New website offers information, answers on long-term giving

The Albany Diocesan Stewardship Office wants to reach out to Catholics where they live -- and, today, that's just a mouse-click away.

To that end, the office has just launched a website, www.rcda.planyourgift.org, that will be a first step for those thinking about making a financial gift to the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, New York, Inc.

The foundation, created in 1995, is the Diocese's not-for-profit charitable organization that supports the Church through long-term endowment funds.

Site options

The website -- designed by Virtual Giving, a Pennsylvania-based company -- gives answers to a host of questions and allows potential donors to match their goals with the type of gift that best meets those goals, from annuities to real estate.

For instance, a grid of possible gift options notes that for donors who want to reduce their tax liability now and gain additional income later, a deferred gift annuity may be a good choice. However, donors who want to maximize their tax deductions and plan their giving in the simplest way may choose a cash gift instead.

A glossary explains all of the terms used on the site, and a secure "gift calculator" allows visitors to enter their income and learn the tax benefits of making a planned gift.

High-tech pluses

Stewardship director James Kopp noted that there is a twofold reason for going high-tech: People 55 and older are both the fastest-growing group of computer buyers and the group most likely to consider making a "life income gift" to a charitable organization.

In addition, he said, the old process for making a donation was more labor-intensive for the donor, involving calls to the Stewardship Office just to get answers to initial questions.

The site "enables people interested in these types of gifts to get as much information as possible," he said. "The vast majority of their questions will be answered before they even pick up the phone."

Education

The director cautioned that the site does not allow for online giving, but simply educates potential donors on which gifts might be in their best interests and the best interests of the Diocese.

"I'm very excited about this," Mr. Kopp stated. "The successful foundation will be where the potential donor is -- and, right now, that's on the web."

In a message to visitors to the site, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard notes that "the future mission of our Church will be built and sustained, primarily, on a foundation of endowment gifts...[which are] critical to the future ability of our parishes, schools, Catholic Charities, and other diocesan ministries and programs to adequately fulfill the mission of Jesus Christ in our time.

"In a very real way, The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany is our legacy to the future."

(The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, Inc., is governed by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, five trustees, a 15-member advisory board and a five-member investment advisory committee. Foundation accounts are held in the Bank of America; funds are invested in a variety of fixed assets and equities. To learn more, visit www.rcda.planyourgift.org, or call the Stewardship Office at 453-6680.)

(6/23/05) [[In-content Ad]]