Dear Readers:
I would like to begin by sincerely thanking you for your support of Catholic Exchange in the past. I know you have a great heart for Catholic Exchange’s critical media mission and will want to know of our urgent need at this time.
Again, we want to thank all those who have already contributed. We still have a long way to go, but the progress made to date indicates that our viewers are ready and able to stand by us. We are particularly encouraged that many new supporters have contributed this year. And, what would we do without those who have been with us for years? The Catholic Exchange family obviously includes many devoted Catholics who are hungry for fresh material that encourages them in their individual pilgrimages and aids them in joining Christ in his redemptive work in the world. Stories and columns that take in the widest possible range of experience while always being true to the Magisterium.
We have been very encouraged by the heartfelt messages of appreciation that have come to us during this appeal:
Merry Christmas! Here is our donation to help the Catholic Exchange website. I visit this site every day, and appreciate the articles and information very much. — J_____ B_____
Dear Mr. Allen, N_____ and I read your message today on CE about end of the year giving. We love CE and pass on many articles to our children. We are sending a check for $100 for CE. We read it everyday. Thank you, N_____ and M_____.
It is a blessing to have such a wonderful, orthodox site to send others to! I also think the incredible variety of topics discussed sets Catholic Exchange apart from others. — C_____
Dear Catholic Exchange – Thank you for a wonderful, uplifting, informational home page! My computers crash and are replaced, but Catholic Exchange is the 1st thing loaded back on! God bless you! J_____ P_____
It is clear that many of you value the work we do here and find Catholic Exchange to be a source of edification and enjoyment. But friends, I must be candid with you. Our situation here at Catholic Exchange is extremely serious and we need your help.
We have held back all year from asking for your help because we knew that many were suffering.
We accomplished as much as possible on a tight budget. Through severe economies we even laid the groundwork for Catholic Exchange to be better than ever. (More about this later.)
But right now our website’s future hangs in the balance. Our ability to continue our eight plus years of providing faithful, Catholic content that uplifts, inspires, educates and enriches is in jeopardy.
That’s why it’s so important that you click here and prayerfully consider sending Catholic Exchange a contribution today. We are offering a 
wonderful “Spiritual Care Package” to those who make Catholic Exchange part of their end-of-year giving. (More about this later.)
This past year we experienced a significant drop in monthly donations-the life blood of our organization. Monthly donations no longer cover our fixed expenses.
Imagine losing 50% of your income but needing to cover the same obligations. Donations from people who provide Catholic Exchange with our largest contributions (those over $500) have been almost non-existent.
So we cut back on everything short of closing our doors.
I’m sure that in the past year you’ve tried to be generous in your support of faithful and true causes. The fact remains, however, that donations to Catholic Exchange are down and as much as we’d like to just ride this downturn out, we can’t.
So we are asking that you click here and prayerfully consider sending Catholic Exchange a contribution today. (You will love the “Spiritual Care Package” described below.)
Why should you continue supporting us despite the economic downturn?
The Pew Research Center earlier this summer conducted a survey on Catholics. The results confirm the same trends other surveys have reported. More Catholics than ever do not believe the basic tenets of the Faith and the number of fallen away Catholics continues to rise.
It gets worse.
Hidden within the numbers is this disturbing trend: Catholics are not at all clear on what the Church teaches.
Undeniable evidence of this came in Notre Dame’s awarding an honorary doctorate to the most pro-abortion president in history. Innumerable statements made at the time of Senator Kennedy’s funeral underscored the point.
Our task is clear.
We must convince all those who say they are Catholic that their #1 priority must be to know, love and live their Catholic faith.
I am committing all of Catholic Exchange’s resources to the work of re-energizing our fellow Catholics and igniting the embers that smolder in the hearts of so many of our fellow Catholics.
But we can only pursue this critical mission with you as our partners, both in prayer and in giving.
One of our major endeavors this year was to redesign our home page, giving our viewers a new, fresh and efficient way of accessing our numerous articles and daily content. That’s the “better than ever” news I mentioned earlier. (When times are tough it’s especially important to prepare for a better future.)
We solicited and received timely input from students at John Paul the Great Catholic University on this redesign to better attract a younger and more internet-savvy population.
This upgrade will make navigating Catholic Exchange a more pleasant and rewarding online experience and be comparable to The New York Times and other online formats. We have worked hard at this unveiling and hope to finalize it by year-end with your help.
We are so close!
Normally, half of our yearly donations come in during this next 45 days. Without a successful year-end campaign, we will not only have to abandon the re-launch of Catholic Exchange but be forced to close down our operations after more than eight years of faithful service to the loyal Catholic community we have painstakingly built over the years.
Three things are keeping Catholic Exchange from moving forward:
1. The drop in contributions.
2. The decrease in the spending of sponsors that support our site-due to the downturn in marketing and advertising spending.
3. The deficit we have run so far this year so as not to overburden our faithful readers.
We are far from despairing because we strongly believe that our faithful viewers will step up in this time of need. The only way we can complete the upgrade and keep Catholic Exchange going forward is if every member of our Catholic Exchange family digs deep, clicks here and sends a much-needed contribution today. (The “Spiritual Care Package” is great for Christmas gift-giving!)
Please be generous and send the largest gift you can afford. Enlist other Catholics in this effort and spread the word far and wide – a vibrant Catholic apostolate that has contributed much to the New Evangelization needs your help today!
Make no mistake. Our current situation must improve. That is why we have taken our lead space to deliver this message to you. We want nothing better than to get back to filling this space with the kind of thought-provoking, varied content you have become used to seeing on our front page every day. But we just have to get the attention of all our readers right away. We just have to make you understand that our survival as an apostolate is in your hands.
The stakes have never been higher. Our nation, economy, and, most importantly, our Church has reached a crossroads. With your help Catholic Exchange will continue to work fearlessly to steer our fellow Catholics down the path that leads to Truth.
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Our track record speaks for itself. When we were well funded, we put out bestselling published materials (such as A Guide to the Passion ), award winning DVDs (Champions of Faith 1 and 2 ), popular Catholic radio shows, and a groundbreaking group bible study. Help us return Catholic Exchange to financial health so we can continue to innovate and blaze new trails in the name of Christ and His Church!
Since I can put the matter to you no more clearly than that, I’ll end this email with a most sincere “Thank You” for all you are doing to help us fortify those seeking Truth and a greater understanding and knowledge of their Catholic Faith. God bless!
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Tom Allen
Editor & President
P.S. As mentioned above, we are offering a very special premium gift to our supporters this year- a collection of the best products Catholic Exchange has ever produced all in one package to help strengthen family members and friends who may be in need of a spiritual boost. All $100 donors to Catholic Exchange will receive a “Spiritual Care Package” consisting of our Champions of Faith: Baseball and Champions of Faith: The Bases of Life DVDs, along with our bestselling books, A Guide to the Passion, the Five Issues that Matter Most, and The Davinci Deception.
These products have entertained and inspired hundreds of thousands of people around the country, strengthening them in the Faith and bringing souls back to the sacraments! Click here or call toll-free 888-477-1982 to support Catholic Exchange and receive some of the best products that have ever been produced for Catholic evangelization. Give your children, siblings, spouses, Godchildren, friends, or neighbors a truly meaningful gift this Christmas. And let these fun and insightful products demonstrate our appreciation for your donation to Catholic Exchange of $100.00 or more. Thanks again and God bless!
P.P.S. In order to keep our Homepage redesign project on track and meet the project’s graphical and technical deadlines, we need your contribution by year’s end. Please join me TODAY in responding to Catholic Exchange’s critical need. Please click here and do whatever you can today to help. Thank you again … and may God bless you.
NOTE: If you prefer to send a check, please make it to: Catholic Exchange at PO Box 231820 Encinitas, CA 92023. If you have any questions, call us toll-free at 888-477-1982.
