The use of a "bishop’s appeal " campaign in U.S. dioceses, where people pledge directly to the diocese on an annual basis, varies from diocese to diocese. Some have had this type of annual campaign for many years, others have adopted it more recently.
The universal norm is the cathedraticum, a tax paid directly from the parishes to the diocese annually. It’s usually somewhere around 5-10% of collections.
Most U.S. dioceses have both an annual appeal campaign and the cathedraticum.
I’d say the rise of the bishop’s appeal is based on two things: an attempt to engage people directly with the work of the diocese and expand that work and the rise of the paid lay staff (in contrast to religous sisters and priests doing these ministries back in the day, or the ministry not existing).
I think appeal is around 80% of many diocesan budgets with cathedraticum making up about 20%. Before lay staff, the diocese could probably make it on the cathedraticum alone.
In our diocese, if your parish doesn’t make its appeal target, the parish must make up the difference. Our diocese has both the appeal and the cathedraticum.
