Dublin calls in fund-raisers to boost shrinking collections

The Archdiocese of Dublin has ­commissioned an American fund-raising firm to help its 200 parishes to boost their income while separately appointing a priest to a
new role for financial development, writes Sarah Mac Donald.

Community Counselling Service (CCS) is being drafted in following an average drop of 5 per cent every year for the past three years in offertory collections across the diocese.

A spokesperson for the diocese confirmed to The Tablet that a pilot review and consultation process involving Dublin’s priests and parish finance committees is being set in place across its five deaneries. This consultation process will be assisted by CCS, a firm which has recently been involved in a £40 million fund-raising drive in the Archdiocese of Westminster.

CCS, which is normally paid a flat fee for its work, has a successful track record of helping the Church raise money. But volunteers for the Westminster campaign were accused of cold-calling parishioners with information about their charitable giving. At the time, the diocese said it was not aware of such activity and said it took data-protection issues very seriously.

The Archdiocese of Dublin has also appointed Fr Andrew O’Sullivan as its first episcopal vicar for financial development.

Fr O’Sullivan, who is currently serving as moderator with responsibility for the parishes of Sandyford, Kilternan and Glencullen and is undertaking a major restoration project in those parishes, has already taken up his appointment, which is a first for the diocese.

His fund-raising role will be “separate from efforts to manage financial support and spending for diocesan services which are under a more general review”, according to Dublin’s spokesperson.