Why Fund-Raising is Fun

Published

FFHL Logo

April 7, 2014

Issue 28

Why Fund-Raising is Fun

On March 29, 2014 the New York Times released an article titled Why Fund-Raising is Fun.

As advocates for the Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love effort, you are working tirelessly for this effort. We often get caught up in the numbers… number of decisions, number of visits, monies raised, percent of goal! So, let us take a moment to remember what we are really doing by engaging families, explaining the Case for Support and inviting their participation.

The feasibility study conducted two years ago identified several issues to address for the future of our Diocese, all directly related to the tremendous growth. As Ambassadors, you are all working together to directly prepare for the future! You are helping families share their time, talent, and treasure for the future of our church.

“The real magic of fund-raising goes even deeper than temporary happiness or extra income. It creates meaning. Donors possess two disconnected commodities: material wealth and sincere convictions. Alone, these commodities are difficult to combine. But fund-raisers facilitate an alchemy of virtue: They empower those with financial resources to convert the dross of their money into the gold of a better society.”

Let’s take a moment to celebrate how your hard work is empowering the community: What are you really doing when you meet with families on behalf of Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love? You are empowering our community to strengthen the church, to prepare for the future, and to ensure a more prosperous Catholic community for future generations. You, and every family you visit with, are doing more than simply participating in this effort; you are committing to the future of our faith community.

“Charitable giving improves what psychologists call ‘self-efficacy,’ one’s belief that one is capable of handling a situation and bringing about a desired outcome. When people give their time or money to a cause they believe in, they become problem solvers. Problem solvers are happier than bystanders and victims of circumstance.”

Thank you for your continued time and dedication to the success of Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love.

Campaign Statistics

*A portion of the Leadership Gifts Phase total raised is shared with parishes, therefore the overall total is less than the sum of the individual phases. 

 

Individual parishes were offered the opportunity to set a challenge goal over and above their FFHL goal. In addition, parishes receive a benefit from surpassing their regular FFHL goal. All dollars raised are included in these totals.

* Retired, but pastor when campaign was conducted. 

Good News
Block Two

The Leadership Team at St. Matthew in Charlotte hosted a special orientation for new Ambassadors. One potential Ambassador shared his interest in joining the team, “I want to be a part of this project; we should all want to be part of this. We are growing and we need to make sure we are prepared for the future.”

Fr. Christopher Gober hosted a successful Campaign Executive Committee orientation at St. Lucien in Spruce Pine. They welcomed more than $28,000 in gifts this week and are currently at 25% of their overall goal. The team is excited to start the campaign and plans to visit every household in the parish to spread the message about Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love.  As one Ambassador stated, “This initiative gives us the opportunity here at St. Lucien to support multicultural ministry work on a diocesan level and also within our local community.”

Fr. Vincent Finnerty at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Charlotte, a predominantly Hispanic parish, witnessed excitement and participation in the Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love campaign. Fr. Vincent and his volunteers secured more than $109,000 from personal visits with parishioners. With its share of funds, Our Lady of Guadalupe will earmark funds to build a new church.

The Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville kicked off its campaign last week with an Ambassador Orientation Training. Fr. Wilbur Thomas is inspiring families so that the parish is able to break ground on a new Parish Life Center.

Fr. Carmen Malacari and the Ambassadors at Holy Spirit in Denver received more than $100,000 in pledged commitments in the past week. The growth of the parish parallels the growth of the Diocese; families are inspired by the opportunity to strengthen their own parish community as they also help prepare the greater Church of western North Carolina for future generations.

St. Leo in Winston-Salem trained eleven new ambassadors this past week.  During the presentation, a member of the Leadership Team told the new volunteers, “We are all doing this together.  We are all in this for the glory of God. This is our opportunity to do this as a community.” St. Leo looks forward to a successful effort that will help them build a new piazza in front of the church and parish life center.

Fr. Vince Curtin and the Ambassadors at St. Therese in Mooresville met with families to share details of this historic effort. Families are proud to provide increased resources for Catholic education.