The Bicentennial Campaign is an extraordinary and intentional effort designed to strengthen our existing Diocesan programs and parishes/missions, while taking strides toward sustaining our growing Diocese into the next century. For nearly 200 years, the Catholic Church has ministered to the state of South Carolina through its parishes, people, and social programs. Bishop Guglielmone is dedicated to maintaining and strengthening parish communities and ensuring the continued formation of our Catholic family so we can evangelize and outreach to all South Carolinians. The Bicentennial Campaign will ensure that the church will continue to have a strong foundation to support these priorities well into the future.

The target for the Bicentennial Campaign is $60,000,000. This is a comprehensive capital and endowment campaign in which fund raised will go toward supporting the following three (3) areas:

  1. Strengthening Our Parishes
  2. Forming Catholics to Believe the Gospel
  3. Living the Gospel through Social Outreach

These components are described in detail in the campaign’s Case for Support.

The campaign will seek leadership and support from priests, individuals, private businesses, corporations, and charitable foundations. All members of the surrounding Catholic community will be invited to participate. The campaign seeks contributions that are equal in sacrifice, not necessarily equal in dollar amount. Individuals are asked to make a stretch gift commensurate with their ability over a five (5) year period.

Bishop Guglielmone believes in the need for the Church to prepare for the demands of the next century of Catholic evangelization. Our Bishop asks that we realize together how important the Church is as the Body of Christ. We must work to make sure that every reflection of who the Church is—in every parish and mission—focuses on these three (3) essential elements.

Parishes remain at the center of our priorities. We must also address shifting demographics and the current facility shape of our buildings. It is essential that we respond to the needs of all God’s people in our Diocese—our parishioners, our seminarians, our children, and our most vulnerable.

An endowment is a fund, or funds, established through donors’ gifts to be retained by the Catholic Community Foundation of South Carolina. Investment earnings are used for a clearly stated purpose, with a portion of the interest income reinvested, allowing the endowment to grow. In the Bicentennial Campaign, endowment funds will support a number of activities, including Hispanic ministries, seminarian formation, social ministries, parish and school facilities, and more. Additional endowments are outlined in the campaign case statement.

Every parish and mission will participate in the campaign. Parishes and missions will conduct their campaign between August 2018 and April 2020. This timetable, scheduled within a four (4) month window, provides flexibility and should accommodate all parish situations.

With the assistance from Parish Campaign Managers and the Bicentennial Campaign Office staff, each of the 114 parishes and missions will run a parish-based campaign to support this historic effort. All parishes, missions, and parishioners will benefit from the Bicentennial Campaign.

The proceeds of each parish campaign will be shared fifty percent (50%) to the Diocese and fifty percent (50%) to the parish, as cash payments are received on pledges up to the parish’s established target.

Parish Targets will be set at 105% of the average of the previous three (3) years of offertory income (FY 2017 – 2015).

Example: If the average offertory of a parish from the last three (3) fiscal years is $500,000, then the parish target will be $525,000.

Yes. Should a pastor feel his target is unfair, he may appeal to a sub-committee of the Pastors’ Advisory Committee in writing no later than six (6) weeks after initial targets are mailed. This Target Review Committee will provide the criteria and process for appealing a parish target.

Providing a parish has made a good faith effort and attempted to follow the campaign plan, it will receive fifty cents ($.50) on every dollar collected, even if it does not reach its target. Should a parish refuse to cooperate with the fundraising pan, the Pastors’ Advisory Committee has the right to recommend that the Diocesan portion of the parish target be assessable.

Should a parish exceed its target, it will then receive seventy-five cents ($.75) on every dollar raised over its target.

Example: If a parish target is $400,000 and the parish receives $600,000 towards the campaign, the parish would receive $200,000 (50%) up to its target and $150,000 (75%) above its target for a total of $350,000. The Diocese would receive $200,000 (50%) up to the parish target and $50,000 (25%) of the above target funds for a total of $250,000.

Yes. All funds from the campaign will be maintained in a separate account under the Catholic Community Foundation of SC to be used exclusively for the purposes outlined in the case statement, including campaign expenses. None of the money raised in the campaign will be used for purposes unrelated to the case statement.

The Parish Share for a Standard Campaign (50%) will be allocated to the parish account upon receipt by the Diocese. The parish will receive the funds starting the first fiscal quarter after conclusion of the parish campaign.

Example: At the conclusion of a Parish’s Campaign (December), the Catholic Community Foundation of SC has received $20,000 in payments on pledges. In the first month of the subsequent quarter (January), the Foundation will distribute $10,000 to the parish’s designated account. Payments will continue on a quarterly basis.

The Bishop’s Annual Appeal (BAA) provides necessary annual operating support for pastoral ministries, education programs, and vocations throughout the Diocese of Charleston. The Bicentennial Campaign will raise extraordinary funds for extraordinary capital and endowment needs that will sustain key programs within the Diocese.

Parishes will not be solicited for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal for one (1) year beginning with the Pilot Parishes in August 2018. The Pastor will have the decision on which year his parish is reprieved from the BAA (i.e. 2018, 2019, or 2020). During this year of reprieve, there will be no obligation to promote the BAA within the parish, nor a BAA financial target for the parish. Anything donated by a parishioner whose parish is reprieved will go toward the overall Diocesan target.

Offertory is expected to remain constant. Offertory giving by each parishioner supports parish annual operating expenses, such as maintenance and repair for buildings, cost of utilities, ministries, and wages for parish employees. The Bicentennial Campaign is an extraordinary, unprecedented effort that focuses on significant needs for parishes and the Diocese and allows both to realize their visions. Thus, parishioners are asked to consider a sacrificial gift above and beyond offertory and BAA support.

Similar campaigns have caused increases in parish offertory. This can be attributed to donors strengthening their vision of “Church” and therefore embracing stewardship as a way of life.

Effective August 31, 2018, all new major campaigns for parishes must be coordinated with the Bicentennial Campaign Office. These coordinated efforts will be known as a “combined” parish campaign and will allow each parish to focus specifically on the Diocesan campaign while also addressing its local needs.

Parishes must follow the normal Diocesan approval process by requesting approval from the Office of the Vicar General. If approval is granted, the parish must submit a Memo of Understanding guaranteeing its Diocesan share (50%) of it target while keeping 97% of everything raised above this amount. The additional 3% of all funds raised above the parish standard target goes toward gift-processing.

The Diocese has always counted on the broad-based support of its parishioners to accomplish its fundraising objectives, particularly for the BAA. This historic campaign will also need that broad-based support. All households will be asked to consider a gift to the campaign (over and above their continued annual support of the parish) as a major commitment of their charitable resources over a five-year (5) period.

We need an extraordinary number of commitments to meet our goals; please know that each commitment to the Bicentennial Campaign will have a major and symbolic impact regardless of the pledge level.

A pledge should be determined after prayer for God’s guidance, one of which you can be proud, and one that you know will help the vision for the Diocese of Charleston. Gifts to the Bicentennial Campaign should be equal sacrifice, not necessarily equal in dollar amount, and it is our hope that your giving reflects this measure.

Remember, that gifts can be pledged over a five-year (5) period. Gifts of $100,000 or greater can be restricted to one element of the diocesan campaign.

The Bicentennial Campaign encourages pledged gifts because they allow individuals and families the opportunity to spread payments over a multi-year period. From similar campaigns, we have learned that donors who pledge are able to consider sacrificial gifts as much as four (4) to five (5) times larger than those who make one-time gifts.

No. A pledge is a good-faith commitment made under a particular set of circumstances. If those circumstances change, donors can adjust their pledge payment schedule or balance accordingly.

Payments should be made payable to:
Catholic Community Foundation of SC—Bicentennial Campaign

and should be mailed to:
Bicentennial Campaign
Stewardship Office
901 Orange Grove Road
Charleston, SC 29407

A donor may choose to make monthly, quarterly, or annually. Payment reminders will be sent by the Diocese according to the donor’s chosen schedule. The Diocese of Charleston offers donors a variety of options by which to make a pledge payment. Payments should not be made directly to the parish.

Within the fundraising community, there is no strict mathematical formula that routinely provides a request amount. The amount is determined by considering your previous giving and potential giving capacity while also taking into account your level of engagement and how the Church ranks as a philanthropic priority.

Fundraising is a process that has many components, and investments must be made in order to complete the process. As part of the careful strategic planning that went into the Bicentennial Campaign, the diocese developed a budget that includes fundraising counsel, professional services, the design and production of campaign materials, educational brochures, travel, mailings, postage, and administrative expenses. The careful planning is an investment costing approximately 6% of the overall campaign target. This cost is 100% covered by the Diocese and well within industry standard for a campaign of this magnitude.

You can call the campaign office at 854-222-3994