Transforming charity
CHARLOTTE — As unprecedented growth puts increasing demands on Catholic Charities, the Diocese of Charlotte’s charitable service agency is making fundamental changes to meet needs across one of the fastest growing regions in the country.
Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte is restructuring and pursuing other changes that will give it greater autonomy, better facilities, deeper ties to parishes, and more guidance from communities across western North Carolina in identifying their most pressing needs.
“We are transforming Catholic Charities to address the growing and changing needs across our 46 counties,” said Gerry Carter, president and CEO. “From our governance, to the needs we address, to the way we deliver our services – all of these things are changing. At the same time, the heart of Catholic Charities remains the same: We put our faith into action by serving people in need every day.”
The transformation comes as Bishop Michael Martin learns more about the challenges and opportunities growth presents for the local church. Upon his arrival in Charlotte in 2024, the bishop began consulting with other dioceses about ways to further empower and engage more people in the work of Catholic Charities.
The agency drew national attention after Hurricane Helene, as it launched the largest humanitarian effort in the diocese’s history.
“One goal for me is to highlight the fact that Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services are the two official social outreach arms of the Catholic Church,” Bishop Martin told the Catholic News Herald. “Catholic Charities works locally and CRS works internationally – and every Catholic is called to play a role in this social outreach. This is really at the heart of the Gospel.”
To do so, the bishop and Catholic Charities are seeking to leverage the engagement of the nearly 600,000 Catholics living in the diocese through parishes, schools, ministries and community outreach.
Changes underway at Catholic Charities include:
- Shifting away from an Advisory Board to appoint a Governing Board of Directors that will have more authority to guide, craft policy and implement changes, in collaboration with the bishop.
- Deepening collaboration with parishes to engage more parishioners in – and increase the impact of – their charitable work.
- Strategic spending of $19 million expected to be raised in the diocese’s “Making Room Challenge” to improve, expand and establish new service locations so Catholic Charities can serve more people.
- Seeking more input from Catholics and non-Catholics across 46 counties to help set priorities and respond to the most relevant needs.
“We want the laity to take more ownership of Catholic Charities as part of their lived experience in the parishes,” Carter said.
Connecting the mission of Catholic Charities “with each and every parish in the diocese” can dramatically increase the agency’s impact, said Kerry Robinson, CEO of Catholic Charities USA, who recently visited the Diocese of Charlotte to learn more about growing demands on Catholic Charities.
“The changing demographics and sweeping growth in this diocese is extraordinary,” she said. “It’s important to keep asking ourselves, ‘What is the mission of Catholic Charities, what is the need, and how can we ensure that we have the best structure and governance model in place to accomplish our mission and flourish in this important work?’”
Gaining a perspective on what the most relevant needs are across the diocese is a crucial element of helping people become more engaged. The agency recently surveyed more than 2,500 priests, deacons, seminarians, women religious and lay people earlier this year.
“Across the board, the most highlighted needs were food insecurity, homelessness and the need for mental health counseling,” Carter said.
To more effectively deliver those services, the agency is increasing collaboration with parishes to coordinate care. Regional directors have been meeting with pastors and parish leaders to determine what each community needs and how parish programs can mesh with what they offer.
For example, Catholic Charities is working with The Bulb non-profit to offer fresh food distribution at Our Lady of Consolation parish in Charlotte, bringing fruits and vegetables directly to a community where a gap in access exists.
“The hope is for parishes to enhance their charitable outreach and for Catholic Charities to serve as support in managing cases – which is one of our strengths,” Carter said. “We know how to get people what they need, whether it’s through direct service or referrals – but we’ll be stronger with more parishioners working in the trenches.”
Parishioners also find it rewarding to work in service of others, said Catholic Charities USA’s’ Robinson. “People are hungry for meaning and they yearn to understand that their own life can make a positive difference in the lives of others – especially those who are suffering.”
Ultimately, Carter said, the changes align with Bishop Martin’s pastoral vision: “It’s about inviting people of goodwill to put their faith into action,” he said.
For Bishop Martin, service to others and evangelization are key components of his calling as a Franciscan friar.
“The two must go hand-in-hand,” he said. “We are not simply an NGO with a crucifix on the wall. Putting a roof over someone’s head, placing a meal before someone, and helping someone get healthcare are all part of our Gospel mission. But it’s also important in an appropriate way to make it known to those we serve that it is Jesus who ultimately feeds us and nourishes us and clothes and houses us. That is the heart of the Good News! We demonstrate this simply through our actions and responses when sharing the healing message of the Gospel.”
— Christina Lee Knauss, Liz Chandler contributed
Parish engagement
To more effectively deliver services and get more Catholics directly engaged in the agency’s work, the agency is increasing collaboration with parishes to coordinate care. “Without building the relationship with parishes, we will never get the engagement of the 600,000 Catholics in Western North Carolina, which is what we need,” Bishop Martin has said. To that end, regional directors have been meeting with pastors and parish leaders to determine what each community needs and how existing parish programs can better mesh with what Catholic Charities already offers.
Governing board
Shifting away from an advisory board, the agency will appoint a governing board Nov. 3 that will have more authority to guide and implement changes. The board’s 15 members will serve three-year terms. The board will have the power to approve policy, hire and evaluate the CEO, and set strategic plans and goals. This structure is in line with best practices used by other Catholic Charities agencies across the country.
Community input
To determine the most critical needs across the diocese, the agency surveyed more than 2,500 clergy, women religious, seminarians and lay people. The most mentioned issues were food insecurity, homelessness and mental health services. Using the survey results as a basis for continued discussion, agency employees will engage with parishioners in communities across the diocese to learn how to move forward and to address ongoing needs as they develop.
Facilities
The agency’s expanding needs and outreach have caused it to outgrow its headquarters at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. The new board may decide to explore a free-standing headquarters facility as well as new and/or expanded service locations across the diocese that better reach people where they are. This effort will include strategic spending of an infusion of funds from the diocesan “Making Room Challenge,” including $19 million for new facilities and $10 million for an endowment.
