Fundraising Report

Adrienne Williams Fundraising Manager

With the arrival of COVID‑19 at the start of 2020, and the impact of the virus being felt by our mission partners and the communities they serve, we were overwhelmed by the compassion, kindness and generosity of our supporters during a time that was also uncertain in Australia. Our donors faithfully continued to be there for our mission partners as Catholic Mission stood beside them in their work, and together, we raised $12.7 million when our partners needed it the most.

Appeals

In response to the pandemic and its impact on our mission partners and the communities they serve, we launched a digital emergency appeal to raise funds for support. The response was overwhelming, and we raised over $106,000 in just one month, seeing both new and very loyal donors give to this appeal. In May, we also pivoted our annual tax appeal to focus on the ongoing impact of COVID‑19 in communities in India, Ethiopia and Thailand, all of which were also in lockdown and struggling to continue to support their students, employees and community members through the pandemic. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we raised over $1.2 million, exceeding both the total amount raised and number of gifts received in prior years. And we are so thankful that our supporters continued to sow into this vital work at such a critical time, also generously supporting during World Mission Month (October) and at Christmas. In total, our direct mail appeals were up 13% from the prior period in 2019‑20, and this is only due to the commitment of our supporters in such a great time of need. For that, we are thankful.

Regular Giving

Consistent with the sector, our monthly giving program remained stable throughout the year. Regular giving is such an important part of our fundraising and is one of the most effective ways to give and make an incredible difference. It allows Catholic Mission to forecast and plan ahead to ensure we can continue to support our mission partners. This year, supporters had the opportunity to join two new monthly giving programs: COVID‑19 responses supporting missionaries through the pandemic, and Cambodia Mission Partners, where they could make a regular contribution supporting life‑changing projects for children and communities in Cambodia, making a difference for those in need now and into the future.

Mission Ambassadors

As a complement to World Mission Month, the diocesan team in Brisbane launched a Mission Ambassador Program that saw over 130 students from 20 schools in the diocese deliver parish appeals on World Mission Sunday, supporting the work of Bishop Enrique Figaredo Alvargonzalez and the Arrupe Centre, which provide care, education and vocational opportunities for children and young adults with disability, and their families.

Parish appeals

With churches across Australia facing lockdown and restrictions throughout 2020 and into 2021, and parishioners being hesitant to return to mass in person once restrictions eased, our parish appeals were significantly down, with the number of donors giving through the parish down to about a third from the prior period. Having strategically connected with these supporters through other channels, we did see many choose to give online, through direct mail and the phone, instead.

Events

Like parish appeals, supporter events were directly impacted by the lockdown and physical distancing restrictions implemented across Australia throughout the year, removing our ability to host mission partners and limiting our ability to gather. However, our diocesan team for Greater Sydney hosted a series of webinars with Bishop Enrique Figaredo Alvargonzalez and Fr John Lester Tajon SJ from Cambodia, inviting supporters, educators, and clergy to hear from these mission partners, and share in their work. Our diocesan team in Perth was able to proceed with local events at the end of 2020, but also utilised streaming facilities and other digital opportunities to further connect with supporters. We cannot say enough how thankful we are for each and every supporters, educator, priest and parishioner that continued to support our work through the pandemic, and were there for our mission partners in their time of great need, just as we continue to stand with them.