Cast Out to the Deep
A Message From the Honorary Chair
In recent years, dark clouds have hung over us as the world faced historic incidents of disease, upheaval and conflict. In a way, it was a foreboding time to kick off Catholic Relief Services’ first leadership giving campaign.
But, as Jesus told us, we are to “cast out to the deep!” Helping people in need is more than a nice idea—it is a duty of our faith—and it is during the gloomiest days that our light is most precious. Now, four years into the Go FAR campaign, we can reflect on our accomplishments and say, “Thank God, we certainly have shone our light!” Already, Go FAR and its supporters have reached millions of people in need—building homes, transforming livelihoods, empowering youth, strengthening families and more.
When we launched Go FAR, I hoped it would remind us of the primacy of love for the poor, and act as an amplifier for Catholics looking to reassert their confidence in Jesus and his Church. Since then, I have proudly witnessed an outpouring of love and generosity facilitated through, and by, Go FAR. Charity may begin at home, but it does not stop there.
This, of course, is the essence of our Catholic identity. As Catholics, the Church is always beyond us. It is universal, and it beckons us to go “to the margins,” as Pope Francis urges. As Jesus commanded his disciples to “cast out to the deep” before catching the miraculous draught of fish, so too must we continue to cast out, far and wide. Knowing this, we can recognize and celebrate the overwhelming good we have achieved, while understanding there is light still to shine. It is time to go further than before, not because we are nearing our finish line, but because the Gospel calls us to keep working.
It is my hope that through Go FAR, we will continue to cast out so deep as to reach the farthest corners of the world. Because we should and because we can.
Cardinal Timothy DolanArchbishop of New York | Honorary Chair, Go FAR Campaign
Because We Should, Because We Can
A Message From the CEO
When CRS developed our Vision 2030 agency strategy, our goal was to solve some of the most pressing problems of the 21st century. We challenged ourselves to act boldly—to expand on our successes and champion communities to become agents of their own destiny. Because we should, and because we can.
We launched Go FAR: The campaign for Catholic Relief Services to bring this vision to life and call for a movement about faith, action and results.
Our donors, partners and the people we serve answered the call.
I am humbled by the success of the Go FAR campaign. Thanks to the profound generosity of our donors, we surpassed our fundraising goal of $350 million, raising more than $400 million in cash and commitments. And this number continues to rise as we approach the end of the campaign and accelerate our efforts to meet growing and changing needs.
This remarkable support has shepherded Vision 2030 forward—enabling us to leverage public funding and influence our vast network of partners, to take our work to the next level and to catalyze transformational change at scale.
And it has created unprecedented progress for the people we serve—helping farmers restore their land, strengthening families, creating opportunities for young people, building homes for people affected by crisis, and equipping CRS to respond to evolving needs with speed and agility.
Still, our sisters and brothers around the world face tremendous challenges, and there is more work to do. Our strategy runs through 2030, and we are ready to build on our progress and the solidarity of our supporters and partners to achieve even greater results and deepen our impact.
The movement continues. Together, we will go far.
Sean L. CallahanPresident & CEO, Catholic Relief Services
The Call to Go FAR
A Message From the Co-Chairs
As co-chairs of the Go FAR campaign, we are inspired and humbled by its extraordinary success and impact. Go FAR has lifted our sights higher about what CRS, our partners and the people we serve can accomplish together.
The work that CRS does is more important than ever. We continue to see great need, from the chronic and pervasive challenges of poverty, climate change and hunger to emergencies like the war in Ukraine and the global food crisis. CRS is responding, and this gives us hope.
The Go FAR campaign is a fount of light. It gives us a way to help—to live our faith and respond to our Gospel calling to serve our sisters and brothers who are forgotten. This is what we should do, and what we can do, together.
The Go FAR journey has been a fulfilling one. We are heartened not only by the campaign’s results, but also by how generously our friends and donors have provided their support and guidance—through transformational giving, attendance at webinars and events, travel to programs around the world, and championing CRS and our program participants.
We are grateful to everyone who has joined us as we go far through faith, action and results. During this time of great hardship, our continued compassion is essential. We look forward to our progress ahead.
Mary Jane and Glenn CreamerCampaign Co-Chairs
Karen and Mark RauenhorstCampaign Co-Chairs