Cathedral Builders Fund
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Honor our past and preserve our future by becoming a member of St. John’s Cathedral Builders.
With the recent tragedy at Notre Dame, we were all reminded of the importance of the care and preservation of our holy spaces. So, as we continue to develop and introduce new revenue streams and to increase our pledge participation, we also recognize the need to address the vital and timely maintenance, repair and replacement needs of our Cathedral and campus.
Did you know that we spent over $200,000 in maintenance and repairs last year? Items included upgrading the HVAC system, repairing the tile floor, and re-staining the great wooden Cathedral doors. This year, planned repairs include cleaning the cooling tower on the roof, fixing a leaking grease trap in the kitchen, and addressing several water intrusion issues throughout the Cathedral. In addition, this spring we made several emergency repairs to our HVAC System after a lightning strike.
Over the years, we have used our Saints Fund to cover some of these expenses. The Saints Fund is the Cathedral’s unrestricted emergency fund. In a perfect world, this should only be drawn on in the case of significant unforeseen expenses. To help us better anticipate these expenses, we have contracted a facilities assessment company to conduct an in-depth audit of our entire campus. We will use the audit to develop short- and long-term facilities maintenance and repair planning schedules.
At present, our annual operating budget is approximately $2.4 million; pledges cover nearly one-half of that amount. The balance of the budget is achieved through a series of restricted and unrestricted gifts, facility rental fees, free will offerings, and special events.
But Isn’t that What the Preservation Fund Is For?
The Preservation Fund was created in 1986 to provide funds exclusively for the ongoing preservation, maintenance, restoration and repair of the Cathedral property and grounds. In many instances, the Preservation Fund increases with Legacy gifts that may or may not be restricted to a specific program, service or project within the Cathedral. It is a tax-exempt, nonprofit, 501(C) (3) with its own governing board. The Fund’s intent has remained unchanged since its inception. It allows up to 5% a year to be disbursed to St. John’s. The Fund’s current balance of just over $4 million generates an income of approximately $200,000 annually, which still leaves a gap in the operating budget.
With the addition of the Cathedral Builders Fund, and with your support, we will create a funding vehicle of unrestricted funds that we can use expressly to address these needs. Cathedral Builders gifts will help offset the consolidated properties part of the budget, which for the past two years has been funded by a combination of the Preservation Fund’s annual allocation and the Saints Fund.
As always, I invite you to contact me directly with any questions, comments, concerns or feedback as we roll out new initiatives, partnerships, events, and programs in an effort to preserve St. John’s Cathedral for generations to come. I can be reached at [email protected]or at 904-632-9104 ext. 153.
Hard Hat Breakfast & Tour
The Hard Hat Breakfast and Tour on Sunday, June 30 celebrated our beautiful Cathedral and introduced the new Cathedral Builders Fund.