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WHAT WE SUPPORT
The Annual Bishop’s Appeal is a yearly fundraising campaign that supports ministries and programs throughout the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. The diocesan-wide goal for the 34th Annual Bishop’s Appeal is $5,190,128. This is categorized as: Education, Clergy, Charity, Communications & Worship, and Evangelization. These five categories are broken down in greater detail in this bar graph.
For a snapshot of some of your impact in each category, see the 2020 Annual Bishop's Appeal Brochure.
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These figures detail only the Annual Bishop’s Appeal contributions to specific diocesan ministries and departments. These ministries and departments may have larger overall total budgets and expenses.
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Why do we have an Annual Bishop's Appeal?Before the Annual Bishop’s Appeal, the ministries and work of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend was financed, in part, by a 13 percent tax on all parish income (capital campaigns, tuition--everything). In 1987 the first Bishop’s Appeal was initiated and resulted in the reduction of parish tax to six percent on the parish offertory only. This has lifted the burden of the tax from parishes while inviting you to prayerfully consider your investment directly into the ministries and work of our diocese.
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Where does my parish goal come from?A parish goal is based on an algorithm considering offertory income from the past year as well as on gifts (paid and pledged) from the past three years of appeal donations.
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What happens when my parish meets its goal? Should I still donate?Yes, you should still prayerfully consider donating. 100% of all donations above a parish goal are returned to that parish. Many parishes in our diocese rely on these appeal overages to fund building repairs or improvements, fund a new initiative, or put towards a major project. A successful Bishop’s Appeal for your parish means not only success for our diocese, but also success for your parish.
Frequently asked questions
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