CathCAP
Use of Funds
From CathCAP Institution MOU
- CathCAP and the Mission. CathCAP (Catholic Climate Action Projects) is a program of the Catholic Climate Covenant (“CCC”) that is cosponsored by the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests. CathCAP collects donations from individuals and organizations to fund projects and other activities that reduce the threats associated with climate change and in support of the Catholic vision of integral ecology as outlined in Pope Francis’s Encyclical Letter, Laudato si’: On Caring for our Common Home (the “Mission”).
Further refining “Mission”
Catholic Climate Action Projects is designed to help offset some of an individual or groups’ carbon emissions. While it is difficult to offset carbon emissions on a 1 to 1 basis, the Institution is encouraged to apply the donations collected to projects that move in this direction. Some examples could be:
- Onsite projects such as installation of solar panels, conversion to energy from renewable sources, improved insulation, more efficient lighting, or tree planting. Each of these projects reduces one’s “carbon footprint.”
- Offsite uses might include contributing funds toward a project run by a Catholic organization or one of its partners that offsets carbon emissions elsewhere. For example, Catholic Climate Covenant encourages supporting a Catholic partner oversees, the Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability’s (CYNESA). Funds help with the costs of their permaculture project which includes growing tree seedlings for transplantation in communities around the continent.
Strictly speaking, there should be a numerical correlation between the amount of greenhouse gas produced by the activity to be offset and the reduction that results from the project funded. At the outset of this program, we hope to honor both the spirit and law of this program and follow standard guidelines of transparency and accountability.
NOTE: Catholic Climate Covenant will retain 5% of the funds you collect to cover administrative costs. A year from when the first offset comes into your parish’s account, CathCAP will ask you to send a note saying what offset program you will fund (onsite or offsite). Once approved, CathCAP will send a check to your organization for that program.