A Legacy of Faith, Hope and Love is an opportunity for Catholics across Middle Tennessee to come together to build up God’s Church across our region, now and for many years to come. Funds raised through this one-time campaign will provide sustainable, long-term endowment funding for the priorities outlined in the case for support. Additionally, this campaign will strengthen parishes across the diocese by returning 25 percent of all funds raised at a particular parish back to that parish to address the needs and projects of their choosing.

Bishop’s Annual Appeal for Ministries is a yearly appeal that covers the ongoing operating expenses associated with the ministries and services of the Diocese of Nashville. As our local Catholic community continues to grow, so will the cost of providing these ministries and services. Bishop’s Annual Appeal for Ministries is about addressing today’s needs, while the Legacy Campaign is about building up the Church for future generations. Together, the appeal and the campaign will provide critical funding to ensure that the diocese can adequately address the needs of those served – not just for one year or three years, but for many years to come.

On a diocesan level, the entire campaign will run through October 2022. On a parish level, there are three campaign waves. A parish’s particular wave will run for six to seven months. That includes preparation, appeals and follow-up phases. The active appeals period will last two to three months. Pledges can be fulfilled over a three-year period, or over any period a donor wishes.

Ask amounts are based on several factors: planning study results, families’ history of parish support, input from church leadership, and the understanding that for this to be successful it will require sacrificial gifts. In other words, if the amount you are asked for is more than you anticipated, it generally means that you have been a generous supporter of your parish and/or the diocese and is an indication of the challenge we face in reaching our goal. Through this campaign, we are asking everyone to consider supporting their parish and the diocese in a meaningful and sacrificial way and in a manner that works well for each family. It is not our intention to offend or embarrass anyone. The amount requested is NOT an expectation. It is an invitation to participate at a level that is sacrificial and meaningful to you and your family. We will be grateful for any support you offer.

Pledges allow donors to consider giving more than is possible through one-time gifts. Parishioners can be more generous to their parishes’ campaign and the diocese through incremental giving over time. Additionally, pledging is not as big a strain on household budgets. This is important in a campaign of this magnitude.

There will be several ways to make a gift or make payments on your pledge to the campaign, including:

• Setting up a pre-authorized gift (automatic withdrawal) from a checking account
• Setting up an automatic credit card payment
• Paying by cash or check through the mail
• Making a stock or securities transfer

Gifts of cash and appreciated securities are the most common. But trust and estate gifts are welcomed. Donors considering a planned gift should contact the diocese’s Chief Development Officer, Ashley Linville, at 615-645-9768 to discuss available options.

Gifts to the campaign are eligible for charitable tax credits that can significantly reduce the amount of tax you pay. The specific tax credit received is based on the amount of your gift and your taxable income. Donors with specific questions regarding tax benefits should contact their attorney or financial adviser.

There is no penalty for not achieving goal, as long as the parish puts forth a “good faith effort.”

Each parish in the diocese has specific needs to address in order to grow and prosper. Therefore, the campaign will return 25 percent of all donations identified with an individual parish back to that parish for their unique needs and projects. In addition, once a parish exceeds its campaign goal, that parish will receive 75 percent of funds raised over goal for their parish share projects. Strengthening local parishes is an essential part of this historic campaign, and the parish share component will help parishes expand ministries, improve facilities and better meet the needs of those they serve.

Transparency is a top priority for the diocese. The diocese publishes its audited financial reports and distributes an annual report to households. The complete audit report is on the diocesan website. The status of A Legacy of Faith, Hope and Love Campaign will be published. Regular fundraising updates are communicated through several avenues – the website, emails, social media, to name a few.

The endowment funds are invested in equity and fixed funds, which are selected based on recommendations of our volunteer Investment Committee with input from a variety of investment managers (for example Regions, CBIS, American Funds, Baird). The committee is composed of investment advisory professionals. We benchmark the S&P 500 and other indexes (international, small, medium, large cap: growth or value, fixed or varying duration). We earn near the benchmark. For the last fiscal year, returns ranged from 22 percent to 31 percent.

Funds raised during the campaign will be held in a segregated account, in trust for the parishes and ministries for which they were raised. Both civil and canon law require the diocese to use the gifts we receive for the stated purposes for which they were given – an obligation to which we are fully committed.

Frankly, we hope you continue to support your parish directly through your regular Sunday giving. This campaign is not intended to divert funds that go toward normal operating needs. The campaign is a special effort to meet needs that go beyond the routine and that can help to set up parishes (and the diocese) to thrive for years to come. In short, supporting this campaign is supporting your parish directly – as well as other parishes in need and various diocesan ministries.