For 100 years, the vision planted in Archbishop Edwin V. O’Hara’s heart to help Catholic rural life thrive continues to bear fruit. While rural America’s social, economic, and religious struggles have changed over the last century, our ministry remains vital.
In light of our 100th anniversary, we created a five-year sustainability plan to support our mission. The Sowing Seeds of Faith and Growth Capital Campaign will expand and enhance our two core initiatives—the Thriving in Rural Ministry program to help rural pastors thrive in their ministry, and Affiliate programs to train and develop Catholic lay leaders to build, celebrate and promote Catholic community.
Over the next five years, this will happen through the Thriving in Rural Ministry Retreat program. These priests will serve in over 1,000 parishes across rural America, reaching over 200,000 Catholics.
Achieving affiliate expansion goals means:
Add needed staff members over the next three years.
Pledges are commitments made in good faith. Payments can be made with check, cash, or by credit card or automatic withdrawal from bank accounts through our online giving system.
Proceeds from grain, crops, livestock, and transfer of land.
Charitable gifts of stocks, bonds, or mutual funds can have an immediate impact on our campaign and offer special tax advantages for you.
Matching gifts can double or triple the size of your contribution. Many companies match charitable gifts made by their employees, retirees, or board members. Farmers can support Catholic Rural Life by giving crops, cattle, or other commodities before they are sold. A First Fruits gift may also offer tax advantages while directing part of your harvest to the work of the rural Church.
Planned gifts—including trust and estate gifts—are accepted. While our primary needs require immediate funding, if a donor offers a planned gift, we will accept all deferred gifts. Gifts from donor advised funds and private foundations are also welcome. Such gifts can allow for full advantage of tax laws and enable you to accomplish your financial and charitable goals:
When you give to Catholic Rural Life your gift helps build the church community in daily rural life.
Yes, although most donors are likely to leave their gifts unrestricted. Unrestricted gifts allow us to provide immediate funding of our highest priority projects.
Through this effort, we invite you to pledge beyond your regular giving. We ask you not to diminish your current giving, rather, to consider a 3-year pledge above it. Your generosity will allow us to expand and enhance Catholic Rural Life’s ministry nationwide, serving a greater number of rural communities.
A pledge to support the Sowing Seeds for Faith and Growth Comprehensive Campaign is not legally binding. However, our hope is that you make a commitment to what you consider to be a meaningful campaign that offers special tax advantages for you.
Yes. Catholic Rural Life is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by IRS regulation, and, therefore, all gifts to the organization are fully deductible. If you have specific questions regarding tax deductibility, please contact your attorney or tax advisor.
Of course. Different payment amounts and options are available on the pledge cards. You may choose your own payment plan and start date. Our goal is to be as donor friendly as possible.
Make a pledge today! Contact CRL’s Director of Development, Kate Schmitt, for more information or to make your pledge now. Your gift will make a great impact on rural Catholic life in our country!
