Tithing can be a sensitive issue. Tithing means giving ten percent of your income to Christ’s church and His poor. God gave Moses the commandment to tithe for the purpose of supporting the church and those in need (Leviticus 27: 30-&-34). Jesus talks about tithing in Luke 11: 42, Luke 18: 12, and Matthew 23:23. Abram tithed as a symbol that he depended totally on God. Moses said tithing was Holy and an act of worship. David informed us that God owns everything when he wrote, “The earth and everything in it belongs to Him.” The practice of tithing has a strong precedence in the Bible and church history and is still relevant today for those who can give at this level.
Every family must prayerfully discern their level of giving. There are legitimate exceptions to tithing such as families struggling to take care of their basic needs. Every family should try to give something and then build on that. Include the whole family in contributing to your weekly giving goal, pray together for guidance, and Our Loving God will get you there.
One Hour a Week
Here at St Joseph Parish, we ask everyone to give at least one hour (one 40th) of their weekly income.
Online Giving
Please click ONLINE GIVING to donate to second and special collections and schedule your regular weekly or monthly contribution to the parish. All major credit cards as well as electronic transfers from bank accounts are accepted. Online giving is easy to do and ensures the parish receives a consistent flow of income.
Whether you chose to give online or with the weekly and second collection envelopes mailed monthly to registered parishioners, the Parish Office will send you an acknowledgement letter for each gift of $250 or more and an itemized annual giving statement after the end of each year.
We appreciate your generosity. Your donations provide essential funding for parish operations and maintenance, clergy, staff, and ministries.
Match Your Donations
Many employers have matching gift programs. This is a great opportunity to increase your financial support to our parish by leveraging your donation with matching corporate funds. Although many corporations will not match contributions to religious organizations such as the parish, some do.
Most companies will match donations to schools and to a non-sectarian, non-profit corporations such as the Committee for the Restoration of the Mission San Jose (CRMSJ). Contributions to St Joseph School and CRMSJ help to fund needed improvements and operating expenses at the school, Mission church and museum.
If your employer has a matching gifts program, please consider supporting St. Joseph parish with a gift to one of the following:
St Joseph’s Church, Tax ID number 94-1358335
St Joseph School, Tax ID number 94-1535363 (This is the Diocesan Schools Department’s TAX ID, so be sure to indicate your gift is for St Joseph School, Fremont)
Committee for the Restoration of the Mission San Jose, Tax ID number 94-2341096
If you have any questions, contact Gina Mehta at gmehta@saintjosephmsj.org or call her at (510) 656-2364
Support THE PARISH BY DONATING STOCK, MUTUAL FUNDS, or IRA required distributions
By donating publicly traded appreciated stocks or shares of mutual funds to St. Joseph Parish you can avoid paying capital gains taxes and receive a tax deduction if you itemize deductions on your tax return.
Owners of traditional IRAs who are 70 ½ and older can donate all or some of their annual IRA Required Minimum Distribution to St Joseph Parish and avoid paying income tax on the donated amount. The donation must be made directly from your IRA to the parish to avoid having it count as taxable income. Consult your tax advisor and IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions, for more information.
Donating to St. Joseph Parish is easy! Gina Mehta, St Joseph Parish Business Manager, can guide you through the process and answer questions. Gina can be reached at 510-656-2364, extension 100, and at gmehta@saintjosephmsj.org.
Step 1 – Go to: https://www.oakdiocese.org/how-to-give. Print and complete the Diocese’s online Security Donation Form requesting your broker transfer a certain number of shares of a company or a mutual fund from your investment account or IRA to the Schwab brokerage account of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Oakland. Be sure to indicate your gift is for St. Joseph Parish – Fremont.
Step 2 – Submit the original of the completed Security Donation Form to your broker and email a copy of the completed form to Janet Ang in the Diocesan Finance Department at jang@oakdiocese.org and to Gina Mehta at gmehta@saintjosephmsj.org.
Step 3 – St. Joseph Parish will send you a letter acknowledging your donation. You should also keep a copy of the letter and your broker’s record of the value of the securities at the time of transfer which typically is the amount you can claim as a tax deduction.
How Much Should I Be Giving?