partners (global PE). It serves both Catholic and Protestant churches with equal priority.

5.  ACS Technologies (PDS, Realm, MinistryPlatform) was acquired in December 2025 by Vanco, a portfolio company of Great Hill Partners — a Boston PE firm. Catholic parish data now flows through a secular PE platform.

6.  Planning Center is founder-owned with a foundation structure that prevents forced sale — but it is not Catholic-owned and serves all denominations equally.

7.  Blackbaud trades on NASDAQ (BLKB) with no religious identity. Its major shareholders are Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street — the same institutional investors owning most of corporate America.

8.  When Catholic parishes use secular, PE-backed platforms, sensitive sacramental records, family data, and giving histories are managed by companies whose primary obligation is to investors — not the Church. Only OptionC answers exclusively to the Catholic mission.

Your parish data, your families, and your mission on a platform built by Catholics — for Catholics — exclusively is  OptionC.com

Catholic School Enrollment: 50‑Year Trend (1970–2020s)

A concise, authoritative statistical overview

1. Peak Enrollment in 1960

Catholic schools reached their historic peak around 5.25 million students in 1960.

This is the baseline from which the next 50 years of decline is measured.

2. Enrollment in 1970

By 1969–70, enrollment had already fallen to 4.37 million.

This marks the beginning of the long downward trend.

3. Enrollment Decline Over 50 Years

From 1970 to the early 2020s, Catholic school enrollment dropped from 4.36 million to roughly 1.6–1.7 million (depending on the year). This represents a decline of about 60% over five decades.

This trend is confirmed by NCEA’s long‑term reporting.

4. Largest Single‑Year Drop in 50 Years (2020–2021)

NCEA reports that the 2020–2021 school year saw the largest enrollment drop in 50 years: –6.4%.

This was driven largely by pandemic disruptions.

5. Elementary Schools Declined More Sharply

During the same period:

• Elementary enrollment: –8.1%
• Secondary enrollment: –2.5%

Pre‑K accounted for 40% of the total loss.

6. Regional Declines Are Uneven

Over the last two decades:

• Mideast region: Lost more than half its students
• New England: Also lost more than half
• West/Far West (2020–21): –7.9%
• Mideast (2020–21): –8.0%

These regions historically had the highest concentration of Catholic schools.

7. School Closures Over Time

Since 2020:

• 209 schools closed
• 17 opened
• Net loss: 202 schools
• Total U.S. Catholic schools: 5,981

Historically, an average of 97 closures and 16 openings per year.

8. Parish Schools Have Declined Dramatically

In the last two decades:

• Parish schools decreased by 42%
• Diocesan schools increased by 67%

This reflects shifting governance and financial models.

9. Urban Catholic Schools Have Been Hit Hard

Urban and inner‑city Catholic schools have declined by 37% in the last two decades.

This represents a major loss of social capital in underserved communities.

10. Current Enrollment (2022–2023)

NCES reports Catholic school enrollment in 2022–23 at approximately 1.6–1.7 million students, continuing the long‑term downward trend.

Summary: 50‑Year Trend in One Line

Catholic school enrollment in the U.S. has fallen from 4.36 million (1970) to about 1.6 million today, a 60% decline, with the steepest recent drop occurring in 2020–21.

10 Principles for Strengthening Catholic Schools and Parish Communities Through Mission-Aligned Technology

1. Choose Technology That Supports the Catholic Mission

Challenge: When schools and parishes use the same technology platforms as every other institution, they may miss opportunities to build a distinctive Catholic identity and community.

Positive Solution: Partner with Catholic-owned and Catholic-focused technology providers whose primary mission is to strengthen Catholic education, evangelization, parish life, and faith formation.

2. Align Technology With Catholic Values

Challenge: Many software platforms are designed primarily for commercial objectives and may not fully reflect the unique mission of Catholic schools and parishes.

Positive Solution: Select software partners that understand Catholic culture, Catholic education, sacramental life, and the evangelizing mission of the Church. Technology should reinforce faith, family, and community.

3. Protect and Steward Catholic Community Data

Challenge: Student, family, donor, and parishioner information is one of the most valuable assets entrusted to Catholic institutions.

Positive Solution: Work with Catholic technology providers that prioritize responsible stewardship of Catholic data, transparency, privacy, and mission-driven use of information to strengthen the Church.

4. Support Catholic Technologists and Catholic Innovation

Challenge: Many technology providers serve every market equally and may not understand the unique needs of Catholic institutions.

Positive Solution: Invest in Catholic technologists, developers, and innovators who dedicate their expertise to serving Catholic schools, parishes, dioceses, and ministries.

5. Prepare for the AI Revolution With a Catholic Vision

Challenge: Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming education, communications, fundraising, and administration.

Positive Solution: Adopt AI-powered solutions developed with Catholic values and ethical principles, ensuring that technology serves the dignity of the human person and the mission of the Church.

6. Build a Catholic AI Ecosystem

Challenge: As AI becomes integrated into every software platform, Catholic institutions must ensure their values remain central.

Positive Solution: Encourage the development of Catholic AI tools that support evangelization, faith formation, student success, parish engagement, and ethical decision-making.

7. Invest in the Catholic Economy

Challenge: Every technology purchase is also an investment decision.

Positive Solution: Whenever practical, support Catholic-owned businesses whose success contributes to strengthening Catholic education, Catholic media, Catholic charities, Catholic ministries, and Catholic employment opportunities.

8. Preserve the Catholic Advantage

Challenge: Schools and parishes compete for the attention of families in an increasingly digital world.

Positive Solution: Use technology specifically designed to help Catholic institutions strengthen faith formation, family engagement, student retention, parish participation, and long-term community growth.

9. Put Faith Before Fundraising

Challenge: Financial sustainability is important, but institutions can lose focus if technology emphasizes transactions more than relationships.

Positive Solution: Choose systems that balance stewardship with evangelization by helping schools and parishes nurture faith, discipleship, family involvement, sacramental life, and community participation.

10. Build a Unified Catholic Digital Ecosystem

Challenge: Catholic schools, parishes, ministries, and organizations often operate on disconnected systems that limit collaboration and community growth.

Positive Solution: Work toward a connected Catholic technology ecosystem where schools, parishes, ministries, families, and students can interact through shared mission-driven platforms that strengthen Catholic identity and foster lifelong engagement with the Church.

Conclusion

Catholic schools and parishes exist to evangelize, educate, and form disciples of Jesus Christ. Technology should be more than an administrative tool—it should actively support the Catholic mission. By choosing mission-aligned, Catholic-focused technology partners, Church leaders can strengthen faith formation, community engagement, student retention, parish participation, and the long-term vitality of Catholic institutions.