Friends of St. Vincent’s (FOSV) Fundraising

By Susan Miller 

The following are questions I’ve heard and/or ones that are likely on the minds of people who would consider donating to FOSV:

Q: I donated money a few months ago. How was it used?

A: Any money that has been donated, either to SOP or FOSV in the past six months, is being used to fund the canonical appeal. Thank you all for your generosity! Also note that the SOP account is now closed, and the funds have been moved to the FOSV account. 

Q: Where is the money coming from for other costs, such as the newsletter and applying for 501(c)(3) status?

A: The members of SOP have been paying these costs and will continue to do so. Money collected from all other people will be used for the appeal. 

Q: When will you make the appeal?

A: We cannot go forward with the appeal until the bishop officially accepts the recommendation to close and sell St. Vincent’s Church and makes a public announcement. So, we cannot say exactly when the appeal process will begin. However, things change very quickly, and we need to be ready. 

Q: What if St. Vincent’s is saved, and an appeal isn’t necessary? What happens to the money you collected?

A: The newsletter stated the following: “Monies not used in the appeals process will be donated to charities that are at the heart of St. Vincent de Paul’s mission.”

Our first choice, and most likely that of many people who donate, is to use any extra money (or all money if there is not an appeal) to repair St. Vincent’s Church. The best way to do this, in our opinion, would be to write a check from the FOSV account to the contractor to guarantee that the money is used in this way. We owe this to contributors so that their money doesn’t end up in a slush fund. Under the circumstances, however, this may not be possible. In the past, we were told that any fundraising we did would go to the one-church solution. If that remains the case, then all money will go to one or more local charities.

Q: I would like to donate, but I don’t have $100.

A: The $100 Club is just one way to support the appeal. You can donate any amount of money by clicking the Donate button on the right or mailing a check to: 

FOSV
PO Box 56
Painted Post, NY 14870