JULY 2025
Funding the Mission: The Ministry of Inviting Support For mission-driven leaders, the idea of “fundraising” can conjure up all manner of worries. For many, it’s what keeps them up at night as they grapple with the sustainability of their ministry or organization. Vital, yet often misunderstood, fundraising can feel like an albatross around a leader’s neck, the ultimate never-completed task, a delicate garden, which, if not tended daily, can wither in the blink of an eye. Put simply, it can feel like a chore—an obligation adjacent to ministry rather than an essential expression of it. Yet it was renowned theologian Henri Nouwen who said, “Fundraising is, first and foremost, a form of ministry. It is a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission.” For Catholic leaders, this Roundtable Resource aims to help flip the script on fundraising—shifting how we perceive fundraising from a tactical and practical means of collecting money, to instead a spiritual act of building community through which our institutions grow stronger, more connected, and more sustainable. Fundraising is not merely about asking for money. It is a ministry of invitation, a means of celebrating mission, and a strategy for building and renewing the ties that bind.
Why People Give At its core, effective fundraising builds from the understanding that people give to that which they feel connected. While a vibrant parish auction or bingo night might bring in revenue, its true value lies in the friendships forged, traditions honored, and shared memories created, all of which drive people to take part and give throughout the year. That is because researchers have found that a sense of community can be a significant motivator to donate to a cause. When people experience belonging—when they feel they are part of something meaningful—they naturally want to support and sustain it. For some that may mean lending their time and talent, for others, it also means offering philanthropic support. A significant body of research demonstrates this connection between giving and participation. Data from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) show that regular Mass-goers give at far greater rates than Catholics who attend Mass less frequently. Specifically, “three-quarters of those who attended Mass weekly prior to the COVID-19 pandemic gave to their parish collection regularly, compared to half of monthly attenders, and 14% of those who attended Mass a few times a year or less often.”
Roundtable Resources: FUNDING THE MISSION
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