Only one place I see a problem in her argument:

someone can give "only if we have a specific need outlined"

The point of donors earmarking funds is the prevention of reappropriation.

If you have people that want to support Sacred Music, set up your own Sacred Music fund... Have it set to support say Sacred Catholic music in a certain area (that will include your parish).

This might not be allowed. When our Latin Mass community was first starting out and they were paying to fly in an FSSP priest every Sunday for Mass (with permission from the bishop, obviously), the Chancery started questioning where the Latin Mass Community was getting all this money from to do this. They had their own bank account set up and people donated to it. The Diocese made them close the account and give the funds to parish to distribute.

Donors may give restricted funds, which are recorded using a fictional bookkeeping account number or allocation number so the money can be tracked and spent/allocated from those designated funds at a later time, even if the money is deposited in the parish's general bank account. I've NEVER heard of a parish or bookkeeper saying that restricted funds were not permitted or could not be accepted unless the money could be spent immediately on something. To me, that borders on accounting incompetence. Is the pastor aware that the finance manager is refusing to accept donor restricted funds?

@SponsaChristi

This might not be allowed. [...] The Diocese made them close the account and give the funds to parish to distribute.

This is allowed by the Charity Law in the U.K., our fund was accepted as a separate charity by the U.K. Government... I see that my friends in the U.S. have the charitable tax rebate so suspect it is legal in the U.S. too.

Of course the Diocese may not like us funding an Una Voce chapter or the Latin Mass Society etc. , but it is really none of the Diocese business who I donate money to. Also any layman is within their rights to tell the Diocese it is none of their Business how we fund Mass Stipends. I was funding the Mass Stipends for supply priests coming in last year via the LMS for our parish, no questions were asked about where the money came from and I would not have given an answer.

DoF answers to pastor or administrator, right?

Always ask people to make music-specific donations ATTN: you, along with an accompanying letter specifying it should be used for music only.

Acting on the first point should set DoF straight; acting on the second closes the door completely.

@tomjaw, you are correct: "one big pot, to dole money out of to suit their priorities".

@Kathy, we used to have this. There also was a button on the online giving portal. It's just in the recent months that it is being opposed. With last year being a tight year, they "want to show the bank that we are not spending much money this year". (?)

@irishtenor exactly! Unless the check is refused...which makes zero sense from a donor relations standpoint.

Would it make a difference if the potential donors bring this up with the pastor themselves? A pastor feeling direct pressure from donors externally may have a different reaction than now, where it seems easier for him to brush off the issue because it’s within his staff.

Just a word of caution. Tread carefully. If the pastor is new and you are a hold-over from the Ancien Regime, he may be using the DoF to try to force you to quit; he mightn't be as 'green' as you think he is.

I have been the victim of several plots in my current position by the current (new) pastor via the Finance Manager because of "financial hardships". These "financial hardships" have coincided with the hiring of yet another secretary/office manager/personal assistant for the pastor (who just has to show up to perform sacraments while these other people actually make all the decisions and run the parish). I am only staying in this position because of it pays American Dollars and the uncertainties of COVID-tide.

So basically, be very careful, you don't know who the real problem here is, and if there is an ulterior motive. Bring it to the attention of the pastor once. Period. If nothing happens, do nothing. If they give you the money, say "Thank you", and back out of the room bowing. However, if they give you the money, don't be shocked if you are called in for a meeting with the pastor and Finance Manager in a few months time so they can tell you that the budget is just too tight, there are too many repairs that need to be made to the physical structure, etc., etc., and so A) they have to reduce your salary, even though you'll have the same workload, or B) reduce your workload so that your salary is reduced commensurately.

Oh, and if they start talking about how important you are to the parish and how much they appreciate all that you do, that is a huge Red Flag, start looking for a new job.

they "want to show the bank that we are not spending much money this year".

This is a Red Flag for me. Be careful.

Oh, and if they start talking about how important you are to the parish and how much they appreciate all that you do, that is a huge Red Flag, start looking for a new job.

I would love to hear more about this.

Oh, and if they start talking about how important you are to the parish and how much they appreciate all that you do, that is a huge Red Flag, start looking for a new job.

I would love to hear more about this.

Kathy, It's been the pattern over the past four years with "the new guy" and the finance guru. I have never in my life been told so many times how appreciated I am and how much the parish needs me. I have also never been trodden on and taken advantage of so often, either. I have also had my salary reduced every year since he took over, sometimes twice a year. There is a pattern: profuse gratefulness for a couple weeks; then a meeting in which I am told that I am going to have to have my salary reduced while still doing all the same stuff; then a couple days later a new secretary/PA for the pastor is hired.
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Clare: I realize that my views might be seen a cynical or whatever, but what you describe is in many ways similar to what I've been going through.

The pastor and I are actually quite good friends and have very open communication.

That's what I thought, too, when our "new guy" came in.

He sincerely much wants me here.

Yep, I've been told that many times, too. (See my response to Kathy, above.)

I am, however, still wrestling with the fact that at least for the coming year, I will be expected to "hand over" any and all money brought in by my program (for example, choir enrollment fees, which we have had in the past for youth Schola members), and then she/they will think about giving some of it back to me for choir expenses if they agree that a specific expense is necessary. That part feels overly controlling.

Are other parish societies expected to "hand over" their revenues, too?

Watch out.

@Salieri — Yes, the other departments (the only other one that would tend to have program-specific fundraisers and donations was Youth Ministry) are being expected to follow the same protocol.

It sounds like you have been through some pretty invalidating and painful experiences. I’m sure I would be just as on-edge were I in your shoes. I am sorry you have been treated with such dishonesty...that’s terrible.

@tomjaw — Earmarked gifts were previously processed through the main office (donors’ checks written to the parish name with a designation in the memo or one-time gift buttons for different ministries on the website, which have now all been removed).

The relinquishing of funds and the pooling of restricted donations is legally worrying to me. Have they considered the (likely) possibility of a donor finding out and suing them?