“I challenge you to join Wyoming Catholic College’s ‘Tenth of a Tithe’ giving program, an idea inspired by the exponential power of generosity, and by the ways in which small gifts can turn into large ones.”

I know what it’s like to feel that our modest capacities are inconsequential, and I understand the natural and easy instinct to leave the support of important institutions like Wyoming Catholic College to those with more dramatic financial means. And I realize my challenge to consider a “Tenth of a Tenth” gift in support of our students—a gift of a mere 1%—certainly seems to fall into that “inconsequential” camp. 

But does it, really? How much is 1%, concretely?

Let’s look at the median income for American households, about $67,000 a year. 1% of that is $670, which is $56 a month when divided up over 12 months, or $13 a week for 52 weeks—two or three lattes from Starbucks, or a couple of value meals at McDonald’s, or a book purchased on Amazon. If you were instead to pledge this 1% to the College, you would be providing critical support to this important institution and its vital work.

That $670 would cover the cost of books for one of our students for an entire year—anything but inconsequential! And the exponential power of such gifts is astonishing. If our college had 500 median donors supporting us with just 1% of their annual income, this “Tenth of a Tithe” would add up to more than $335,000 annually. And if we had a thousand donors at this figure—at $13 a week? Their support would cover a tenth of our expenses for the entire year!

This, then, is my challenge: Would you consider giving a “Tenth of a Tithe” to Wyoming Catholic College?

A tenth of a tenth; a 1% contribution to support this strong, spirited Catholic education and to prepare our graduates to be a force for good in this broken world—young men and women who are hungry for the reality we offer them.