To the People of the Diocese of Lansing,

In 2016, the Diocese of Lansing initiated a historic effort to raise $65 million in its first-ever comprehensive diocesan-wide campaign entitled Witness to Hope. Based on the vision of Bishop Boyea’s pastoral letter Go and Announce the Gospel of the Lord, the campaign was designed to advance the ability of our parishes, as well as our diocese, to fulfill the shared mission given to us by Jesus for years to come. Guided by faith and surrounded in prayer, the active phase of the campaign began on July 1, 2016.

As of June 30, 2023, nearly $75 million has been received and distributed in support of the campaign’s published goals. Of this, nearly $41.3 million has been distributed to our parishes and $33.5 million has been distributed to wider church case elements. Not unexpectedly, a number of donors have communicated that they are unable to fulfill their pledges. Accordingly, nearly $7.6 million in pledges have been written off. Approximately $1.3 million in pledges remain to be paid.

Witness to Hope will reach its conclusion on December 31, 2023. Pledge redemption will conclude as of that date and any remaining pledge balance will be written off. Final distributions to parishes and wider church case elements will be made in early 2024

The Accountability Oversight Committee has reviewed the materials provided us by the staff of The Catholic Foundation and the Diocese of Lansing’s Department of Finance. Based on our review and discussion of these materials, we believe that the distribution of funds received in the Witness to Hope campaign meet the directives concerning case elements of the campaign as outlined in campaign literature and documents, in particular the Campaign Case Statement, consistent with campaign policies and guidelines.

Should you have any questions or comments about this report or the campaign, please contact Matt Hufnagel, President of The Catholic Foundation at 517-253-8748 or mhufnagel@dioceseoflansing.org.

Sincerely,

The Witness to Hope Capital Campaign Accountability Oversight Committee