Charity or Charity with strings attached?

[melensdad]

At dinner last night my wife and I talked about making a donation to the parish school. We could write a check and leave it at that. Or we wondered if we should write a CHALLENGE to the school parents to get the parish members involved.

It seems that many in the parish do not support the school with any financial contributions at all. It is like the school is that building out back but not part of the church. We hoped to challenge the school parents to involve the whole parish.

Is it wrong to attach strings like this to a donation?

We thought that we would offer the school a $2500.00 donation, but only if the parents of the school would MATCH that amount. Further, we wanted the total of the $5000 to be ABOVE the budget for the next school year. So basically we are saying that if the budget is set at “X” dollars, then they will get X + $5000.

Our logic is based on experience. When she was in elementary school our daughter attended the school and we were involved in fund raising. We found that very few people FROM THE PARISH actually participated in the school. We thought by setting the bar at a 1-to-1 matching ratio, it would require our very small school community to get the regular parish members involved in SOME SORT of fund raising effort. We don’t care HOW they raise the money (phone-a-thon, car washes, bake sales, etc) we just felt that it would be a good way to get the parish involved in the school.

Thoughts? Is it wrong? Is it OK? If its OK can you suggest improvements?

 

[BlestOne]

I see nothing wrong with challenging others to contribute this way. A few yrs ago an anonymous donor at our parish suggested a $50,000 donation if the rest of the parish would come up with matching funds. With a parish of 900 families, somehow we made it. Some gave more than others of course and most gave according to their abilities… it was actually cool to see the number grow then stagnate then push over the top… and who won??? The parish got enough money to repair our roof the right way with copper flashing and all…isn’t it beautiful?
http://home.catholicweb.com/stmalachychurch/images//ACFEC0.jpg

 

[whatevergirl]

At dinner last night my wife and I talked about making a donation to the parish school. We could write a check and leave it at that. Or we wondered if we should write a CHALLENGE to the school parents to get the parish members involved.

It seems that many in the parish do not support the school with any financial contributions at all. It is like the school is that building out back but not part of the church. We hoped to challenge the school parents to involve the whole parish.

Is it wrong to attach strings like this to a donation?

We thought that we would offer the school a $2500.00 donation, but only if the parents of the school would MATCH that amount. Further, we wanted the total of the $5000 to be ABOVE the budget for the next school year. So basically we are saying that if the budget is set at “X” dollars, then they will get X + $5000.

Our logic is based on experience. When she was in elementary school our daughter attended the school and we were involved in fund raising. We found that very few people FROM THE PARISH actually participated in the school. We thought by setting the bar at a 1-to-1 matching ratio, it would require our very small school community to get the regular parish members involved in SOME SORT of fund raising effort. We don’t care HOW they raise the money (phone-a-thon, car washes, bake sales, etc) we just felt that it would be a good way to get the parish involved in the school.

Thoughts? Is it wrong? Is it OK? If its OK can you suggest improvements?

During my time in PA, we joined a parish for several years…that always asked for support for the school. Not in hidden away bake sales, etc…but there were envelopes every three weeks, that were devoted to the school. The problem my husband had with it, is he said…the church was making about $500k federal income tax free…it was a small parish…where was the money going? When you hear that your parish priest is flying to Switzerland for a ski trip and Ireland for another ‘pleasure’ trip, yet they are asking for the money to fix the school’s gym floor, it did make us wonder at times, where the parish’s priorities lied. Not that a priest shouldn’t have a well deserved vacation…but then don’t turn around and ask for money to put in new things into a school that my kids don’t even attend. It just seemed somewhat presumptious on their part. Sorry – didn’t mean to go astray there!

We always gave to the school…and so I think what you are doing is great. It shows so much initiative on your part…

 

[melensdad]

Our parish is small and rural, and the school is struggling for money and it has for as long as I can remember (been a member here for 12.5 years). For a while, just before we moved here, our school was closed for several years. It seems like there is a feeling in the parish that if your kids are not currently IN the school then you don’t have to support it. That is probably an exaggeration but it is the feeling I get from many people.

In fact I’ve talked to some of my daughter’s former classmates who now are in the public school system in JR High School and the parents make comments about being happy to be DONE WITH DONATING to the school

I thought the school was just considered one of the missions of the church, just like the St Vincent DePaul Society, just like the community outreach programs, adult faith formation, etc. And I was under the impression it was supposed to be considered one of the more important missions because it helped to build future Catholic beliefs in our young people.

If that is so, then why doesn’t everyone support the school?

 

[1ke]

I thought the school was just considered one of the missions of the church, just like the St Vincent DePaul Society, just like the community outreach programs, adult faith formation, etc. And I was under the impression it was supposed to be considered one of the more important missions because it helped to build future Catholic beliefs in our young people.

If that is so, then why doesn’t everyone support the school?

**THIS **is exactly what you should say and ask the parishioners in Mass or in the parish bulletin.

The challenge should not be a challenge to the school, but **directly **to the parish.