Why Planned Giving Is an Expression of Catholic Social Teaching

In a world often driven by short-term gain, Catholic Social Teaching invites us to consider a more enduring vision, one rooted in dignity, justice, and love of neighbor. For Catholics, financial decisions are not merely transactional; they are spiritual choices that reflect our deepest values. Planned giving is one such choice.  It allows us to extend our care for the poor, the vulnerable, and the marginalized well beyond our lifetimes. Through Catholic Charities of New York, planned giving becomes a powerful way to live out our faith, ensuring that the Gospel values of service, solidarity, and stewardship remain active in the heart of our communities for generations to come.

1. A Legacy Rooted in Human Dignity

Catholic Social Teaching (CST) affirms that every person is created in the image of God and deserving of respect and dignity.  Planned giving, whether a bequest, gift annuity, or beneficiary designation, is a powerful way to uphold this dignity over time. By ensuring that Catholic Charities of New York continues to serve vulnerable New Yorkers, you embed the belief in inherent human worth into your financial legacy.

2. Serving the Poor: The Preferential Option

One of the core principles of CST is the preferential option for the poor, placing the needs of the marginalized as a top priority. Catholic Charities of New York feeds over 50,000 people every month and shelters those experiencing homelessness across the Archdiocese of New York. Your planned gift sustains vital programs like food access, housing, family support, that directly embody care for “the least of these.”

3. Subsidiarity and the Common Good

CST teaches that decisions and actions should occur at the level closest to those they affect, protecting individual and community autonomy while serving the common good. Catholic Charities of New York, through its network of 90 agencies across multiple counties, demonstrates subsidiarity in action, offering tailored care close to home. Planned giving preserves and strengthens this local presence, ensuring support remains responsive and oriented to real needs, in the New York community.

4. Stewardship of Goods and the Social Mortgage

Catholic teaching emphasizes both the right to private property and the concept of the common use of creation, known as the “social mortgage”. Planned giving is an act of stewardship: you gratefully return part of your earthly blessings to further God’s work in the world. It reflects the belief that our wealth isn’t ours alone, and it’s entrusted to us to share wisely.

5. Solidarity: Fellowship over Isolation

Solidarity teaches that we are one human family, called to share burdens and joys across borders of class, race, and background. A planned gift places you in a community of hope, linking your legacy to thousands of fellow believers working for peace, equity, and healing in New York.

What Planned Giving Looks Like at Catholic Charities of New York

Charitable Gift Annuities (CGA)

With a minimum gift of $10,000, and age 65 or older, you can establish a CGA: receive income for life and then support Catholic Charities of New York when you’re gone. It’s a win‑win: financial security and long-term impact.

Bequests through FreeWill or MyCatholicWill

These online tools make it simple to include Catholic Charities of New York in your estate planning at no cost today, and your gift becomes a meaningful part of the future.

Non‑probate Gifts (IRAs, Life Insurance, Retirement Plans)

Meaningful impact doesn’t require cash. Naming Catholic Charities of New York as a beneficiary of your financial accounts is another way to create a legacy of justice.

Why This Matters, Now and Always

• Faith without action is incomplete: CST insists that social justice isn’t abstract, it’s lived. Planned giving is faith made concrete.
• A sustainable church: Ensuring the continuity of programs beyond the ebbs and flows of annual fundraising makes the mission resilient.
• A personal sacrament of charity: Your thoughtful legacy gift aligns your love for neighbor with your Catholic identity and values.

How to Begin

1. Please visit CatholicCharitiesNY.GiftPlans.org to explore giving options and get personalized illustrations.
2. Contact Emily Chau, Director of Planned Giving, at Emily.Chau@CatholicCharitiesNY.org or 646‑794‑2018 for guidance.
3. Reflect on your values and how you want your legacy to serve the Church, not just today, but for future generations.

Planned giving is a profound way to enact Catholic Social Teaching, bringing human dignity, solidarity, justice, subsidiarity, and stewardship to life not only during your lifetime, but also beyond. When you plan your gift to charities like Catholic Charities of New York, you plant seeds that will bear fruit for the common good of all God’s beloved children.