National Association of Catholic Chaplains

Business Meeting

May 21, 2012

Snapshots from 2011

Goal One: Member Communication and Support

  • State Liaisons continue to convene quarterly to network, share learnings, and provide leadership to their developing role. NACC staff regularly notifies them of new members in their states.
  • New members received communication from the national office alerting them to their state liaison as well as a roster of NACC members in their state.
  • 19local gatherings with more than 600 participants, prepared by state liaisons, planning teams, and NACC staff, some in places that did not hold gatherings in2010.
  • Nine audio conferences, all but twohaving two sessions, with more than 600 lines participating.
  • 2011 National Conference in Milwaukee, WI, servedover 500 participants.
  • 68 members were certified and 221were renewed in their certification
  • Network conference calls/sessions continue with diverse members groups, such as CPE, Palliative Care/ Hospice Care, Long Term Care, 40ish and Under, Deacons, Correctional Chaplains, and Mentors.
  • Ongoing collaboration with theCHE Spiritual Care Champion webinar series planners with a new two-tier(2012-2014) series based on the Standards of Practice for Professional Chaplains in Acute Care.
  • NACC Now e-newsletter continues to be used by many to seek counsel and resources from each other, as well as share news, seek prayers, and offer support. Now more than 1100 non-NACC members subscribe for communication and resources.
  • Vision on-line continues to receive high marks for the quality of its content, and more members contribute to its content.

Goal Two: Promoting Chaplaincy

  • Spiritual Care Collaborative (SCC) participants continued to convene to share initiatives, research, and strategies to advance the profession of spiritual care, and convene a first-ever gathering in December 2011 of 11 spiritual care associations for the purpose of dialogue on common issues.
  • In July 2011 the NACC and APC completed and published the 2011 Salary Survey that is accessed by members and other professionals for its valuable compensation information.
  • Partnered with the Catholic Health Association in the newly formed Pastoral Care Advisory Group consisting of Catholic healthcare system leaders responsible for spiritual/pastoral care to advance key areas of spiritual care, including quality initiatives, staff structuring, and communicating spiritual care’s value to executive leadership.
  • Explored deep partnership with Supportive Care Coalition on preparing members for palliative care.
  • The NACC’s video“Chaplaincy Ministry”continued to be distributed among diverse stakeholders.
  • Continued strengthening of partnerships with diverse theological graduate programs ofthe Association of Graduate Programs in Ministry (AGPIM) to grow awareness of chaplaincy as a ministry.
  • Ongoing development of collaboration/partnership with health systems that engage NACC to seek and share ways to promote spiritual care.
  • Numerous NACC members continued to write articles, conduct and publish research, attend interdisciplinary workshops, and implement Pastoral Care Week Programsto advance the profession.

Goal Three: Fostering Catholic Relations

  • On the recommendation of the NACC Episcopal Advisory Council, David Lichter sent a letter to all (arch) bishops on February 11, 2011 addressing NACC certification and the meaning and importance of endorsement.
  • Co-sponsored (one of 41 Catholic organizations) and participated in the 2011 Collegeville Symposium on Lay Ecclesial Ministry.
  • Worked with USCCB/CCA and USCCB leaders in the transition time of the closing of the USCCB/CCA and the formation of a new Subcommittee on Certification for Ecclesial Ministry and Service.
  • David Lichter and John Pollackparticipated in a leadership forum on strategic planningwith leaders of other Catholic Ministry Associations, including members of the Certification Alliance Partners: The National Association for Lay Ministry (NALM), the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL), the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), the National Association for Pastoral Musicians (NPM), and the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers (NACFLM).

Goal Four: Fostering Growth and Unity within Diversity (Recruitment)

  • NACC brochure, power point, Chaplaincy Ministry video, and other materials on NACC website are accessed regularly for use by members.
  • AGPIM and heads of graduate programs in theology received NACC brochures, video, and e-mail texts with links to NACC website to share with their students for purposes of recruitment.
  • Information sessions were offeredat some schools to share the spiritual care ministry profession.
  • Inquiries on chaplaincy ministry and NACC have increased.
  • While membership declined about a three percent member decline, due to understandable retirements given the age of the majority of our members, we still gained 184 new members: 90 lay women (49%), 35 priests (19%), 34 laymen (18.5%), 14 religious women (7.6%), 10 deacons (5.4%), and 1 brother. Our membership profile is now 48.3% lay (36.6% women, 12.7% men), 29.2% sisters, 16.8% priests, 4.1% brothers and deacons, and .5% others, with 70.0% board certified.

Goal Five: Strategic Partners

  • Good partnerships continue to grow and many of these are highlighted on Goal Two.

Goal Six: Financial Stability

  • As in 2009 and 2010, NACC ended 2011 on good financial footing with a net asset of $104,968 ($840,951 expenses to $945,919 revenue). Moving to smaller and less cost-per-square foot office space, as well as toon-line Vision, resulted in $25,000 reduction in administrative expenses.
  • Annual Member Campaign donors decreased somewhat(2007-240, 2008-324, 2009-476, 2010-546, 2011-496), however, the amount raised continued to increase (2007-$28,169, 2008-$32,670, 2009-$39,777, 2010-$44,017, 2011-$47,513) to provide extra budgetary support. Thank you!
  • Many healthcare systems sponsored 2011 National Conference ($30,000) and committed to being Institutional Sponsors ($30,000)! Thank you!
  • NACC Finance Committee used a financial forecast model that helps NACC to create and understand financial trends for the next four-five years.

Goal Seven: Staff and Board Development

  • Staff moved to the new office late January 2011, and continued to strengthen its work on education, certification, membership, finance, technology, general operations, and association support.
  • Lindsey Tews began in fall as the Administrative Specialist/Certification, taking the place of Rose Mary Blanco-Alvarado.
  • Board begana strategic planning processin fall 2011, with the assistance again of The Reid Group, to redefine organizational priorities, while continuing with the priorities:
  • Financial health
  • Membership growth
  • Catholic Church relations
  • Collaboration
  • Subsidiarity

Wethank all of you for helping in 2011 to realize the final line of our NACC vision statement: NACC is a light of hope, whose members are persistently advocating for those dedicated to the spiritual care of people experiencing pain, vulnerability, joy, and hope.

David A. Lichter, D.Min.Executive Director