Campaign FAQs

What is included in the project plan/scope?  
The plan includes the construction of the Community and Education Center, which is the first floor of the eventual Catholic Elementary School.  It includes the Parish Rectory designed for our three Priests and two seminarians.  It includes lot clearing, required infrastructure for drainage, electrical and utilities, landscaping and additional parking.  The current plan also envisions the pay-down of our current debt with early pledge redemptions to accumulate savings with funds currently being utilized for principle and interest payments.  The savings will be applied toward construction costs.
 
How much does the project cost?  How will we pay for it?
The estimate to fund the project including our obligation to the Ignite Campaign is $12.7 million.  Including the remaining parish debt on the existing building, our total need is $18.6 million.  Project funding will come from:

• $11,400,000 of Pledges/Gifts from parishioners.
• $825,000 in accumulated savings by paying down our current debt with early Pledge redemptions.
• $6,350,000 of debt at the end of the project that will be paid through future offertory funds.  All contributions in excess of $11,400,000 will reduce our debt at the end of the project.

 
When will we start building?
The start date depends entirely on how much money is pledged/gifted to the campaign.  The guidance offered by the Archdiocese is that we must pay down our current debt and raise half of the funds for the project which sets the construction start time late 2022.  However, if our community rises-up and we achieve our goal of $11,400,000 or more, and we have paid a significant portion of our current debt, Father Dat will be able to appeal to the Archdiocese to begin construction early.  It will take 9-12 months for project completion.  Contributions in excess of our goal of $11,400,000 will significantly benefit St. Faustina by reducing the amount of parish debt following construction.
 
If we do not meet our goal, we will need to reassess and prioritize what we build.  This will take extra time and costs for architectural plans and parish communications which will further delay the project.
 
Why aren’t we building the church next?
We had always envisioned paying off our debt and building the church next.  However, our growth has been unprecedented when compared to other large parishes and we are having difficulty serving the current needs of our community.  We are simply out of space.  Our growth is expected to accelerate with the construction of the Community and Education Center, and it will further accelerate upon building the church.  We all want a church that glorifies Our Lord; however, we believe the most responsible course is to expand our capacity to serve the current and future needs for all parishioners, children and adults, to better know and experience the love and mercy of God. 
 
Further, the cost of the church that will serve the parish for the long-term is expected to be $30-35 million, which is not financially feasible at this time.   By planning to support the growth in our community, we will be better positioned to fund the cost of the church during the next phase of expansion. 
 
Are the rooms in the Community & Education Center being built to code to facilitate a “Mother’s Day Out” program?
Yes, the Community & Education Center is the ground floor of the eventual elementary school and the rooms are designed to appropriate building code for Pre-K through 3 ^rd Grade.  These rooms will be utilized for various community and faith formation programs, including the “Mother’s Day Out” program.  Program details will be developed later by a group of dedicated parishioners.
 
Who is being asked to support the campaign with a financial Pledge/Gift?
Every family in our St. Faustina Community is asked to contribute to the campaign.  By contributing to the campaign with a meaningful and sacrificial gift within the capacity that you have, you will be blessed knowing that you are building the foundation of a building that will bring many souls to know and love Our Lord.  You will, with much joy in your heart, forever look upon the building that you helped build. 
 
By asking every family to contribute to the campaign, we share in our obligation as a family and community to come together to build and expand God’s Kingdom at St. Faustina.
 
What is the timeline for Pledge/Gift redemptions?
The campaign is designed for pledges to be redeemed over three years beginning January 2020, through December 2022.  Many parishioners have already begun to give to demonstrate their support for the campaign and to help with early debt payment to accumulate savings.  You are welcome to choose the payment plan that best fits your budget.
 
When do I need to make my pledge?
The general campaign will run from September 21 (Kick-off Weekend) through December 8 (Commitment Weekend).  Please make your pledge as soon as possible but no later than December 8, 2019.  We will accumulate all the pledges and report the outcome to the Archdiocese to help define the project start date and timeline.  Meeting or exceeding our goal will demonstrate the enthusiastic commitment at St. Faustina to expand God’s Kingdom.
 
 
Why am I being asked to pledge versus just giving a one-time gift?
One-time gifts are valued and appreciated and are included in the total pledged commitment from the parish.  Father Dat has asked all parishioners to prayerfully discern a meaningful and sacrificial gift to the campaign and then structure that gift appropriate for their circumstances.  Multi-year commitments allow donors to consider giving more than is possible through one-time gifts.  Also, multi-year commitments are not as big a strain on household budgets. This is important in a campaign of this magnitude.  In general, people who pledge feel more invested in the project and in what is going on at the parish.  A pledge requires us to take inventory of what we have and what we have been blessed with and giving back to God on a regular basis, like He continuously gives to us.

Why am I being asked to pledge versus just giving on a regular basis?
We greatly appreciate anyone who has been giving or who gives on a regular basis even without completing a pledge to the campaign. Father Dat has asked all parishioners to prayerfully discern a meaningful and sacrificial gift to the campaign and then structure that gift appropriate for their circumstances.
 
Most gifts to the campaign come through pledges which consider the total planned giving over the term of the campaign.  Pledges over the term of the campaign will be immediately accumulated to demonstrate our commitment and enthusiasm for the project.  It would be most helpful if those contributing on a regular basis would consider making a pledge over the term of the campaign so your total intended giving can be included in the total commitment from the parish.
 
For example, a pledge of $3,600 over a three-year period paid at $100/month immediately counts toward our campaign goal.  In comparison, if a parishioner chooses to make a regular contribution of $100/month without completing a pledge, only the cumulative contribution to date is counted toward our goal.  In summary for this example, in the first month, only $100 is counted toward the goal for a parishioner who intends to make regular contributions over the term of the campaign, while $3,600 is immediately counted if the same parishioner makes a pledge to the campaign.
 
Is my pledge a legally binding commitment? 
A pledge is not a legally binding commitment.  A pledge represents a parishioner’s best intentions to give over a period of time.  It requires one to take inventory of what we have and what we have been blessed with and giving back to God on a regular basis, like He continuously gives to us.  It is a personal commitment between you and God to support the growing spiritual and developmental needs of our St. Faustina community.  We fully understand that over time circumstances may change which will allow some to give more than the pledged amount while others will encounter unplanned hardship making it more difficult to contribute the pledged amount.  Please notify the parish office should your circumstances change, and you are unable to continue giving to the campaign or find the need to modify your pledge.
   
Are there fees when donating through Faith Direct online giving?
Online giving saves time and money for both the individual donor and for St. Faustina.  The individual donor can plan their giving throughout the year and there is no further need for church envelopes or checks.  Individual contributions are properly credited to the donor account for tax reporting.  Online giving simplifies the process and helps to minimize manual entries.
 
The church pays a monthly administration fee to Faith Direct of $437.85 regardless of the number of users.  Faith Direct also charges a 2.35% processing fee for accounts linked to a credit card to recover fees related to the administration of the transaction with the credit card company.  Faith Direct does not charge additional fees for accounts that directly debit a bank checking or savings account which minimizes back office handling and processing costs. 
  
If I donate securities will the Archdiocese charge fees or retain any of the funds?
The Archdiocese does not charge fees or retain any of the securities donated.  The Archdiocese funds are managed by Merrill Lynch and the securities are sold and transferred to cash once received by the Archdiocese.  Like your individual account, Merrill Lynch charges a small transactional fee to process the securities but there are no additional fees charged by the Archdiocese.  The entire cash value of the securities is then transferred to our parish account and credited to the donor in support of our campaign.  More information can be found at https://www.archgh.org/media/12735/stock-flyer-fillable-pdf.pdf
 
Stocks, bonds or mutual fund shares immediately impact our campaign and create an income tax deduction for the donor on the value of the transferred securities.  If you itemize deductions on your tax return, there is no capital gains tax on the appreciated value when you make a charitable gift so there is an additional tax benefit above and beyond the charitable gift donation.

How was the “ask amount” in my letter from Father Dat determined?
During the early planning stages of the campaign, we contracted the services of the Steier Group to conduct a planning study to help determine the amount of money an organization can raise to fund the planned project.  The Steier Group reviewed the giving history of the parish and conducted personal face-to-face interviews with donors and reached out for feedback from parishioners through mail, online and in-pew survey responses.  The Steier Group utilized the data gathered during this process, combined with their extensive experience with other campaigns, to develop the “ask amount” included with each individual letter from Father Dat.  As you can imagine, this is a difficult process with such a new and quickly growing parish with limited giving history. 
 
The “ask amount” should not be viewed as an expectation that the amount will be pledged, but rather is intended to motivate prayerful consideration by a parishioner.   Father Dat has asked all parishioners to prayerfully discern a meaningful and sacrificial gift to the campaign and then structure that gift appropriate for their circumstances. Each pledge and gift, no matter its size, is important to the success of the campaign; the amount is a personal decision between the parishioner, their family, and God. 
 
 
How can we afford to expand our current campus when the Offertory collections are not meeting the current operating needs for the existing building?  How can we get more parishioners to give to the Campaign and the Offertory?
As published in the FY 2018 Annual Report, the operating deficit including debt service was $52,562 ($4,380 per month) and as reported in the September 22, 2019, bulletin, the operating deficit for FY 2019 was $109,891 ($9,158 per month).  Father Dat and the Finance Council published these numbers to be totally transparent regarding the costs of services provided to meet the needs of our growing Community.   Furthermore, Father Dat and the Finance Council are working diligently with all ministries to reduce costs and/or increase revenues to eliminate the annual operating deficit.  The Deepening Discipleship, Expanding Mercy Campaign is appealing to the hearts and minds of all parishioners to give generously to support the growing needs of our Community.  This includes a meaningful and sacrificial gift to the Campaign as well as an appeal to our Community to see if all could be called to be more generous with our First Gifts to Our Lord in support of the weekly offertory. 
 
What is the IGNITE Campaign – Archdiocese of Galveston Houston?
United in our Catholic Faith and in service to all parishes within the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston, we have combined our obligation to the IGNITE Campaign with our Deepening Discipleship, Expanding Mercy Campaign.  The IGNITE Campaign is focused on providing long term support for many necessary ministries to propagate our Catholic Faith.  I encourage you to visit the Archdiocese website at https://www.archgh.org/about/ignite-capital-campaign/case-elements/ to learn more. 
 
Several Leadership Donors directed that a percentage of their pledge/gift be allocated to fulfill our parish’s responsibility to the IGNITE Campaign and the entire $676,000 obligation has now been met to support the work of the Archdiocese.  All future pledges/gifts will go 100% to our Deepening Discipleship, Expanding Mercy Campaign.
 
Furthermore, by combining our IGNITE obligation with our Deepening Discipleship, Expanding Mercy Campaign, all contributions are exempt from the typical 10% property tax related to most Capital Campaigns which results in a significant savings to our St. Faustina Community.