FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) and Answers!

WHAT IS A CAPITAL STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN? This is a church project that seeks pledges and donations from members and friends of the congregation to pay for a major building construction project.

IS THIS DIFFERENT THAN THE ANNUAL BUDGET?
Yes. A capital campaign goes above and beyond what parishioners give to the parish through their weekly offertory to support the annual operating expenses of St. Vincent de Paul.

HOW MUCH MONEY NEEDS TO BE RAISED IN THIS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN?
This project consists of two major phases, construction and establishment of an endowment fund. The construction phase for improvements to the Sanctuary and Narthex is $2.8 million. Funds raised above those needed for the construction projects will establish a building and maintenance Endowment Fund of at least $500,000 to care for the facilities of the parish.

WHEN MAY WE BEGIN CONSTRUCTION?
The Diocese of Fort Worth will allow us to begin construction once we have collected $1.8 Million. $1.1 million (40% of project cost) in cash donations and $700,000 (25% of construction cost) in cash or firm pledges.

MUST I BE A CHURCH MEMBER TO PLEDGE OR DONATE?
No. We have many friends in the community who are not members of our church who have made special donations in the past. Some of these non-Catholic friends attend services with us and tithe to the church. We appreciate these friends in our community and we are very grateful for their gifts of time, treasure and talent.

HOW DOES THE PLEDGE PROCESS WORK?
Members and friends of the parish may make a pledge commitment to this project over a 3-year period with payments to suit the donor. Payments may be made in 36 monthly, 12 quarterly or three annual installments. The Advancement Foundation will send reminder statements or draft a credit card or bank account based on the donor’s request. All gifts are welcome, whether a one-time, up-front donation or a pledge paid out over three years.

A large white envelope containing a brochure explaining the overall project was mailed to all registered families. On the second page or panel of the brochure there is a Pledge Form for you to make your pledge and set up your desired schedule for the payments. Call the St. Vincent de Paul business manager, Wendy Perez, if you have questions or need guidance.

IS THIS PLEDGE IN ADDITION TO MY REGULAR WEEKLY GIVING AND OTHER OFFERINGS?
Yes it is. A pledge commitment to the campaign should not interfere with your current, regular giving.

WHAT IS MY FAIR SHARE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN?
The amount of your pledge should be based upon individual circumstances and prayerful discernment of an intentional sacrificial gift. See the ‘Giving Chart Guideline’ published with the pledge card.

FOR HOW LONG IS MY PLEDGE COMMITMENT?
Donors are asked to structure their pledge payments over a period of time not exceeding three years.

IF I CAN’T GIVE A LARGE AMOUNT, DOES MY PLEDGE REALLY MATTER?
Absolutely! All pledges matter and everyone should give as they can. One of the great tenets of giving is the principle of ‘equal sacrifices’, not ‘equal amounts.’ We ask that everyone pray for our campaign and support this project regardless of the size of your gift.

HOW ARE PAYMENTS HANDLED ONCE I MAKE A PLEDGE?
Payments may be made with your personal check to the Advancement Foundation, or you may set up automatic payments from your checking or savings account or a credit card. You may also fulfill your pledge through gifts of appreciated securities, donor advised funds, qualified charitable distribution from a retirement plan or from other methods noted below.

WILL I BE PRESSURED INTO MAKING A PLEDGE?
Absolutely not. Participation and amounts contributed are a personal matter. Ideally, we are hopeful that 100% of our parishioners participate in some way; however, we understand that giving is based on each individual’s personal situation, so all members and friends of the parish have an opportunity to contribute to the extent of their ability and comfort.

WHY SHOULD I MAKE A PLEDGE?
Your decision to pledge is a personal one and we respect that, however, the church buildings are where we gather as a spiritual family to do the work of ministries and missions and gather to renew our spiritual strength to continue the work of our Lord’s Kingdom. Your participation in some way can be your acknowledgement and affirmation as to the importance of improving and maintaining our church family’s home.

IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME TO CONDUCT A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN?
It is exactly the right time to conduct this campaign. At any point in time there are challenges which could be used as the excuse for not acting now.

It is important that we do this now before inflation runs construction costs even higher, as we have locked in some solid numbers ($2.8 million) for the construction phase immediately. Additionally the Narthex has some physical defects and challenges that must be addressed now to avoid future problems.

WILL PLEDGES AND DONATIONS BE CONFIDENTIAL?
Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may do so by indicating this when they pledge or donate. Campaign contributors will be officially recognized by name, however, the exact size of each donor’s gift will not be publicized.

MAY I MAKE MY DONATION IN HONOR OR MEMORY OF SOMEONE?
Yes. Memorial and honorarium gifts are appreciated and will be appropriately acknowledged. Please indicate on the pledge form if your gift is in honor or memory of a loved one.

MAY I DONATE OR PLEDGE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN ONLINE?
Yes. There is a link on the Capital Campaign page of our church website to make a secure online donation or pledge to the campaign.

WHY DO I MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO THE ADVANCEMENT FOUNDATION?
The Advancement Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Texas non-profit corporation, organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious and educational purposes. As a separate corporation, it is an integrated auxiliary supporting the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, charged with receiving contributions intended to benefit supported activities and managing and distributing such contributions for the benefit of those supported activities, such as this capital campaign. The Foundation administers a St. Vincent de Paul account exclusively for donations to this campaign. This ensures that all funds collected for the Revive. Revere. Reach. campaign are used only for the purposes outlined in campaign materials.

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY DONATION IF THE CONSTRUCTION NEVER TAKES PLACE?
Although we fully expect these projects to move forward as planned, one of the advantages of keeping donations in a separate campaign account held by Advancement Foundation is that your donation will be promptly refunded to you in the event the construction does take place.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I MAKE A PLEDGE THEN MY FINANCIAL SITUATION CHANGES?
All pledges to this campaign are ‘non-binding,’ which means that if you have a situation arise in which you are unable to fulfill your pledge then you may cancel your pledge to the campaign without any penalties or consequences. We understand that situations change for individuals and families.

WILL I RECEIVE A STATEMENT FOR TAX PREPARATION PURPOSES?
Yes. All contributions are tax deductible as allowed by law and the Advancement Foundation will mail annual Tax Statements each January to every donor to the campaign. The St. Vincent De Paul church office will continue to provide your Tax Statements for your parish offertory contributions.

ARE WE GOING INTO DEBT FOR THIS CAMPAIGN?
We hope to avoid going into debt for the construction projects; however, it is also our intention to begin construction as soon as we have raised 65% of the project cost as required by the Diocese of Fort Worth ($1.1 million in cash/$700,000 in additional cash/pledges). Moving promptly may require that we structure short term financing which is paid off as we collect pledges over the 3-year pledge period.

HOW LONG WILL CONSTRUCTION TAKE PLACE?
The estimated time to complete the construction phase improvements to the Sanctuary and Narthex will be approximately 7 to 8 months.

WHERE WILL MASSES BE CONDUCTED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE?
Masses will be held in the gymnasium of the Johnson Activity Center (“The JAC”).

WHAT AM I EXPECTED TO DONATE?
Stewardship is not about making ‘equal amounts,’ it’s about making an ‘equal sacrifice.’ The amount of your gift is a personal decision; however, you may want to consider these guidelines as you discern your pledge amount.

This overall campaign project is approximately 1.5 times the amount of our annual offertory. If everyone could a commitment to the campaign that is 1.5 times their annual offertory giving, then the funding would be committed to cover the cost of the project. Remember, payments of your pledge can be structured over a 3-year period with either monthly, quarterly or annual payments.

For example, if your current giving to the parish offertory is $4,000 annually, then you might consider pledging to the campaign an additional 1.5 times that amount, or $6,000, over three years. If you then structured 36 monthly payments to pay out your pledge, then your monthly payment would be $166.67.

I MADE A PLEDGE TO THE LAST CAMPAIGN, AM I EXPECTED TO PLEDGE OR DONATE AGAIN?
Our hope is that every member and friend of St. Vincent de Paul parish will participate in this new campaign. The last campaign was conducted near the 25-year anniversary of our parish nearly 25 years ago. Please participate.

WHAT FORMS OF CONTRIBUTIONS ARE ACCEPTABLE?
Contributions may be made by cash (check, credit card or bank draft) or through donation of appreciated assets (stocks, mutual funds, property, mineral interests etc.). The campaign also accepts contributions from donor advised funds or direct distributions from a qualified retirement plan (QCD), such as an IRA. For assistance with these types of donations, please contact Dianna Rhoads at the Advancement Foundation: [email protected] or 817-533-3174.

I HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING MAKING PROVISIONS FOR ST. VINCENT DE PAUL IN MY ESTATE PLANS, WOULD THAT BE HELPFUL TO THE CAMPAIGN?
Planned gifts, such as charitable gift annuities, beneficiary designations on insurance policies or bank accounts or bequests in a will, are appreciated. To discuss these opportunities, please contact Renée Underwood, CFRE, at the Advancement Foundation via email to [email protected] or by phone at 817-533-7242.

WILL MEMBERS AND FRIENDS BE INFORMED AS TO THE FUND-RAISING PROGRESS?
Campaign progress will be communicated in numerous ways, including bulletin, website and displays in the Narthex.

MAY I OFFER MY COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS FOR THIS CAMPAIGN?
We encourage all members and friends of St. Vincent De Paul church to share any comments, suggestions and ideas for this campaign. You may send an email to either the business manager, Wendy Perez ([email protected]) or to any committee chair or member of the campaign. We are available for phone calls and personal visits with you.

WILL THE ST. VINCENT DEPAUL STATUE REMAIN WHERE IT IS OR MOVE TO THE NARTHEX?
Either is possible, however, the campaign committee desires to honor the donors of the existing statue who are recognized on the bricks surrounding it. The final decision will be made later in the construction process

WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH JOHNSON CREEK IN OUR NARTHEX?
The current creek has required extensive maintenance over the course of years. The creek will be removed. Tribute will be paid by using blue flooring between the two stained glass windows, connecting the baptism of Christ to salvation. We will still be reminded of the waters of baptism that is the start of our journey as we enter the Church.

I AM A LICENSED BUILDING CONTRACTOR OR TRADESMAN. CAN I PROVIDE SERVICES IN LIEU OF OR IN ADDITION TO MAKING A MONETARY DONATION OR PLEDGE?
Please contact either building committee chair Mary Hart or campaign chair Gene Livens for specific questions and discussions. Where possible, we want to honor such requests, if we adhere to the operating guidelines and policies of the Diocese of Fort Worth, such as licensing, insurance and other issues, when approving contractors to work on this project.

HOW MAY I PREPARE TO PARTICIPATE?
First, as you thoughtfully pray about your participation, ask yourself:

• Does this project make a difference to me?
• Will this gift change me and change my level of commitment to my church?
• Am I making a prayerful decision while simultaneously seeking God’s will?
• Did I invite God to be a part of this decision process?
• Did I have a real conversation about this with my family?
• Did I take a step of faith that deepens my own discipleship?
• Did I learn something about myself as to making commitments and donations?

 

Also, pray for discernment, inviting God to show you what He wants you to do in and through you to accomplish His will and vision for Christ’s Kingdom on Earth. Consider the following readings:

• 1 Corinthians 16: 2
• Proverbs 11:25
• Provers 3:5-9
• 2d Corinthians 8:7
• Acts 20:35
• Luke 6:38
• Psalm 116:2