2011 Alleluia Fund Campaign
Materials For Clergy & Wardens
Thursday, March 31, 2011 |
Greetings!
This email explains the 2011 Alleluia Fund campaign, taking place during the Alleluia season of April 24 to June 12 (Easter Sunday through Pentecost Sunday).
Launched in 2010, the Alleluia Fund provides an opportunity for individuals to contribute to outreach programs on a diocesan level. These pooled resources are used to make a significant difference in people's lives in the areas of Food, Shelter, Education and International programs. In its inaugural year, $111,000 was raised and distributed to 21 domestic and two international organizations.
What we're asking of clergy and wardens
This year there is a unique opportunity for individuals to give to the Alleluia Fund -- the Un-Event -- and there are some specific ways clergy and wardens can help make it a success. Find out more.
There are also many ways to engage your congregation -- including children and youth -- in a discussion about opportunities for outreach in the four focus areas of Food, Shelter, Education and International programs, and we're providing some resources to help you get started. Find out more.
If you have any questions about the Alleluia Fund, please contact the Rev. Diane Riley, chair of the Alleluia Fund Task Force.
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The Un-Event: What it is and how you can support it
The cost of attending a charity gala can add up fast when one factors in the cost of tickets, attire and other customary expenses.
Instead of a gala, Bishop Beckwith and his wife, Ms. Marilyn Olson, will host an "Un-Event." Immediately after Easter, invitations will be mailed to members of the diocese, asking them to donate to the Alleluia Fund and then enjoy a quiet evening at home in the company of family and friends.
The Un-Event is the primary opportunity to donate to this year's Alleluia Fund.
How you can support the Un-Event:
- Run announcements about the Un-Event in your Sunday bulletin -- especially on Easter Sunday! -- and/or your church's newsletter. Sample announcement:
The Alleluia Fund provides an opportunity for individuals to contribute to outreach programs on a diocesan level. These pooled resources are used to make a significant difference in people's lives in the areas of Food, Shelter, Education and International programs; last year $111,000 was raised and distributed to 23 organizations. This year the primary opportunity to donate is the Un-Event, taking place during the Alleluia season of Easter Sunday, April 24 through Pentecost Sunday, June 12. Find out more at www.dioceseofnewark.org/Alleluia.
- Print extra copies of the Un-Event invitation and make them available to members of your congregation who may not have received the mailed invitation, perhaps because they're new or because they've recently moved.
- Use the resources provided (especially the pre-formatted Alleluia Stories) to educate your congregation about the work of the Alleluia Fund and the need that exists in the focus areas of Food, Shelter, Education and International programs.
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Resources To Engage Your Congregation
Success Stories: Easy-To-Use Handouts
The 2010 Alleluia Fund had a very real, very positive impact on many peoples' lives, both locally and internationally. We've prepared six pre-formatted, easy-to-use handouts:
These handouts can be used as bulletin inserts or newsletter pages, and we urge you to share them with your congregations in whatever way works best for you.
Children And Youth Can Celebrate Alleluia Too
Can each young person in your congregation raise $12? Did you know that one long-lasting mosquito net costing only $12 can save three lives in sub-Saharan Africa from the suffering and death caused by malaria?
This year, part of the Alleluia Fund's focus on international outreach will be the Nets For Life program, through its partnership with Episcopal Relief & Development. Engage your young people by using the curriculum resources prepared by ERD especially for pre-schoolers, children and youth, and help them come up with ideas for how they could raise money during the Alleluia Season.
(So that we can route funds correctly, please be sure that any donations raised by younger members for Nets For Life are clearly indicated as such. And while you're at it, please send us your stories and photos about how they did it, so we can celebrate their contribution!)
Additional Educational Resources
The Alleluia Fund page on the diocesan website provides resources, available both online and from the Bishop Anand Resource Center, which you can use to engage your congregation in discussion about the opportunities that exist in the four focus areas of Food, Shelter, Education and International programs.
Speaker Opportunity
Does your congregation have a special interest in one of the four focus areas? Please contact Diane Riley, who will connect you with someone who can help your with your congregation's educational needs.
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Alleluia Stories
Five Alleluia Stories, highlighting how some of last year's recipients put their grants to good use, have been prepared for you to share with your congregations. These downloadable PDFs can be used as bulletin inserts or newsletter pages. Clergy might also consider incorporating these stories into sermons.
These Alleluia Stories will be published in the Voice Online on the dates listed. You can coordinate your use of the articles with their online publication -- or distribute them in a different sequence that works for you.
For your convenience, each Alleluia Story file also includes the Un-Event invitation to print on the reverse side of the handout. |
2010 Alleluia Grant Recipients
Thanks to donations from many individuals and congregations as well as funds from the diocesan budget, the Alleluia Fund raised $111,000 in its inaugural year to support domestic and international outreach -- roughly 33% more than had been available for outreach in 2009.
Diocesan Council distributed the funds to the following 21 domestic organizations as well as two organizations overseas. Their original grant requests had totaled nearly $173,000.
This pre-formatted handout lists all 23 recipients, and can be used as a supplement to the Alleluia Stories. |
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