FAQ

Who benefits from the BAA? The BAA benefits a number of organizations and ministries that support the needs of the Diocese of Columbus. Please click here to see the ministries and organizations the BAA supports.

Where do I go to donate to the BAA? Pledges can be made through our Online Giving tool, or through a pledge card found in your parish. For more information and options, please visit our Ways to Give page.

How can I pay off my BAA pledge balance today? To make a one-time gift or payment to the BAA, visit the BAA Make A Gift Now webpage at www.columbuscatholic.org/development-and-planning/BishopsAnnualAppeal/MakeAGiftNow. The BAA Online Giving tool will walk you through making a one-time gift or payment to the Annual Appeal. You can also call the Diocesan Office of Development and Planning at 614-241-2550 or toll free at 1-877-241-2550. A BAA Parish Support Coordinator (PSC) will be available to assist you. 

What happens if my credit card or banking information is compromised or stolen or nearing an expiration date? For all needed changes and updates to credit card and banking information and/or status please contact the Diocesan Office of Development and Planning at 614-241-2550 or toll free at 1-877-241-2550. A BAA Parish Support Coordinator (PSC) will be available to assist you.

How are the Diocesan wide goal and the parish individual goals established and determined? The BAA goal amount is solely at the discretion of the Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus. Bishop Campbell establishes the Annual Appeal Goal taking into consideration the departmental and ministerial needs of our diocese. Individual parish goals are calculated using the established diocesan goal, the parish’s number of registered families (active and inactive) and annual offertory amount along with the number of diocesan households overall. Goal calculations are done in January.

How can I make gift to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal using my available stock, a donor advised fund, or bequeaths? Gifts to the BAA can be made though a number of ways. Visit the Ways To Give page page for more information or contact the Diocesan Finance Office at 614-241-1221.

What if my parish goes over goal?  Where does the excess go? 100% of all funds collected over a parish’s goal will be returned directly to the parish for its own needs.

How does the progress of the BAA get communicated to the parishes? Through the live updates page, as well as regular communication with pastors through mailings.

Can I make a BAA gift to a parish other than the parish I attend? Yes you can make a gift to the BAA on behalf of multiple parishes within the Columbus Diocese. Each gift should be made on a separate pledge envelope, clearly indicating the gift amount and parish to be credited. This will help to ensure multiple gifts are credited properly.

Can I make payments to multiple pledges using the same credit card?  on the same date? The current Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) system  used by the Diocese of Columbus will only allow payments to be withdrawn on the 5^th or 20^th of each month from June to March. The current EFT system can only process a single credit card charge or bank account withdrawal per transaction date. BAA EFT transactions begin on June 5^th and end on March 20^th.

Can I use an old BAA statement to submit a payment towards my current BAA pledge? Each time you make a pledge to the BAA, a unique pledge number is created. This unique pledge number can be found on the BAA Reminder Statements in the Account number boxes below the statement date. The unique pledge number is a 6-digit number located in the last box on this line. Using a reminder statement for a previous BAA fund will delay your payment being credited to your current pledge. 

What happens if I do not fulfill my pledge before the new Appeal year has started? The BAA is a ten (10) month appeal that begins in June and ends in March. While pledge payments are accepted after March, it is suggested that final payments are made in March to assure that all money collected is included in calculating the parish final refund amount.

Is any BAA money spent on lawyers for diocesan lawsuits? None of the designated funds from the Bishop’s Annual Appeal can be used for a settlement.