GIFT Campaign Jul 2021 Updates

GIFT Campaign Report
(1 April 2021 – 31 June 2021)

The GIFT (Giving in Faith and Thankfulness) campaign was launched in Advent 2016 to support the archdiocese’s vision of a more vibrant, evangelising and missionary Church. This quarterly report updates on the campaign’s progress.

Covid-19 has taken many of us in Singapore through several highs and lows in the first half of this year. Moving through different phases of the restrictions along with the emergence of new Covid clusters, the pandemic continues to impact our daily lives.

Approximately $160,000 was received through parishes, a slightly larger amount collected compared to the first quarter of 2021. Both the amount of contributions from pledges (about $1.17 million) and the number of pledges (about 4,000) increased slightly in response to a renewed call for pledges in June 2021 when the first Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) was announced. This is of concern, as regular pledges are the most sustainable source of funding for the Archdiocese.

In all, total GIFT collections was over $12.8 million in the past quarter (April to June 2021), about four times more than what was received in the previous quarter. This was due primarily to significant ad hoc contributions of more than $10 million to restricted funds, particularly for the Catholic Hub, whose construction is estimated to commence around mid-2022, in response to targeted appeals.

“We are immensely grateful to all our contributors, who ignited and shone their faith with love for our Archdiocese and generously offered what they could to support the mission of the Church. Nonetheless, regular giving in the form of monthly pledges is the key to ensuring that we as a Church can continue to thrive under these trying circumstances,” said Juliana Foo, Executive Director of Catholic Foundation.

We ask for your continued support and prayers as we work as one to build the Church today for tomorrow.