Awards for Catholic Charities, CEO Michael Smith Help ‘Get Our Message Out There’

Catholic Charities of Long Island and CEO Michael E. Smith are being doubly saluted this month with Corporate Citizenship Awards.

Smith, who has served as CEO of Catholic Charities of Long Island since 2023, is among Nonprofit Leaders cited for Leadership Excellence. Catholic Charities of Long Island, marking its 70th anniversary next year, was named one of the Nonprofit Organizations of the Year.

The awards reflect the dedication of Catholic Charities staff, volunteers, donors and community partners in bringing “help and hope” to Long Islanders in need. “Their work is being recognized not just by those who work here or the clients that we help, but by others here on Long Island engaged in other work,” Smith noted.

Catholic Charities was the only faith-based organization recognized. “We want to continue to raise our public awareness, so people understand what Catholic Charities does. That’s bringing Christ’s love to our neighbors. This is a good way to get our message out there,” Smith explained. CCLI’s broad menu of services offered at 50 ministry sites island-wide help “well over a million people each year.”

The Leadership Excellence honor recognizes Smith’s vision and innovation in advancing the mission of Catholic Charities of Long Island, along with his dedicated involvement in the business community and creativity in bringing new resources and opportunities to the nonprofit.

Catholic Charities of Long Island’s Nonprofit of the Year designation cites its mission impact in the community as well as organizational excellence in management and operations, and innovation in building a sustainable operation.

The Corporate Citizenship Awards will be presented by Long Island Business News during a September 17 awards celebration and breakfast at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.

This year, Smith has reached out to businesses and others through personal speaking engagements and interviews on Catholic Faith Network and in the local press, and the awards pair nicely with that initiative.

“We’re here for the Long Island community, as a well-established nonprofit organization heading into our 70th year of operation,” said Smith, explaining that Catholic Charities has 480 employees and an annual budget of approximately $45 million.

“The money we raise here stays here and that applies to the assistance we provide to Long Islanders in need and also to vendors and contract agencies we look to help further our mission.”

His outreach to the business community is paying dividends. “People want to learn more about us which is a good thing. They also want to know how they can help.” He quickly points to fundraisers such as CCLI’s Golf Classic and Pickleball Tournament on Monday, October 5th, at the Muttontown Club. Businesses also learn how to tap Catholic Charities as a partner for corporate donations or matching gifts. Individual employees can also help CCLI as volunteers

‘Meeting the Unseen Needs’

When Smith first came to Catholic Charities, the Chaminade High School graduate regarded his return to Long Island as a homecoming. The beautiful homes, beaches and other amenities are impressive, but the picture-perfect atmosphere is not experienced by everyone. Growing needs, overlooked by many, are present in many places.

“I’m proud that Catholic Charities is meeting the unseen needs on Long Island,” said Smith, an attorney who has held leading positions with human services organizations over several decades. “You are seeing more of that need now. It’s becoming more evident that folks are suffering. You’ll see them sleeping in the train station shelters or at busy intersections asking for money.”

“We are trying to address that need in every way we can, and that is helping Long Islanders overall. We are doing it, per our mission, to treat people with dignity and respect and care for them. Every life is sacred, and that’s how we treat our client or patients in every instance.”

He calls his staff “Gospel-driven and client-centered,” uncommon attributes in today’s work world. “I’m proud that Catholic Charities emphasizes that aspect of fulfilling our mission as Catholics.”

The staff shares the commitment to this mission. “We’re doing it because it’s what we’ve been called to do. From a personal standpoint, I have no doubt that divine intervention led to me being in this place at this time.”

Smith shared a personal business philosophy that has served him well throughout his career: “Fix the program, not the blame.” Society is quick to assign blame “before addressing what went on, why it happened and making sure that it doesn’t happen again.”

The bottom line is making sure that you hire the right people. “Every day you let your team go out and do what it needs to do. Provide them with the resources to do that. The people we have here are dedicated and smart and good at what they do,” he said.