For a third year running, the Catholic Foundation for the People of the Diocese of Bismarck is offering a matching gift challenge. The new, match dollars of $200,000 were made possible this year by the generosity of an anonymous donor. Each year the Foundation has been able to increase the challenge and this year’s is the largest yet.
The Diocese of Bismarck currently has 29 seminarians in all stages of formation, and the annual budget for educating these young men is nearing $1 million. The goal of the Catholic Foundation is to grow the seminarian scholarship endowment fund to a self-sustaining amount, so that no young man who has discerned the will of God in his life to become a priest for the Diocese of Bismarck will have a financial hurdle in being properly educated.
Director of Vocations, Fr. Josh Waltz, elaborated, “We have been blessed with a record number of seminarians this year for our diocese. With the great blessing of so many willing to give their lives for Christ comes the responsibility of educating them and helping them follow and discern their calling without the distraction of overwhelming financial concerns. It is something that only lay faithful can provide!”
Gifts in the range of $1,000 to $15,000 will be matched with an additional 50% through the end of 2016, or until the match funds are exhausted. An example of this would be a $5,000 gift with a 50% match which would become a $7,500 total contribution to the seminarian endowment fund.
Director of Development & Planned Giving, Kim Dvorak, expressed that the reaction to this year’s matching gift program has been very positive. “Because of the 40% North Dakota tax credit, gifts of at least $5,000, up to a maximum of $50,000 for couples filing jointly, qualify for the tax credit. Because of this unique opportunity here in N.D., the potential is great to maximize your gift and be more charitable than you ever thought you could.”
With questions about the tax credit, call Dvorak at 701-204-7206. Donors are asked to speak with their tax professional to see how this may apply to each person’s situation. For more information or to make a gift online, go to
www.CatholicFoundationDOB.com. Click on the “Donate Now” tab and select “Seminarian Scholarship Fund.”