Founded in 2016, The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation, Inc. (HBF) is an organization dedicated to engaging individual donors and government, business, and other community leaders to assist the Archdiocese of Hartford in promoting the mission of the Catholic Church in the public square. This includes raising, managing, and administering funds to support Catholic parishes, schools, and ministries throughout the Archdiocese.

The Foundation has a board of 35 directors who volunteer their time and represent the Archdiocese’s various constituencies: parishioners, parents, friends, and business, and community leaders.

Following an extensive and collaborative planning process, The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation, in concert with Archbishop Leonard P. Blair, is implementing the Forward with Faith Campaign.

Forward with Faith is The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation’s first major fundraising endeavor and the first archdiocesan-wide campaign in the history of the Archdiocese of Hartford. The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation seeks to  support the following initiatives:

• Invest in our local parish communities serving over 500,000 Catholics by directing a minimum of 50% of the funds raised through their campaigns toward their own local needs;
• Enhance the teaching and learning environment for more than 50,000 students, teachers, priests, and catechists in our Catholic schools and parishes with stronger academics, administrative and teacher leadership, clergy education and professional development, and management practices;
• Fortify the services of Catholic Charities and other social service providers to thousands more people annually with upgraded facilities, additional staff, and new programs; and,
• Innovate by supporting groundbreaking new programs and community partnerships that enable our parishes and schools to engage with the broader community.

The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal (AAA), the annual assessment (cathedraticum), and parish offertory collections provide necessary annual operating support for agencies, ministries, and education programs throughout the Archdiocese of Hartford. 

Our campaign,  Forward with Faith, the first archdiocesan-wide campaign in our history, is a fundraising effort that will raise money for specific needs that will fortify and expand key programs and ministries within the Archdiocese. This campaign will provide much-needed additional financial support to parishes; ensure access to a high-quality Catholic education; invest in faith formation and campus infrastructure; and minister to the needy in our region by providing vital human services.

In contrast to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal (AAA) – in which the money collected each year is distributed to support the good works and activities of the Archdiocese’s ministries, programs, and local charities one year at a time – the Forward with Faith Campaign is a one-time fundraising initiative with the purpose of creating long-term funds from which grants can be made over time for projects, entities, and services that are essential to the future of church life and are above and beyond those addressed by the AAA.

Every parishioner, along with leading foundations, corporations, businesses, and community leaders across the Archdiocese, will be asked to support this historic endeavor. This campaign is conducted in a phased approach so that each member is reached in the appropriate time and manner. While not all members will be able to give at the same level, each will be asked to make a sacrificial commitment. 

The campaign is being led by the HBF Campaign Oversight Team.  With fundraising counsel, they provide the leadership to plan the campaign in each parish.  Pastors and parish volunteers are recruited to implement the campaign in each parish.  

Each parish will receive 50% of the funds raised from its parishioners to be allocated to its own local needs as identified in their parish case for support. Once a parish reaches its target, 80% of all funds over the target will be retained by the parish. Moreover, the remainder of all campaign funds will return to the parishes either directly or indirectly via HBF grant-making activities within its funding priorities.

The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation Board of Directors have gone to great lengths to ensure that the funds raised will be used exclusively for the components outlined in the campaign case statement. Grant-making portfolios are being established for each of the case components. The Finance Committee and Investment Committee of the Board are responsible for the appropriate management, stewardship, and distribution of campaign funds. A yearly audit by the independent auditing firm, will be conducted, and the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation will report annually on funds received and disbursed.

Parishes rely on their offertory collection. Throughout the campaign, pastors will ask parishioners to make commitments above and beyond regular giving. Parishioners are asked not to diminish giving to the offertory or the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal collection but rather to consider an increased commitment to their parish and to the Archdiocese. Parishioners are encouraged to continue to embrace stewardship as a way of life.

Each parish target is set at 100% of the regular ordinary income for 2018. 

Yes. The campaign accepts gifts of stock and other non-liquid assets, including real estate. Donors wishing to make non-cash gifts should speak with their pastor/pastoral administrator or contact The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation at (860) 761-7455. If considering an estate gift, donors should contact The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation directly for assistance. Donors should consult their own financial advisor before making a planned gift.

Yes. Gifts to the campaign are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation will manage all campaign funds. The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation’s Executive Committee, which is comprised of laity and clergy from the community, carefully oversees the management of all investments and will report annually on campaign progress. Once campaign funds are disbursed to the parish, parish leadership will be responsible for overseeing the funds and utilizing them in accordance with the parish’s campaign case for support. 

No. All funds are being and will be used for the purposes outlined in the campaign case statement and in accordance with donor intent. 

The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation’s Board of Trustees has formed an Executive Committee to oversee all grant making.  Members of the Executive Committee, Board, and all subcommittees are available on the HBF website. 

All activity of the Executive Committee is reported to the Board. The Director of Finance and Operations and his/her staff will manage the request for proposal and grant application process, either in the pre-selection of grantees or in the event of an open competition for grants.

The Director of Finance and Operations and appropriate staff will submit to the Executive Committee a docket of grant applications for approval at the recommendation of the Advisory Groups for each case component. Applications on this docket will have met all policy requirements regarding purpose, subject matter, scope, and applicant criteria, under review by the Advisory Groups.

The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation has distributed more than $6 million in strategic grants since May 2018 to support special Archdiocesan projects and long-term initiatives throughout the Archdiocese.  

The parish share of the funds collected will be disbursed every six months: on June 1st for all cash deposits received from July 1st through December 31st, and on December 1st for all cash deposits received from January 1st through June 30th.

The investment of campaign funds is overseen by the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation’s Board of Directors through the Board’s Investment Committee. 

All contributions should be made payable to the Forward with Faith Campaign.

As part of the strategic planning that preceded Forward with Faith, the Foundation developed a budget that includes legal counsel; accountants; fundraising counsel; professional services; the design, production, and distribution of campaign materials; gift redemption; educational brochures; travel; mailings and postage; as well as other administrative expenses. This careful planning is a wise investment that will not exceed 10% of the funds raised, during the four-year solicitation period of 2018-2021, and will be paid from the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation’s share of the funds collected.