People donating in collection baskets at Masses across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis might like to know that 92 cents of every dollar given stays in the parish, or supports parish-driven initiatives.

Those gifts, which also include electronic and special year-end donations, help pay staff, provide Catholic education in the parish school or faith formation programs and support ministries that serve the community. Donations keep the lights and heat on, maintain the church and other parish buildings, support music ministry and sharing the Gospel.

Parishes also support the archdiocese, although that expense is less than 10 cents on the dollar, said Tom Mertens, the archdiocese’s chief financial officer.

Out of every dollar given to a parish, 8 cents (9 cents if a parish doesn’t directly support a Catholic school) goes to the archdiocese, he said.

About 75 percent of archdiocesan revenue in fiscal year 2019 was from those parish assessments. About 25 percent came from contributions, fees and program revenues, including funding for some ministries from the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation, Mertens said.

Archdiocesan ministries are many and reach into every parish, such as support for Catholic education in parish school and faith formation programs, support and formation for priests and deacons in all aspects of ministry and pastoral care, seminary formation, safe environment efforts, evangelization and catechesis, the ministries and work of Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens, Latino ministries, marriage and family life, and communications, he said.

With the archdiocese having fulfilled nearly all of its responsibilities in its bankruptcy settlement over clergy sexual abuse allegations, and its current cash reserves, all of the money that comes to the archdiocese is helping pay for its staff, programs and ministries, Mertens said.

“The money coming in today is supporting operations and not paying bankruptcy obligations,” he said.

The archdiocese agreed in the bankruptcy settlement to pay $1 million annually over five years into the Bankruptcy Trust for the benefit of more than 400 victim-survivors who filed abuse claims against the archdiocese. The first payment was made last October. Payments remain through 2023.

Careful budgeting also is required to help the archdiocese build up a reserve fund similar to what households are encouraged to keep against an emergency, a decline in revenue or unexpected expenses, he said.