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DAA inching closer to $1.5 million goal, still time to donate

By KARA KOCZUR, Globe staff reporter
(Email Kara)

With seven months left in the Diocesan Annual Appeal, 88 percent of the campaign goal of $1.5 million has been met.

As of Nov. 30, over $1.31 million had been pledged or donated by 11,000 diocesan households. Although the 2009 DAA is a little behind the 2008 DAA year-to-date, Kristie Arlt, diocesan director of stewardship and communications, remains optimistic.

“We’re just a couple hundred thousand dollars short of the goal, so I’m confident we’ll make it and possibly even exceed it,” she said, adding that she’s not concerned about the country’s economic climate. Last year, which also brought financial hardship to many people, set a record for the amount of money raised for DAA, falling just $70,000 short of the $1.5 million goal.

For those who have not yet contributed, the end of the year is the perfect time to consider giving to DAA, Arlt added. Since many people make year-end contributions, she’s asked pastors to send out a personalized letter to parishioners during the first two weeks of December, asking for their support of the campaign.

“We have a lot of parishes that are close to their goal, and we have several that are struggling,” Arlt said. “[Pastors] need to keep the successes and the struggles in front of parishioners. History shows that parishioners respond well to the facts and they’ve always been generous and sympathetic to the financial needs of the church.”

Arlt knows that priests have a lot on their plates, which is why in August her office visits parishes, giving them ideas that will help them achieve their DAA goal easily. One of her suggestions was to get parish finance councils more involved.

“We asked their finance councils for example, to write personal notes [and] make personal phone calls to some parishioners who maybe have given in the past and for whatever reason have not yet given to the 2009 DAA,” she said.

Finance councils were also asked to make contact with parishioners who had no past record of DAA contributions.

“A lot of times when you talk to people they think, ‘I’ve got two kids in Catholic school and I’ve got a mortgage and I’ve got a car payment,’” Arlt said. “Some people have this idea that if they can’t give significantly, then they just can’t give at all.”

But that’s not true, she added. To show parishioners that their contributions do make a difference, Arlt has asked parishes to use $51.13, which was what each household in the diocese would need to donate to reach $1.5 million, as a fundraising tool. If a household can give $51.13 throughout the next year, she said, maybe by breaking it down into about $10 payments per month for a few months, or even donating quarterly, parishioners find it much more attainable.

“The parishes that have done that have seen successful results,” she said.

Contrary to what some parishioners think, DAA benefits the whole diocese, regardless of if a parish has a school or not. It funds programs such as Totus Tuus, RCIA, marriage preparation classes, religious education classes for students not in Catholic schools, parish accounting offices, Theology on Tap and more.
Catholic Charities also receives $100,000 from DAA each year, Arlt said.

Thus far, 45 parishes have reached or exceeded their goal. Once a parish reaches its goal, 100 percent of funds raised over that goal go directly back to the parish, she said.

Although there’s a little over $181,000 left to raise, the stewardship director said she’s very pleased with DAA’s support. Arlt is especially pleased with the pastors and lay church workers who’ve stepped up to make DAA a success, she said. And, of course, she said, she’s also thankful for parishioners.

“Without them the church would be in trouble financially,” Arlt said. “We need them to help lift us up and help continue to do the work of our bishop and the work of our pastors. I’m beyond pleased with the generosity and support of our parishioners.”

Parishioners have until June 25, 2010, to contribute to the 2009 DAA.