#GiveNDCatholic brings North Dakota Catholics together for three-day charity event

Does your parish church need a new roof? Do you want to help Catholic schools to shape the faith and future of our children? Are you looking for someplace to give a donation for end-of-year tax purposes?

Your opportunity is coming Dec. 1–3. #GiveNDCatholic is a first-ever, joint fundraising event for the Dioceses of Fargo and Bismarck. This event gives Catholics in North Dakota an opportunity to support various Catholic organizations, parishes, and programs over the three-day period.

“We based our event off of the worldwide GivingTuesday program and the #iGiveCatholic event which are very well organized and established,” said Ron Schatz, Director of Stewardship for the Diocese of Bismarck. “However, we chose to do our own separate event in order to save administrative costs to get more money to where it was most needed.”

Both dioceses were charged by Bishop Kagan of Bismarck and Bishop Folda of Fargo to raise $50,000 each through donations and matched-giving up to $25,000. If a donor gives a $20-dollar donation, that donation is matched dollar-for-dollar to make it a $40-donation. Private donors have already pledged the $25,000 matching donations for both dioceses. Once the $25,000 matching fund limit is reached, any donations beyond that will not be matched.

So why hold a year-end event like this, especially when both dioceses run an annual giving campaign? According to #GiveNDCatholic promotional materials, “This event helps kick off the charitable season, promotes year-end giving, and brings the North Dakota Catholic Community together to give thanks for all the blessings God has blessed them with and an opportunity to share their blessings with good Catholic organizations and charities.”

“We appreciate those who already give to their parishes or the diocesan appeal,” said Steve Schons, Director of Stewardship and Development for the Diocese of Fargo. “Some like to do more, and this gives those donors an opportunity to make an additional gift to their parish. This drive is not a ‘support your diocese drive,’ this is to support your parish, your favorite ministry program, or school.”

Both Bishop Kagan and Bishop Folda have selected which entities are eligible to receive donations. The Bismarck Diocese has identified its Priest Retirement Fund, Office of Family Ministry and Respect Life, Office of Hispanic Ministry, and the St. Mary’s Sisters, a newly established religious community in the diocese. The Fargo Diocese will accept donations for any parish, school, diocesan program, or religious community the donor chooses.

Giving starts on Dec. 1 and runs through Dec. 3 to give potential donors ample time to decide which organizations they want to support and how much they wish to donate. Giving will be done through the #GiveNDCatholic website through a secure donation portal. Donors may choose between the Bismarck and Fargo Diocese, and then go to a drop-down menu to find the parish or organization they wish to support. Once the donation is received, the donor will receive an email confirming the donation and the entity chosen by the donor. Every dollar raised by the campaign will go to the organizations intended.

“For years, the end of the calendar year has been considered the biggest giving time of the year for most charities,” said Ron Schatz. “Organizations rely on year-end giving support, and donors like year-end giving to take advantage of the tax year savings. We wanted to make sure that we were a viable option for people to consider, and to tap into the giving season around the Thanksgiving time.”

Both dioceses will begin a public information campaign the second week of November on social media, diocesan websites, and parish bulletins. The faithful will also receive a mailing explaining the program and asking them to consider making a donation Dec. 1–3.

The #GiveNDCatholic is a great opportunity to offer extra support your local parish with that special project, provide upkeep of your local cemetery, fund religious communities and priest retirement funds, reach out to our Hispanic community, assist Catholic Charities ND, or help local diocesan offices beyond the annual capital campaigns.

“It’s a great time to be Catholic in North Dakota,” said Steve Schons. “We as a Catholic family take care of each other, and we’re just asking folks if they feel inclined to support a charity to think of their Catholic family first.”