“To date, 689 Catholic school supporters from various segments of our community showed through a financial donation that they are here to support our schools.  That is a fantastic start, and we are just getting started,” said Christine Prete, diocesan associate director, Development Operations.

As a national day of philanthropy, #GivingTuesday was established in 2012 and has garnered millions of acts of generosity in the form of monetary donations and volunteerism.  The Diocese has taken part in the international day of charity since 2016.
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This year, a new promotional video for #GivingTuesday was filmed and some dozen Catholic school students in the Diocese underscored the value of the campaign as they expressed why they are thankful for their Catholic education. The video played across diocesan social and digital media and was sent to the Catholic schools in Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties to share in their own communities.

As part of the campaign, every school received keepsake magnets on which their students wrote or drew why they were thankful for their Catholic education. Schools were invited to post these images to their social media on Giving Tuesday.

While #GivingTuesday is focused on a single day, the diocesan Department of Development has worked to foster relationships with Catholic schools and help in their advancement with the formation of Catholic Schools Have it All, an annual campaign.

Donations are still being accepted at www.leadinfaith.org, where alumni, benefactors and friends of Catholic education may donate to a Catholic school in the Diocese. Donors may also take advantage of the “digital wallet” and text the keywords “leadinfaith” to 609-403-3323 to make a donation from their cell phone.

Updated results from #GivingTuesday will be reported on the www.leadinfaith.org site and in continued coverage on www.TrentonMonitor.com.