Catholic Charities falls behind on Appeal

By Tracey Drury
Buffalo Business First
April 30, 2018

https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2018/04/30/catholic-charities-falls-behind-on-appeal.html

With two months until the close of its annual fundraising appeal, Catholic Charities of Buffalo is stressing to potential donors that their dollars will not go toward settlements to abuse victims. 

Although the agency is affiliated with the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, it remains an independent 501(c)(3) that serves people of all faiths with a range of human services including emergency assistance, mental health counseling and treatment, help with job training and education and specialized services for older adults.

The Diocese has been in the spotlight for several months regarding a growing number of priests acknowledged to have sexually abused children and teens in past decades. That’s led to the creation of an Independent Reconciliation & Compensation Fund, which the bishop of Buffalo has said will be paid from insurance, self-insurance liability, investment fund reserves and the sale of property - not from the Appeal or the Fund for the Faith, which provides funds to the Diocese at the discretion of the bishop. 

Earlier this month, the Diocese said it will sell two properties, including the Bishop's residence on Oakland Place, to help seed the fund.

Still, the 2018 Appeal is behind, reaching at nearly $8.9 million or just under 81 percent of its $11 million goal to date. That’s down from the 90 percent it has reached historically by this point in the agency’s fiscal year. The agency hasn’t missed the appeal goal since 2009.

Robert Bennett, general chair of the appeal and chancellor emeritus of the New York State Board of Regents, said in a prepared statement that he hopes donors have been reassured their donations will support programs, services and ministries versus settlements to victims of past abuse by priests. 

The organization has had some fundraising success in recent weeks, raising $1.84 million since March 27, but it will need another $2.1 million in 60 days to make goal. Sister Mary McCarrick, diocesan director of Catholic Charities, said that depends on the willingness of longtime donors and a new generation of supporters rallying on its behalf.

Catholic Charities is among the region's largest nonprofit social welfare agencies, operating on a budget of about $40 million.