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Feature: Young Vincentian Excellence Awards

Feature: Young Vincentian Excellence Awards 2160 1440 Kristen Blacksher

Young People in the Spotlight for the 2025 Young Vincentian Excellence Awards

By Linda Roghair, National Vice President of Youth, Young Adults & Emerging Leaders 

 

A Society-wide search for young people doing amazing work in their community is happening now.

Vincentians from across the U.S. are invited to nominate emerging young Vincentian servant leaders from their Conferences, Councils, and Special Works for two Young Vincentian Excellence Awards which will be presented at the National Assembly in Louisville, KY in August.

We are asking Vincentians to nominate a young person who serves the Society in their community, embodies servant leadership, and has a passion towards the Vincentian Charism. Nominations are open now until May 15, 2025.

Submission Requirements

  • Nominees must be involved in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USAin some capacity (ie. Youth Conference, Youth University Conference, Adult Conference, Special Works, etc.).
  • Age groups: Youth 16-18 (High School) or Youth University (18-University age), and Young Adults (18-40)
  • Include photos, volunteer logs, etc. if possible
  • Nomination Form must be submitted via email to: YYAEL@svdpusa.org by May 15, 2025. Please include your Conference President, Council President, NCM & Regional Vice President when submitting a nomination.

Award recipients will be gifted a paid trip to participate in the 2025 National Assembly in Louisville, KY (August 28 – 30). Award recipients must commit to attending the National Assembly in order to receive the award.

Last year’s award winner Sarah of the Madison Wisconsin St. Vincent de Paul Youth Service Council had this to say:

“For me being a Vincentian means actively growing in my faith through allowing the grace of incarnational charity to fuel impactful service and beautiful friendships. Winning the Young Vincentian Excellence Award allowed me the opportunity to attend the National Assembly and connect with the Society on a larger scale. I am especially grateful for becoming a member of the YYAEL Team since this amazing group of passionate young people keep me connected to the Society while I am at a college with no current SVdP presence.”

Last year’s award winner Zoie Roghair of the Sioux Falls St. Michael Conference had this to say:

“I am grateful for what this award represents—opportunity, future growth, and community,” said Zoie Roghair of the Sioux Falls St. Michael Conference. “The award and Society have opened many doors for servant leadership, advocacy for the voiceless, friendships, and increasing the involvement of Youth and Young Adults. It is something I will cherish forever.”

Do you know a young person who serves the Society in their community, embodies servant leadership, and has a passion towards the Vincentian Charism? Please submit a completed form and any supplemental material to YYAEL@svdpusa.org by May 15, 2025.

 

Feature: Annual Reporting is an Essential Membership Requirement

Feature: Annual Reporting is an Essential Membership Requirement 800 800 Kristen Blacksher

SVdP Annual Reporting is an Essential Membership Requirement

By Pam Hudson Johnson, National Director of Membership Services

Annual reporting is an essential requirement for all Councils and Conferences.

On May 1st at 11:59pm, the final deadline for online Annual Reports data entry closes (that is midnight tonight!). All Councils and Conferences must submit an annual report.

Why Annual Reporting is So Important:

Accountability and Compliance: The annual reports help maintain proper record-keeping and compliance with the requirements of our tax-exempt status.

Solidarity and Income Calculation: The current formula is based on income shown in the annual reports.  If a Council or Conference does not submit an annual report, it causes significant delays in the solidarity process.

Budgeting and Operations: Delays in reports cause delays in the budgeting process and affect the operations of the National Council.

Conference Annual Reports are due by November 30; District Council Reports by December 31; and (Arch)Diocesan Council Reports by January 31. Any reports not entered before midnight must be submitted in paper form.

Each year our national consolidated annual report publication is shared with our members nationally and internationally, U.S. Bishops, donors and contributors, elected officials and many more of the great works the Society is doing in the U.S. to serve our neighbors in need. This is our way of telling our story, and the good work we are doing to serve our neighbors in need to alleviate poverty in our communities. Find a copy of the 2022-2023 National annual report here.

To better understand the reporting structure, based on our formal structure, please see details below:

  1. For those dioceses which have an Archdiocesan or Diocesan Council: This is based on the formal structure of the Society – not on your legal name. Some Councils have improperly called themselves a Diocesan Council even though they are really a District Council. An Archdiocesan Council or a Diocesan Council has District Councils reporting to it. An Archdiocesan Council or a Diocesan Council has NO Conferences reporting directly to it.

An Archdiocesan Council or a Diocesan Council will provide multiple reports as appropriate. At a minimum, it will provide the (Arch)Diocesan Council Data, the Consolidated Districts Report and the Consolidated Conferences Report. In addition, if the (Arch)Diocesan Council operates any stores, it will provide a single store report for each store. If the (Arch)Diocesan Council operates any Special Works, it will provide a single Special Work Report for each separate Special Work.

  1. For all District Councils: This applies to every District Council regardless of whether they belong to an Archdiocesan Council or a Diocesan Council or are simply a standalone District Council. A District Council has Conferences reporting directly to it.

A District Council will provide multiple reports as appropriate. At a minimum, it will provide the District Council Data and the Consolidated Conferences Report. In addition, if the District Council operates any stores, it will provide a single store report for each store. If the District Council operates any Special Works, it will provide a single Special Work Report for each separate Special Work.

  1. For all Conferences: At a minimum, a Conference will provide the Annual Conference Report. In addition, if the Conference operates any stores, it will provide a single store report for each store. If the Conference operates any Special Works, it will provide a single Special Work Report for each separate Special Work.

Things to Know and Common Misconceptions:

-Some regions have believed new Councils and Conferences do not need to submit reports in their first year, but this is incorrect. All Councils and Conferences must submit an annual report each year.

-All Vincentians are accountable for the work they do and they are required, at all levels, to do proper record keeping. Remember that the key to good reporting is keeping good records throughout the reporting year [i.e., monthly and quarterly reporting].

-The National Council does not require quarterly report filings. Conference quarterly reports are provided by the national office as a courtesy for completion by Conferences at the request of their District Councils.

If you have any questions regarding annual reporting, contact Pam Hudson Johnson, National Director of Membership Services at phudson@svdpusa.org  or (314) 576-3993 extension 214. We are One Society!

Governance: Annual Review — Part One

Governance: Annual Review — Part One 1200 628 admin

Today’s article is excerpted from Vincentian Life: Conference.

There are a number of things that must occur at the beginning of the fiscal year.  The standard fiscal year for SVdP is October 1 through September 30.  The things identified here should occur within the first two months of each year.  This is a time of reviewing, evaluating and reporting.

Solidarity Contribution

The solidarity contribution is mentioned first, not because of importance but because it is generally due on the first day of October.  According to the Rule and Bylaws of the Society, the National Council can assess a solidarity contribution to be made by Councils and Conferences for the support of the National Council, its facilities, staff and works.  This solidarity formula will not be described here since it can be changed at any time by resolution of the National Council.  All Councils and Conferences are expected to make their appropriate contribution to the National Council.

Also, District and Diocesan Councils are permitted to assess a solidarity contribution that each expects from its subsidiaries.  There are District and Diocesan Councils throughout the country that do not operate stores or special works and have no specific source of income.  These Councils are dependent upon the support of the Conferences in order to fulfill their responsibilities.  Although this solidarity contribution is due on November 1, this date can vary from Council to Council.  The actual assessment formula from Council to Council can vary as well.

Annual Report

The Conference Annual Report is due by November 30 each year.  That gives each Conference two months after the close of the fiscal year to complete the annual reporting task and submit the report to the District Council.  Where no District Council exists, the Isolated Conference is to submit its report directly to the National Council office.

The Conference Annual Report form may vary from one year to another depending on the data-gathering requirements of the National Council.  The form is available online January 31 each year (click here: https://members.ssvpusa.org/annual-report-forms-2/) and contains complete instruction on how the data should be entered.

Data for the Conference Annual Report may be entered on a paper form and mailed to the appropriate Council or it may be entered online through the National Council Database in October after the start of the new fiscal year https://www.svdpmembers.com/annual-reports/annual-reporting-cycles. Complete instructions are also presented for online entry.  Whether on paper or online the due date is the same.

Annual Review With Pastor/Parish

After the Conference Annual Report is prepared by the Conference President, Secretary and Treasurer it is to be shared with the members of the Conference.  The President, Secretary and Treasurer should be prepared to answer any questions that the members have regarding the report.

After the Conference Annual Report has been reviewed and approved by your District Council President a summary of the annual report should then be prepared and submitted to the pastor for his review.  The review and approval by the District Council President is necessary to ensure the numbers are correct before sharing them with the pastor or parish.  Emphasis here is on the word “summary.”  The summary should also be presented to the Parish Council as well as to the parishioners through the parish bulletin.

Although this should be scheduled more often, it is expected that the Conference President will meet with the pastor and review all the work that the Conference has accomplished throughout the year.  This should not only cover what has been done but what the Conference has planned for the upcoming year.

Part Two of this article will appear next week.

 

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