About ENDOW (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women)
ENDOW (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) is a global Catholic women's apostolate headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, that forms women and teenage girls through small, discussion-based study groups rooted in the magisterial teachings of the Catholic Church. Founded in 2003 in Denver by three women who were moved by Pope St. John Paul II's writings on the "new feminism" and the feminine genius, the organization has grown into an international ministry present in more than 30 countries and 130+ dioceses, reaching over 80,000 women worldwide. Endow produces its own small-group study guides on papal documents, encyclicals, and the lives of the saints, and runs parallel programs for middle-school girls, high-school teens, and Spanish-speaking women (Magnifica Grupos), as well as a quinceañera formation track. The apostolate has been granted juridic personhood in Canon Law, recognizing it as a formal entity within the Church's structure.
Mission
Endow seeks to educate women toward a deeper, more profound understanding of their God-given dignity. Rooted in the teachings of Pope St. John Paul II, Endow affirms the genius of women — the feminine genius — and empowers them to fulfill our culture's desperate need for an authentic feminine presence in every aspect of life and society.
- Founded
- 2003
- Founder
- Betsy Considine, Marilyn Coors, and Terry Polakovic
- Leader
- Annette Bergeon (Chief Executive Officer); Martha Reichert (President / Chair of the Board)
- Reach
- Present in more than 30 countries, more than 130 dioceses worldwide, and reaching over 80,000 women globally. In its early years the network grew from 30 facilitators in the Archdiocese of Denver to more than 800 facilitators across 84 U.S. dioceses and five international dioceses. Magnifica Grupos alone serves approximately 5,000 women nationwide.
- Serves
- Catholic women of all ages, races, nationalities, and vocations — including wives, mothers, single women, and consecrated religious — as well as Catholic teenage girls through parallel middle-school and high-school programs and Hispanic Catholic women through the Spanish-language Magnifica Grupos ministry.
What Is Endow?
Endow (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) is a global Catholic apostolate that calls women together to study the important documents of the Church. Through Endow groups, women encounter their identity as daughters of God, enabling them to grow in their faith and ultimately discover their mission in life. The apostolate is rooted in the theology of Pope St. John Paul II on the feminine genius and 'new feminism,' and brings women together in small-group communities of study, faith, and friendship. Endow welcomes women of all ages, races, nationalities, and vocations — wives, mothers, single women, and consecrated religious — and, in a spirit of openness, also invites non-Catholic Christian women to participate in discussions centered on faith, dignity, and the feminine genius.
- Acronym: Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women
- Headquarters: Greenwood Village, Colorado (Denver metro)
- Recognized as a juridic person in Canon Law
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
History and Founding Story
The apostolate began with a lunchtime conversation in Denver in 2003. Betsy Considine, Marilyn Coors, and Terry Polakovic had been reading Pope St. John Paul II's writings on women — particularly Mulieris Dignitatem and Letter to Women — and recognized that the Church's teaching on the dignity and vocation of women was both life-changing and under-shared. They brought their idea to Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, who enthusiastically endorsed it, and began crafting study guides with the help of Archbishop José Gomez and renowned Catholic philosopher Sr. Prudence Allen, R.S.M. The first Endow groups launched in the Archdiocese of Denver, and the ministry quickly spread by word of mouth to parishes across the United States and eventually to more than 30 countries.
- 2003: Apostolate founded in Denver by Considine, Coors, and Polakovic
- Early guidance from Archbishop Charles Chaput, Archbishop José Gomez, and Sr. Prudence Allen, R.S.M.
- Terry Polakovic awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross by Pope Benedict XVI
- 2018: Spanish-language track formally named Magnifica Grupos
- 2023: 20th anniversary celebrated with special Mulieris Dignitatem study and galas
The Endow Method
Endow's signature method is the small-group study: a group of women (typically 6–12) meets regularly — in homes, parishes, schools, or online — to read aloud from a Church document or saint's writings and to discuss the text together. The method intentionally combines three pillars: Study (engaging the Church's intellectual tradition), Faith (deepening personal encounter with Christ), and Fellowship (building authentic community). Endow believes that the deepest transformation of heart and mind happens in intimate small-group relationships, and facilitators are trained to guide conversation rather than lecture. The same method is adapted for teen girls in the middle-school Girl Genius series and the high-school Created For series, and translated into Spanish for Magnifica Grupos.
- Study — engaging papal, magisterial, and saintly texts
- Faith — deepening personal spiritual life
- Fellowship — building friendships and community
- Small-group format (6–12 women) for sustained discussion
Adult Studies — Pope St. John Paul II Collection
Endow's flagship offerings are its study guides on the writings of Pope St. John Paul II, which form the foundation of the apostolate. Two studies are recommended as entry points: Letter to Women, the Pope's 1995 address written for the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, and Mulieris Dignitatem (On the Dignity and Vocation of Women), his 1988 apostolic letter reflecting on Christ's interactions with women in the Gospels and on the vocations of spiritual and physical motherhood. Together, these texts provide the theological and philosophical foundation for what John Paul II called the 'new feminism.' Endow also offers studies on other papal, magisterial, and saintly texts — including works in the Female Saints & Doctors of the Church line and the Wisdom of the Church line — for groups ready to go deeper.
- Letter to Women — foundational study on John Paul II's 1995 address
- Mulieris Dignitatem — study on the 1988 apostolic letter, structured in 8 chapters
- Commentary by Terry Polakovic and Madelynn Winstead, Ph.D.
- Additional studies in the Female Saints & Doctors of the Church and Wisdom of the Church series
Studies for Teen Girls
Recognizing that formation in dignity and vocation must begin early, Endow developed age-appropriate programs for adolescent girls. The Girl Genius series is designed for middle-school girls (typically ages 10–13) and is often run as a day-long retreat that combines Scripture, catechesis, small-group discussion, journaling, art projects, and skits. Each lesson highlights a young female saint who lived a life of holiness despite cultural pressure. The Created For series extends this formation into high school, and Endow facilitators travel to Catholic schools and parishes around the country to present the program.
- Girl Genius I — Defining Dignity (Middle School Book I)
- Girl Genius II — Forming Friendships (Middle School Book II)
- Girl Genius III — Loving Leadership (Middle School Book III)
- Created For — high-school series
- Day-retreat format used in Catholic schools and parishes
Magnifica Grupos — Spanish-Language Ministry
In 2016, Endow responded to a need they felt called to meet: the growing Hispanic Catholic population in the United States. Eight of the existing Endow study guides were translated into Spanish, and in 2018 this Hispanic ministry was formally given the name Magnifica Grupos. Under the leadership of Janeth Chavez as Director of Magnifica Grupos, the program has grown to reach approximately 5,000 women nationwide. The team also developed a bilingual study guide for quinceañera preparation, piloted in several parishes in the Archdiocese of Denver and made available to the wider public. The Endow model invites young women preparing for a quinceañera to gather for a minimum of eight weeks of study on their God-given dignity and identity.
- Eight study guides translated into Spanish
- Formally named Magnifica Grupos in 2018
- Approximately 5,000 women participating nationwide
- Bilingual quinceañera formation study guide
- Director: Janeth Chavez
Quinceañera Formation Program
The quinceañera program meets young Hispanic women at a culturally and spiritually significant moment — the celebration of their 15th birthday, traditionally marked by a Mass with a special blessing. Endow's bilingual study guide walks them and their mothers through an Endow-style small-group experience focused on dignity, identity, and vocation. The program was piloted in Denver-area parishes and is intended to be hosted by any parish with an active Hispanic ministry.
- Bilingual (Spanish/English) study guide
- Piloted in Archdiocese of Denver parishes
- Designed for 15-year-old girls and their mothers
- Eight-week group format
Leadership and Team
Endow is led by a board of directors and an operational staff. The current Chief Executive Officer is Annette Bergeon, a cradle Catholic from Ohio with engineering degrees from Purdue and the University of Michigan and an MBA in Finance and Operations Management from the Wharton School. The Chair of the Board and President is Martha Reichert, with Maryanne Means serving as Vice Chair and other members including Sandra Michel, Kristine Newkirk, Robert Lazzeri, and Marilyn Coors (founder, board member emeritus). Archbishop José Gomez (Archbishop of Los Angeles) sits on the board. Operational staff include Jackie Davis (Director of Programs), Simone Rizkallah (Director of Program Growth), and Teresa Hodgins (host and writer of The Endow Podcast).
- CEO: Annette Bergeon
- President / Chair of the Board: Martha Reichert
- Vice Chair: Maryanne Means
- Board members include Archbishop José Gomez
- Founding board member emeritus: Marilyn Coors
- Director of Programs: Jackie Davis
- Director of Program Growth: Simone Rizkallah
The Endow Podcast
The Endow Podcast is a forum for women to foster conversations about the intellectual life and intentional community for the cultivation of the feminine genius. Hosted by Simone Rizkallah with writers and guests including Teresa Hodgins, the podcast covers study guide chapters, saint biographies (including a Lent series on St. Teresa of Avila), interviews with Catholic thinkers and artists (such as art historian Liz Lev), and timely topics like the epidemic of loneliness. Episodes are released on Buzzsprout and promoted through Endow's Facebook and Instagram channels.
- Hosted by Simone Rizkallah (Director of Program Growth)
- Writers and contributors include Teresa Hodgins
- Available on Buzzsprout and major podcast platforms
- Topics include study guide content, saints, culture, and women's formation
How to Get Involved
Engagement with Endow is designed to be accessible. Women can join an existing small group, start a new group in their parish or home (in person or online), order study guides for personal or group study, listen to the podcast, attend an Endow conference or retreat, or volunteer as a facilitator, translator, or donor. Endow operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and registration costs for studies are intentionally subsidized by donations so that the materials remain affordable.
- Start or join an Endow group (in person or online)
- Order study guides from endowgroups.org
- Listen to The Endow Podcast
- Attend an Endow conference, retreat, or anniversary event
- Donate at endowgroups.org/give to support subsidized study access
- Volunteer as a facilitator, especially for teen or Spanish-language groups
Contact and Headquarters
Endow is headquartered in the Denver metro area at 6160 S Syracuse Way, Suite 150, Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111 (Arapahoe County). The apostolate can be reached by phone at (303) 715-3224 and by email at [email protected]. The mailing address matches the physical office, and online engagement is supported through endowgroups.org and the organization's Facebook and Instagram pages at @endowgroups.
- Address: 6160 S Syracuse Way, Ste 150, Greenwood Village, CO 80111
- Phone: (303) 715-3224
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://endowgroups.org
- Social: facebook.com/endowgroups, instagram.com/endowgroups
