Frequently Asked Questions

Will my pledge dollars be shared with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia?
All gifts received for this project will be used exclusively by St. John the Evangelist Church for these projects. All pledge funds collected will be held in a restricted account.

How will funds be expended?
First, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has lent the funds to St. John's in order for the parish to complete the restoration of the towers. Payments on that loan will be a top priority once the active phase of the campaign is complete. Second, the items listed in Phase 2 of the project are of a critical nature. Until these needs are secured, other projects will be on hold.

How will the projects in Phase 2 be prioritized?
A number of projects in Phase 2 will be accomplished simultaneously as the funds from the campaign become available. Projects of a more critical nature will be prioritized. Some of the projects, such as the skylights and the roof, are linked and may be worked on at the same time.

Will the weekly offerings support the campaign?
No. These projects are above and beyond the operational costs of the parish. The weekly offertory is used to support our normal operations. We are asking you to consider a pledge in addition to your weekly gift.

Who will be asked to contribute?
Every family in the parish will be offered the opportunity to make a pledge. In addition, friends, former parishioners, and local businesses will be asked to contribute. We hope that every household will contribute according to their ability. This is ourchurch, ourparish and ourproject. We understand that not everyone has the same financial ability, but every gift is needed and appreciated. In addition to the individuals in our parish, we will be seeking grants from public and private foundations and, because of the importance of St. John's to our neighbors, we will also ask for their support.

How much should I give?
Only you know your personal circumstances and only you can make that decision. We ask that your gift be a sacrifice and that you prayerfully consider making a three-year pledge of financial support. Your pledge is measured as a faith response in proportion to what you have received from God. Please remember that God is never outdone in His generosity to us.

What are the benefits to me, the donor?
Our parish is much more than the buildings where we gather. Giving to this plan is caring for our present and making an investment in the future of our parish and its people. This is an opportunity for all parishioners to become more closely united as a parish family, to individually and as a community recommit to our Catholic faith. Acting together as one people of God, we make our parish stronger by caring for our gifts and giving a return to God in gratitude. Please be aware that your gift is tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Please consult your tax advisor.

Is there a minimum pledge?
No. All gifts and pledges are needed and welcomed. We are asking each family to prayerfully consider what St. John's has meant to them and how their financial gift can make a difference in The Campaign for St. John's.

Why are we being asked to consider a three-year pledge?
It is critical to the success of this campaign that all families make a pledge. By making pledges over three years (which may be four tax years), parishioners can adjust their payment schedules to suit personal circumstances. The pledges will provide the confidence for us to complete the project in a timely manner without burdening the parish with any additional debt.

What if my circumstances change after I make my pledge?
A pledge, like a promise, does have a moral obligation. However, it is not legally binding. Should your circumstances change, send a note to the parish asking to adjust your pledge.

Can I restrict my gift?
While donors have the prerogative to restrict their gifts, please keep in mind that our campaign has been placed in a "phased approach" due to the urgency of Phases 1 and 2 and the financial limitations of the parish. All of the projects in Phases 1 and 2 are of great urgency and importance. Attention cannot be given to other priorities until these needs are met.

What is the Campaign for St. Johns' refund policy?
All Donations and pledges are final. Once a donation/pledge is made, we allocate those funds to a project, so we are unable to make a refund after a pledge is processed.

What is the Campaign for St Johns' privacy policy?

Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church values your support and has created this policy, which details our information gathering and dissemination practices, to demonstrate our organization's commitment to protecting your privacy. This policy may be updated from time to time, so please check back periodically.

Information collection and use
In general, you can visit Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church on the World Wide Web without telling us who you are or revealing any information about yourself. Our web servers collect the domain names, not the e-mail addresses, of visitors. This information is aggregated to measure the number of visits, average time spent on the site, pages viewed, etc. Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church uses this information to measure the use of our site and to improve the content of our site.

If you make a donation, you may provide contact information (like name, email, and billing address) and financial information (like credit card number and expiration date). All credit card information is handled in a highly secure manner, credit card information is not retained beyond the time of credit card processing. Your contact information is used to send you requested materials or a donation receipt (if you have made a donation), and to keep you informed about our program work. If we have trouble processing an order or donation, this contact information may also be used to get in touch with you.

Our policy is to protect the privacy of our supporters by not renting or selling any personal information; we do not share, rent, or sell email addresses. Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church may occasionally share our mailing lists with other like-minded nonprofit organizations. If you do not want us to share this information you may call us at any time at 215-563-4145, or e-mail us at info@stjohnsfund.com, to let us know.

Security
The Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church website has security measures in place to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. Any forms submitted online that contain personal financial information are submitted via a secure server.

Any data that may be housed at Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church is on secure servers that are not accessible via the Internet or dial-up networks. These computers are protected by extensive network security with very limited access by select personnel charged with protecting the privacy of your records.

Links
The Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church website may at times contain links to websites of our partners, and other organizations that have information we believe may be of interest. While we try to link only to websites that share our high standards and respect for privacy, we are not responsible for the content or the privacy practices employed by other sites.

Contact for corrections/updates to your information and its use
Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church gives our website users and others the following options for correcting, updating, and/or removing their previously provided information and for directing in how they would like that information used or not used.

You can email Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church Capital Campaign Office at info@stjohnsfund.com, sjeoffice@yahoo.com. Or you can mail to Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church Parish Office, 21 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Or, phone 215-563-4145.