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Average gift to Bishop's Appeal tops $100

Catholics in Northeastern Wisconsin gave $4.37 million to the 2003 Bishop's Appeal, the Green Bay Diocese's annual fund drive. The gifts represent 91% of the $4.8 million target.

"On behalf of the diocese and the thousands of people who are impacted every year by the Bishop's Appeal, I want to thank those who made a gift," said Bp. Robert Banks. "It's only through people's generosity that we can educate children, train school leaders, serve people who are at the fringe of our society, and minister through so many programs that are utilized by parishes and other organizations."

Ron Shaha, director of the Bishop's Appeal, said he is pleased with the support for the Appeal, especially since several communities in the diocese have experienced massive job losses.

"People have been very generous to the Bishop's Appeal," Shaha said. "Occasionally, a donor sends a note along with a gift saying he or she wished they could afford to give more, but can't. So we know people are trying to be the best stewards they can be. And they are because they are sharing their gifts and prayers of support with people they might never even meet."

Shaha highlighted several campaign successes:

• The average gift broke the $100 mark for the first time in the history of the Bishop's Appeal. The average gift climbed 2.6% to $101.26.

• 266 new people joined the Crozier Society, which recognizes gifts of $500 or more. The 1,285 Crozier members account for 26.4% of the total dollars raised for the Appeal.

• More than 39,000 people contributed to the Appeal, and 4,567 of them were first-time donors.

Even with these achievements the Bishop's Appeal fell short of its target, which Shaha said is closely connected to the declining economy. He points out that:

• Most charitable organizations across the nation fell short of their fund-raising goals in the previous year. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported that the percentage of Americans who made gifts to charity dropped from 87% in 2001 to 77% in 2002.

• Of the five dioceses in Wisconsin, the Green Bay Diocese has the most counties facing the highest rate of unemployment, according to this summer's report from the Department of Workforce Development. "Eight of our 16 counties have an unemployment rate between 4 and 5.9% and the other eight have an unemployment rate of more than 65, which represents almost 25% of our Catholic population," Shaha said.

With the rise in unemployment, Catholic Charities - the diocesan social service agency and a recipient of Bishop's Appeal gifts - has seen an almost 20% increase in demand for its services compared with last year.

"Clearly there are more people who are in need of the many services that we provide, whether it is budget counseling, community outreach, children and youth services or other programs. The Bishop's Appeal provides support so we can continue to fulfill our ministry," said Karen Johnston, director of Catholic Charities.

The Bishop's Appeal provides approximately 45% of the diocese's annual budget. The other major sources of income are program fees and returns from investments and savings. Since the Appeal did not reach 100% of its target, some standard budget reduction measures have been implemented, such as reducing staff training and development workshops, forgoing non-critical expenses, and not filling certain positions once they became vacant.