Definition—A parish capital fund-raising campaign is any parish effort, which seeks to raise an amount of at least twice the parish’s annual offertory income in pledges payable over three to five (3-5) years.The funds raised may be used for new building, renovations or restoration, debt reduction or retirement, restricted/unrestricted endowment, special programs or other capital needs.
The parish capital campaign would raise funds over and above annual offertory, the House of Charity—Bishop’s Annual Appeal, or any special collections received by the parish.
A parish wishing to conduct a capital campaign must: complete and submit an application to conduct a Capital Campaign to the Office of Development.The Office of Development will forward the approved application to the Director of Temporal Affairs, who will distribute to all appropriate parties, including the College of Consultors.
submit to the College of Consultors for approval ALL case components of the project, along with estimated costs.
the College of Consultors will give approval pending successful completion of the Feasibility Study and analysis and approval by the Office of Development.
the Office of Development will review the results of the Feasibility Study, and advise the College of Consultors whether the Parish should or should not proceed with a Capital Campaign.
the Office of Development will track the progress of the campaign and its results.As part of the Capital Campaign the consulting firm conducting the campaign shall be required to submit an analysis of projected income as the result of pledges in the year’s subsequent to the completion of the campaign.
based on the final report submitted by the Office of Development to the College of Consultors, the Parish will be given permission to proceed with construction.
Because Capital Campaigns are usually conducted by the same firm that performs the Feasibility Study, the Director of Development will supply the Pastor with all necessary forms and guidelines in order to solicit bids from professional firms.hese shall include, but not be limited to: a list of approved Professional Fundraising Firms, a list of information usually included in an RFP (Request for Proposal), a sample, completed RFP, a sample RFP cover letter, a suggested timetable for soliciting RFP’s, reviewing proposals, interviewing firms, and meetings with the Development Office, and an Excel spreadsheet to help evaluate and compare proposals.
The content of the RFP Cover Letter will spell out several procedural issues that both the Pastor and the particular consulting firm should be aware of. First, the firms will be asked to reply to the Parish with a scope of services but not pricing.The firms will be required to submit both scope of services and pricing to the Director of Development.(The intent is to have Parishes make their decision on the basis of the scope of services, not the cost.)Second, firms will be told that the Director to be assigned by the firm to a Capital Campaign must be approved by the Director of Development of the Diocese. (The intent is to preclude any “bait and switch”.)
Parish Capital Campaigns must be conducted in the spring of the calendar year.
Therefore, Parishes must have received approval to proceed with capital improvements from the Board of Consultors by June 30th of the year preceding a capital campaign. Further, the Feasibility Study must have been completed by November 30th of the previous year. Applications to proceed with a capital campaign should be submitted to the Director of Development prior to are submission to the Board of Consultors.
Parish capital campaigns should require approximately two to four (2-4) months to conduct.
Parishes conducting capital campaigns must retain an outside, professional fund-raising consulting firm to conduct the Feasibility Study and the Capital Campaign. A list of reputable firms and contacts is available through the Office for Development.(Reputable firms charge fixed fees, and not a percentage based on funds raised).
Parishes will receive permission for capital campaigns only when the Pastor seeks permission; permission will not be granted to lay people working on committees outside the pastor’s purview.
Parishes receiving permission and conducting capital campaigns will be responsible for meeting the minimum financial goal of the House of Charity—Bishop’s Annual Appeal during the calendar year in which the capital campaign is conducted. Parishes conducting capital campaigns must also articulate in their case statements that their minimum financial goal for that year to the House of Charity—Bishop’s Annual Appeal will be met through receipts to the capital campaign.In the following calendar year, parishes will be responsible for conducting the House of Charity—Bishop’s Annual Appeal in the manner set forth by the policies of the House of Charity—Bishop’s Annual Appeal.