Campaign Results
The 2000/2001 year has been a rewarding one for the Pillars Trust Fund.
The annual campaign realized $266,000. This was $16,000 (6%) over the campaign
objective and $38,000 (16%) over the previous year’s results.
We owe this success to a significant increase in our potential donor base, better results in the annual parish campaign, extraordinary donations, and generous support from Foundations and Religious institutions. Furthermore, we must express our appreciation to all who answered our call for advice on campaign strategy. The campaign included three direct mailings and a phonathon carried out over three evenings.
Along with additional revenue from an endowment fund, The Pillars Trust Fund distributed $350,000 to 28 groups. This was an increase of $25,000 (7.5%) over last year's disbursements.
Restructuring of The Pillars
Trust Fund Inc.
The mission statement of the Pillars Trust Fund is threefold. It calls
for Pillars to raise funds within the English Catholic community, to develop
and support pastoral resources in cooperation with the Office of English
Pastoral Services, and to support organizations that provide services and
programs to our community. To facilitate the ongoing realization of its
Mission, the Board of Directors undertook a restructuring of the Pillars
Trust Fund Inc., through the creation of the Pillars Foundation Inc., which
has as its primary mandate the management of the investment portfolio.
Further to facilitating the mission, this reorganization will facilitate
the presentation of financial statements, ease the understanding of our
activities to the users of our financial statements, and isolate the investment
funds in a Foundation with its sole purpose being to fund the Pillars Trust
Fund.
Addressing Our English Catholic
Community Needs
At this year’s annual planning session for the Pillars Trust Fund held
in February, Bishop Mancini was asked to identify priorities which deserve
particular attention and inclusion in our 2001 campaign. As parishes take
on greater responsibility for the Catholic religious instruction of our
children, support is needed for the required programs and the formation
of persons who will take on this responsibility. Bishop Mancini pointed
out the overdue need to address the reality of our aging priests, whose
average age within the English sector of the diocese is 64. Few, if any,
provisions have been made to permit those who served us for so many years
to now retire and live their deserved retirement in a dignified environment.
And today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. As such, we are called on to
support initiatives that are designed to pass on our Catholic heritage:
our Faith. The Board of Directors made a commitment to address these priorities.
Appreciation and Welcome
Pillars Trust is a community-based volunteer driven organization. The
financial support from individuals, organizations, and institutions is
vital to the survival of many of our Beneficiaries. On behalf of the Board
of Directors, I express our sincere appreciation to all our donors.
I thank Bishop Anthony Mancini for his availability, participation, and continued support. I thank the members of the Board of Directors for their commitment and generosity in accepting responsibility for the initiatives and activities carried out during this past year. If it were not for the dedication of Richard Brisebois, campaign/office manager, Pillars would not have enjoyed the success that it did. And I thank all the volunteers, especially those who participated in the phonathon, for their time and commitment.
The members of the Board extend their gratitude to Richard Macklem whose mandate came to term on June 30th of this year. Innovation, mature leadership, and a tireless commitment to the mission of the Pillars Trust Fund marked his five years on the Board, three as president. Nicole Tinmouth, who also completed her term on June 30th, chaired our phonathon committee, a key element of every campaign. We will be ever grateful for Nicole’s dedication to the aims and objectives of Pillars. As Dick and Nicole move on we welcome two new members to the Board, Marie-Claire Holland and Louis Gascon.
In closing, I wish to extend our appreciation to Samson, Belair, Deloitte & Touche whose members have rendered services and provided professional guidance to our Board over the years.
Sincerely,
Don Myles
President - The Pillars Trust Fund Inc.
July 2000 - June 2001