On Philanthropy, Business, and Catholic Education: An Interview with Daniel T. Flatley

A layman and a philanthropist, Daniel T. Flatley sustains many of the institutions and apostolates that are vital to the Church in carrying out her good works — both the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

Mr. Flatley oversees one of the most prominent Catholic foundations in the Northeast, the Flatley Foundation, established in 1982 by his parents, Charlotte and Thomas Flatley, an Irish immigrant who came to the United States with $32 in his pocket. Thomas went on to build a highly successful commercial real-estate portfolio that included malls, shopping centers, office buildings, hotels, nursing homes, and apartment complexes.

As a trustee of the foundation they established, Mr. Flatley is continuing his parents’ commitment to the public good and Catholic education. He has contributed generously, as has his foundation, to many Catholic schools at all levels, from K-12 through college, including to Thomas Aquinas College, where his extraordinary leadership and support have helped to bring the College’s Northfield, Massachusetts, campus to life.

Mr. Flatley earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont and a master’s from Boston College. He has served on the boards of Saint Anselm College, the Wentworth Institute of Technology, and Clergy Trust. He offered the following reflections shortly after coming to the New England campus to serve as its 2023 Commencement Speaker.

Tell us about your parents, how they got into philanthropy, and how you followed their lead.

My father came to Boston in 1950 with very little. He got his plumber’s and electrician’s licenses, was in the Army Signal Corps, and got into real estate development in the late 1950s, building apartment complexes and nursing homes, originally, and eventually shopping centers, industrial parks, and hotels. He did very well. He began the process of liquidating the properties and cashing out, portfolio by portfolio, in the late 1990s, and he created the Flatley Foundation in 1982.

Toward the end of his life, he started introducing my sisters, my brother, and me to his contacts in the non-profit world, most of which involved the Church in one way or another — not all, because he was a believer in ecumenism, so he also gave to other causes, such as the Salvation Army. We got involved toward the end of his life and took over the Foundation. Catholic education is a big focus for our foundation, among other concerns.

“Why would schools or businesses compromise their missions with a destructive agenda? I don’t see how any of that makes sense.”

What percentage of your efforts are directed toward Catholic education?

About 30 to 40 percent. We give pretty heavily. Catholic education is our primary focus, and we tend not to give to non-Catholic schools. We don’t give to Harvard or any of those very prestigious institutions, for example. They have their donors; what do we need to get in there for?

Have you seen a notable decline in the 20 years or so that you have been involved in Catholic education?

No doubt about it. Thank God for the involvement of the bishops in K-12 schools who have been trying to keep the kids safe and Catholic, but at the college level, the damage has been tremendous. Many of the Catholic colleges, to some extent, have walked away from Catholicism, either in the hopes of raising more money or attracting a wider variety of students. Their administrators have stopped even trying to maintain an authentically Catholic school.

What can Catholic schools, at all levels, do to remain competitive?

The biggest thing that Catholic schools can do is stand out academically. That’s something this college does well, maintaining a level of academic excellence that will make it attractive to many. There are some great schools out there, but they need to keep improving.

I also see a need for solid Catholic business education with a strong liberal arts background. Educate kids in ethical business practices, how to do it right, in a moral fashion and with Catholic values in mind. When I see the decisions that businesses are making these days — decisions that are not only morally offensive, but which also alienate half the market — it becomes clear that most business schools aren’t getting the job done.

What’s going on? How do you explain the number of successful corporations that are embracing destructive ideologies and undermining their own bottom lines?

None of it makes any sense. We want our businesspeople to be ethical, that’s good! But what we are seeing now is not ethical, it’s cynical, and that makes for bad business decisions. I think you need to keep stronger and more rational values in mind. My father was a simple guy in a lot of ways, and I remember a TV show from back in the day in which this CEO would launch personal vendettas against his personal enemies. I remember asking my father if this was how businessmen really were, and he said, “No, that’s Hollywood. Hollywood doesn’t understand business. Businessmen don’t let emotion interfere in their deals. When you lose on a deal, you lose on a deal. I try to make my business deals fair so I can deal with the guy again later. I’m in it to be fair.” My father wasn’t in business to push an agenda or play politics. He wanted to build a building so he could afford it and make money off it going forward. He wanted it to work. That’s not emotional decision-making. We need better decision-makers. The reasons these companies cite for making these decisions aren’t the right ones. Just stick to the business piece, you don’t need to worry about anything beyond that. If you’re getting pressure from some advocacy group, just deal with it. Say, “This isn’t good for my business. I don’t want to get involved on one side or the other.” Make the best business decisions you can. None of this other stuff should matter.

How does that principle apply to education?

Schools these days are also under great pressure to push a particular agenda or politics, losing sight of their educational mission. You guys are doing a lot of things right at Thomas Aquinas College, not letting that interfere. You live by your values at TAC, and you turn out some pretty good human assets. That’s what matters in the end — the quality of the people you turn out. You need to start from a place of character and a strong backbone, and I don’t see that in too many circumstances anymore. Why would schools or businesses compromise their missions with a destructive agenda? I don’t see how any of that makes sense.

What’s the solution?

For starters, a stronger prayer life, a stronger family life where proper values are instilled in our children. Those are the things that matter, but I don’t know what can be done beyond that. During the 1980s we valued the entrepreneur and the risk taker, who often became the philanthropist. We valued all that, and it seemed to make a lot of sense. The idea now seems to be that government should be in charge of all of it.

Isn’t this where your foundation comes into play? You see the troubles of the world, and you do your part to fight against them.

We’re doing the best we can. We keep our lights on out there, shining on Catholic schools and institutions in our endeavors to improve things and bring them back to where they should be. But it’s a struggle, there’s no doubt about it.

What’s the most important thing Catholic education can do and accomplish in our world today?

Turn out people with good and proper values who don’t forget about those coming after them. However well you do in life, it’s not about money, but these places need money to succeed. It’s your responsibility as alumni of these places to make sure that they do. Tom Carroll, the superintendent of Boston Catholic Schools, swears by TAC graduates, and I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a great asset, and he sees great things coming out of Thomas Aquinas College. TAC turns out some fantastic teachers, and somebody as smart as Tom wouldn’t be out recruiting on your campuses if he didn’t really believe in the place. He’s had nothing but great things to say about TAC because it is a great school and it’s turned out some great alumni.

Some 30 percent of the College’s alumni become teachers. What advice would you give to a young teacher today?

It’s a tough world out there, and it’s getting tougher. You have got to be a strong witness for Christ as a teacher. Keep in mind your values, which have been fostered by TAC, and your families, too, because they taught you those values in the first place. Live that kind of life because you need to be an example for these kids. You will succeed as teachers with those ideals in mind.