By Celia K. Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
The Diocese of Honolulu’s new annual appeal is a little more than a month away from concluding its first, most active phase, and officials are encouraged by the response so far.
As of April 30, a number of parishes have exceeded their individual fundraising goals, and overall the Hawaii Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal has raised nearly two-thirds of its hoped-for total.
The Hawaii Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal began in February with the goal of raising $1.5 million. The amount will help fund ministries and services across the diocese, such as youth and young adult evangelization and catechesis; hospital ministry; prison ministry; food and housing assistance; Catholic schools; and communications like the Hawaii Catholic Herald.
The CMAA will also help the diocese meet its operational needs to support retired clergy as well as the formation of future deacons and priests.
Until June 30, the appeal is in what officials call the “active solicitation” phase — when “parishes are encouraged to actively participate in and promote the appeal as part of their commitment to the broader mission,” according to Terra Jones, account administrator for the Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation, which is overseeing the annual appeal.
Every parish in the diocese has a fundraising goal to meet — if not by June 30, then by the end of the calendar year. One difference between the CMAA and previous appeals is the shift from a fiscal year (ending June 30) timeline to a calendar year (ending Dec. 31) model, Jones said.
Jones said that the response so far has been “very encouraging,” with hundreds of new donors and donors who had not made a gift in the past five years but chose to participate in the CMAA.
Lisa Sakamoto, the diocese’s finance officer, also highlighted the participation of new donors “who are ready to help the cause and share God’s gift.”
Sakamoto hypothesized that the clarity of the new annual appeal’s aims might be one reason why donors have been enthusiastic about supporting the campaign. Its goal of benefiting ministries that serve the faithful was laid out from the beginning, so people did not have to wonder where exactly their donations would go.
More than a dozen parishes have already exceeded their fundraising goals. One feature of the CMAA, emphasized by both Jones and Sakamoto, is that parishes can keep any amount raised “above and beyond” their obligation to the appeal and use the extra for their own ministries.
The parishes that are at or above 100% of their goal as of April 30 are:
- Blessed Sacrament (188%)
- Maria Lanakila (130%)
- St. Pius X (122%)
- Holy Family (117%)
- St. John the Baptist (112%)
- Holy Trinity (109%)
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help (108%)
- St. John Vianney (107%)
- St. Catherine (104%)
- St. Elizabeth (104%)
- Newman Center/Holy Spirit (102%)
- Sts. Peter and Paul (102%)
- St. Philomena (101%)
- Sacred Heart, Pahoa (100%)
Parishes that are struggling to reach their goal won’t be asked to make up the difference as long as they’ve made a sincere effort to raise the funds, Jones and Sakamoto said. The annual appeals team is ready to help if parishes need it, Sakamoto added.
“I am very optimistic that we will meet our $1.5 million goal,” Jones said. “Parishes have gone above and beyond, and the enthusiasm with which they are promoting the appeal has been truly encouraging.”