Many years ago, a friend of mine was complaining that his parish was paying for services that he was certain a specific parishioner, who owned a business in that field, would have gladly provided for free. His frustration was that the parish was spending money on overhead while shortchanging the budget for ministry and evangelization, such as faith formation for children, youth, and adults.
I have to admit, I was caught off guard by his comments. Parishes rightly spend money on facility upkeep and landscaping because, I believe, a well-manicured property is part of an evangelical culture. Think about it: do you want to go to a church where the building is falling apart or the plants are dead? Those details make a difference.
However, my friend had a point. Parishes are leaving money and in-kind charitable contributions on the table. His point was simple: parish leadership needs to ask.
This is one of the most fundamental rules in fundraising: if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Simple.
Yet, Catholic parishes don’t ask.
I’m trying to recall the last time someone on a parish staff, whether the pastor or another leader, actually asked me to give money to the parish (excluding the annual diocesan appeal). I honestly cannot remember a single instance in the past 20 years. I’ll admit my memory might be faulty, but I really can’t think of a single moment.
Sure, I get weekly envelopes. And sure, the annual finance report in the fall often serves as a signal to give, but those are “soft asks.” No one is actually asking. I think the assumption is just that I will give without being prompted—that old “pray, pay, and obey” mentality.
This is not an effective way to manage stewardship.
I have been responsible for fundraising for years across various roles in the Church and in non-profits, so I get it. Asking for money isn’t easy. It can feel awkward—desperate, even. But we have to get over that discomfort and ask.
Why?
I don’t know any pastoral leader who says they have “enough” money in their budget for the mission. Statistically, we also know that charitable giving is down in Catholic parishes (there are many causes for this, but that’s an article for another time). And let’s be real: is there any mission more important than the one the Church is tasked with? I may be biased, but for me, the answer is a resounding “no.”
The fundamental shift in the modern Western Church is this: that mantra I mentioned, “pray, pay, and obey,” is over.
There was a time when parish leaders could simply expect parishioners to put money in the basket every Sunday. That certainly still happens, especially among older generations, but that expectation is on the decline. Traditional non-profits have known this for decades: if you don’t ask, you won’t get the resources you need to support the mission.
How you ask makes a world of difference, and we will delve into that in future articles. In the meantime, we must get over our awkwardness and practice the most basic tool in the fundraising toolkit:
Ask!
I think you’ll find that many people are just waiting to say yes.
If you’re a pastoral leader, ask yourself this: When was the last time you actually asked people to give?
