Interested applicants may request a "preliminary" application from the Foundation, complete it, and return the application by the end of the first month in their application cycle. The initial "preliminary" application can be found on the Foundation's website. The Trustees and their advisors will then review all received "preliminary" applications, and then decide which applicants will be invited to submit a "final" application ("final" applications are by invitation only). Applicants may be requested to provide a description of their organization, a description of the funding need, a budget, a Board list, financial and tax reports, and other materials deemed necessary by the Trustees to approve the application. Applicants may be required to submit their materials both online and by mail.

The Foundation makes distributions primarily to the Roman Catholic Church and Church related charitable, educational, and medical organizations. More specifically, the Foundation pays grants to support and promote (1) the Catholic faith and mission of the Catholic Church; (2) the education, training, and development, both spiritual and intellectual, of young people; (3) those who are unable to support themselves. Applicants must comply with these goals. Additionally, preference will be shown to applicants with clear and immediate intentions for using granted funds, and that show clean and compliant financial reports, budgets, and tax records. Awards are generally between $25,000 to $250,000 per year, and are rarely paid to organizations located outside Massachusetts.