Dioceses > Fundraising Resources > Parish Based

Parish Based Fundraising Benefit

Engaging all parishioners in the ownership of evangelization

Our experience shows that if a priest/presenter asks the congregation to “raise your hand if you have a friend or loved-one away from the Catholic Church,” 100% of hands are raised. This topic is personal to every member of the church.

Steps of parish fundraising:

1. select date of fundraising weekends
2. Order bulk DVDs from CatholicsComeHome.org for each parish to show the “commercial sampler” after a short homily or at the end of Mass (see below)
3. utilize print-ready CCH envelope PDF to print at a local printer and distribute envelopes to each parish, along with a copy of the CCH DVD (see below)
4. Coordinate mailing to pastors (parish office manager) with above parish-collection materials included, and date of homily to be given, DVD to be shown, and parish bulletin announcements/pulpit announcements.
5. Include bulletin announcements and pulpit announcements about the CatholicsComeHome.org diocesan partner initiative in the weeks leading-up to the parish-based collection (see sample in materials section below)
6. Weekend of collection: Priest gives brief homily related to readings & evangelization. During homily ask for a show of hands, “who in the church has a friend or loved-one away from the Catholic Church,” and encourage the role of the laity in evangelization – segway to showing “sampler” of CCH DVD commercials. Ask parishioners to complete envelope (in the pew) and to donate when second collection takes place. Checks payable to “Catholics Come Home^®” to bring these commercials to TV screens locally for an evangelization initiative on mainstream media. Sample Parish Pulpit talk when showing CCH DVD & Parish Fundraising
7. Send all checks to CatholicsComeHome.org. CCH will provide all thank you letters and tax receipts to donors and full accounting to diocese of amount raised.

Parish Fundraising Materials:

1. Bulletin/Pulpit Announcements for weeks leading-up to the collection
2. Parish Pulpit talk when showing CCH DVD & Parish Fundraising Parish
3. CCH print ready PDF envelopes
4. Contact CCH to order bulk DVDs @ cost ($2/DVD plus shipping)
   *We ask dioceses to cover the cost of these DVDs, but if the diocese is NOT able to cover, we are happy to provide in bulk because showing the Commercials after a short homily/at the end of Mass is of such key importance for fundraising, and helping all the parishioners in the pews to become personally involved in the campaign as “mini evangelists.”
5. Sample E-mail reminder to pastors/parishes

Helpful Former Diocesan Partner Contact Persons:

Greg Magnoni
Archdiocese of Seattle
Communications Director
206-382-4862
greg.magnoni@seattlearch.org
(This archdiocese successfully utilized the parish-based fundraising model, and even exceeded their fundraising goal)

Rick Fersch
Archdiocese of Seattle
Executive Director of Stewardship and Development
206-382-4563
rickf@seattlearch.org
(This archdiocese successfully utilized the parish-based fundraising model, and even exceeded their fundraising goal)

Questions?

You may likely have additional questions after reviewing these materials and attachments. Feel free to contact our Program Director, Susan Parkin, by email or by calling 678-585-7886 (x106).