The Season of Giving

December is widely recognized as the season of giving, a time when the spirit of generosity flourishes across communities and cultures. This month, marked by holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, fosters a unique  atmosphere where people are especially inclined to give back, whether through 
donations, volunteering, or  acts of kindness. 

I am often asked several questions about ways to give financially. As a donor there is key information that you need to be aware of. St. Anthony on the Lake Parish is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. As such, your contributions may be deductible on your federal and/or state income tax. Please see your tax professional for your specific circumstances. 

Contributions must be received before January 1, 2026, to be eligible for the 2025 calendar year. Contributions can be mailed, but the postmark must be prior to January 1, 2026. Contributions made to the parish at Mass on Wednesday, December 31st, will be credited to the 2025 calendar year. Contributions made on New Year’s Day will be credited to the 2026 calendar year.

Contributions can be made in many ways:

• Placing checks and cash in the Sunday collection.
• Donating online with mySAL. Many of our parishioners choose to set monthly recurring electronic giving through mySAL.
• Donating stocks, bonds or partial proceeds from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) to avoid capital gains tax. When donating stock, bonds or partial proceeds from your IRA, you have the option to directly transfer the funds or have a check sent to us. There are several account numbers that may be needed to make these transfers possible. If you are interested in this type of donation, please contact me. I can help facilitate the transactions. Stocks and bond transactions should be completed prior to the last week in December to ensure they are recorded for the 2025 calendar year. The sale of the stock or bond needs to be completed before we can record the donation.

Want to double your impact of giving? Find out if the company you or your spouse works for offers a matching gift program. Corporate matching gift programs are charitable giving programs set up by corporations in which the company matches donations made by employees to eligible nonprofit organizations. For example, if a donor works for Bank of America and donates $100 to St. Anthony on the Lake Parish, Bank of America will double the donation by also writing a check for $100.

Thousands of companies offer matching gift programs. 
A few examples include:

• Johnson & Johnson: Triples donations with $2 for $1 match for current employees while also doubling 
  donations for retirees.

• Bank of America: Doubles donation $1 for $1 up to $5,000 annually per employee.

• Home Depot: Doubles donations $1 for $1 up to $3,000 annually per employee.

• GE: Doubles donation $1 for $1 up to $5,000 annually per employee.

Consider checking with your company’s human resources department for programs offered by your employer.

 
The impact of these programs can be substantial! 

St. Anthony on the Lake is extremely lucky to have very generous parishioners who have supported our mission and our covenant for over 100 years. Through your generosity we have been able to build our programs and continue our growth. We know that every dollar entrusted to us is 
special, and we work hard to maximize its potential. 

Thank all of you for all you do in support of this parish!