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Our national campaign will consist of three types of campaigns taking place on the local level: campaigns for financial accountability in the diocese, campaigns for financial accountability in the parish, and campaigns to reform state legislation to better protect children and hold their abusers/enablers accountable. These campaigns will require us to establish collaborative teams across affiliates, and to partner with allies outside of VOTF (such as pastors, bishops, child protection groups, SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, etc.).

In order to measure our collective progress in our campaign for accountability, we must have concrete, measurable objectives. To this end, we have established objectives for the national campaign as a whole. You will notice that many of the specific, quantifiable numbers have yet to be determined. These numbers will be added at the close of the research period, once we have information from participating affiliates (e.g. How many affiliates will participate? Which campaigns will they choose?). The national objectives are listed below.

VOTF NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
Objectives to be accomplished by June 2008:

  1. Mobilize 1,000,000 Catholics nationwide to participate in some way in the national campaign
  2. Create collaborative leadership teams at the diocesan and state levels
  3. Meet the objectives of the campaigns for financial accountability and the protection of children (see below)

In addition, we have established objectives for the individual campaigns that affiliates, in collaboration with each other, may undertake. We recognize that each parish, diocesan or state leadership team must discern for themselves their campaign objectives and timelines. This said, we are also proposing some general goals and deadlines by when we can come back together, as one community, to measure our progress. The campaign-specific objectives are listed below:

Our Goals: At the Diocesan Level

  1. Qualified parishioners serve on the diocesan finance council in the capacities specified in current USCCB guidelines
  2. The diocese releases to the laity all financial documents necessary to ensure financial transparency in a complete, honest, accurate and timely way:
    • Budget (required)
    • balance sheets (required)
    • operating statements (required)
    • Independent CPA Audited Financials (recommended)

    4) The diocese effectively implements these policies, working openly with the laity, VOTF members and others to eliminate omissions and potential abuses.


Our Goals: At the Individual Parish Level

  1. Qualified, lay-selected parishioners serve on the parish finance council
  2. The parish releases all financial documents necessary to ensure financial transparency in a complete, honest, accurate and timely way
    - The following documents are presented in a clear, comprehensive and understandable manner:
    • budget (at the beginning of every fiscal year, in open session with parishioners)
    • • statements of Sunday collections and expenses (weekly, in parish bulletins)
  3. End-of-year financial reports are shared with the laity after the close of every fiscal year
    -including all assets and liabilities
    -presented in a clear, comprehensive and understandable way in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for nonprofit organizations
    -regularly (although not necessarily annually) audited by an independent auditor

Campaign for the Protection of Children

Reform state laws to strengthen the protection of children from sexual abuse, afford justice for survivors of child sexual abuse, and hold accountable any individual or institution that aids or abets child sexual abuse.

Particular kinds of legislation will be determined on a state-by-state basis, based upon what laws are already in place, and upon the goals established by Voice of the Faithful members at the state level. Kinds of legislation pursued may include:

- Making priests mandatory reporters of abuse
- Extending criminal statutes of limitations
- Extending civil statutes of limitations



 
 
 
 
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