Treasure Sharing Guidelines
Sharing and caring from a financial perspective means making a commitment to share in the cost of running the parish and following through on that commitment. The following are answers to some common questions:
How much should I give? You are the ultimate judge of what is fair and within your ability, but here are a few thoughts to help you come up with a number. On average, we need about $1,000 per active parish household per year to make ends meet, with costs rising every year. Not every household can give that much. Others who are able do not, which means that we rely on the parishioners who are blessed or willing to sacrifice to make up the difference. Whatever you don't give is made up by those sitting around you in church—we don't get any money from Milwaukee, Washington or Rome. If you need a starting place, here's a rough guide:
Youth $1-2 per week
Young Adult (i.e. Those on their own for the 1st time) $5-10 per week
Transitional Supporters (i.e. those winding up or those winding down) $10-20 per week
Sustaining Supporters (Those in their prime earning years) $20-100+ per week

Pick a level you are comfortable with and can build on. Try to increase your commitment a minimum of 4-5% per year, at least during your active earning years.
How can I make my donation? Pick what works best for you:
• Automatic payment. We highly recommend this option, which makes it easy for everyone. Details for setting up this option are attached.
• Collection Envelopes. Choose monthly or weekly, and let us know which you prefer so we can save a few trees.
• Other methods. Choose quarterly, annually or another schedule you choose, as long as you let us know what you are giving and when, which we need to know to manage our budget.

What about special collections or fund raisers? Throughout the year, the parish conducts a number of special collections, including one on every third Sunday of the month and others scattered in between. Generally, the money collected as part of these special collections is used exclusively for a specified cause. Those funds are not available for our general budget. As a result, while we strongly encourage your participation in special collections, your donations to them should be over and above your annual commitment, just as a year end bonus is over and above your regular salary.

How are my donations used? A detailed description of how your donations are used is contained in the parish's annual financial report. Any questions concerning the parish budget can be directed to Kim
Glynn, the business administrator, at the parish office.

How do I leave money to St. Mary's in my will or make another special gift? If you would like to leave money to St. Mary's in your will or provide for another special gift to the parish, please contact the parish office and we will have someone get in touch with you to discuss the options available.

Other questions? If you don't find what you’re looking for above, just ask. This is your parish, and we're convinced that the more you know, the stronger your commitment, and our collective strength, will be. Find a reason to give, commit, and follow through.

Treasure Sharing Guidelines
Sharing and caring from a financial perspective means making a commitment to share in the cost of running the parish and following through on that commitment. The following are answers to some common questions:
How much should I give? You are the ultimate judge of what is fair and within your ability, but here are a few thoughts to help you come up with a number. On average, we need about $1,000 per active parish household per year to make ends meet, with costs rising every year. Not every household can give that much. Others who are able do not, which means that we rely on the parishioners who are blessed or willing to sacrifice to make up the difference. Whatever you don't give is made up by those sitting around you in church—we don't get any money from Milwaukee, Washington or Rome. If you need a starting place, here's a rough guide:
Youth $1-2 per week
Young Adult (i.e. Those on their own for the 1st time) $5-10 per week
Transitional Supporters (i.e. those winding up or those winding down) $10-20 per week
Sustaining Supporters (Those in their prime earning years) $20-100+ per week

Pick a level you are comfortable with and can build on. Try to increase your commitment a minimum of 4-5% per year, at least during your active earning years.
How can I make my donation? Pick what works best for you:
• Automatic payment. We highly recommend this option, which makes it easy for everyone. Details for setting up this option are attached.
• Collection Envelopes. Choose monthly or weekly, and let us know which you prefer so we can save a few trees.
• Other methods. Choose quarterly, annually or another schedule you choose, as long as you let us know what you are giving and when, which we need to know to manage our budget.

What about special collections or fund raisers? Throughout the year, the parish conducts a number of special collections, including one on every third Sunday of the month and others scattered in between. Generally, the money collected as part of these special collections is used exclusively for a specified cause. Those funds are not available for our general budget. As a result, while we strongly encourage your participation in special collections, your donations to them should be over and above your annual commitment, just as a year end bonus is over and above your regular salary.

How are my donations used? A detailed description of how your donations are used is contained in the parish's annual financial report. Any questions concerning the parish budget can be directed to Kim
Glynn, the business administrator, at the parish office.

How do I leave money to St. Mary's in my will or make another special gift? If you would like to leave money to St. Mary's in your will or provide for another special gift to the parish, please contact the parish office and we will have someone get in touch with you to discuss the options available.

Other questions? If you don't find what you’re looking for above, just ask. This is your parish, and we're convinced that the more you know, the stronger your commitment, and our collective strength, will be. Find a reason to give, commit, and follow through.