RETURN PROCEDURES
Please follow the ReturnProcedures on the Transmittal Form when mailing your pledges in. You will send the first two Return Mailers directly to our processing center in Berlin, Connecticut. The first Return Mailer will need to be sent the week of November6. You will be mailing your second Return Mailer the following week. When you receive additional pledges after the first two mailings, please package and send those directly back to the Diocese using the address belowand we will batch and process them. Please obtain a tracking number for the batches sent to the processing center.
Diocese of Austin
Stewardship and Development Office
6225 Hwy. 290 E
Austin, TX 87823
Below are frequently asked questions/comments we have received about the procedures.
If you don’t see your question answered below, please call us at (512) 949-2496to discuss your Return Procedures.
NO WAY am I sending cash in the mail.
That still means I have to send cash in the mail.
You’re asking me to send off the envelopes without knowing what’s in them? I really need to see the pledge card and the check.
Can’t I just open the envelopes, count the money for my records, and then mail everything off?
I need to know what my parishioners gave. Why can’t I see that information?
Will the company change information in Parish Data System (PDS)?
How do I know I can trust this company?
I’m STILL not comfortable with the process. Can’t I just do it the old way?
NO WAY am I sending cash in the mail.
We understand. If you receive loose cash in the basket, you are welcome to deposit it to your parish account and write a check to Catholic Services Appeal. Put the parish check in a pledge envelope and write your parish name and “Anonymous” on the envelope; include it in your Return Mailer. However, if you can’t get a parish check back in the same week, DO NOT delay your Return Mailer. Send your first Return Mailerwithout the anonymous cash, and mail the parish check for anonymous cash the next week, along with any new pledges you might receive from follow-up efforts. Also, this only applies to loose cash in the basket. Remember, you are not opening the regular pledge envelopes, which may or may not contain cash.
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That still means I have to send cash in the mail.
We know. Remember, the non-anonymous cash will be in a sealed pledge envelope that will be identical to all the other pledge envelopes in your sealed Return Mailer. In the very unlikely situation that someone tries to tamper with the Return Mailer before it reaches the Processing Center, they will not be able to tell which envelopes contain cash. Also, we routinely receive cash in the mail – not just from donors, but from parishes that have mailed their entire CSA collection to us unprocessed. We have never encountered any problems with cash sent through the mail.
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You’re asking me to send off the envelopes without knowing what’s in them? I really need to see the pledge card and the check.
You can see them. The Processing Center will create digital images of every pledge envelope, check, and any notes that may be included. Our office will have continuing access to the digital image files, which are searchable by donor name, parish, and many other features. We will be able to locate the exact contents of any pledge envelope. In addition, we are happy to share the image files with you at your request.
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Can’t I just open the envelopes, count the money for my records, and then mail everything off?
No. The Processing Center uses lockbox technology. In order to meet their very strict security regulations, they need to be positive that the pledge envelope contains exactly what the donor put in it. When the envelope reaches them already opened, they can no longer make that guarantee.
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I need to know what my parishioners gave. Why can’t I see that information?
You can see it. In addition to the digital image files (see above), we will continue to post statistics reports online every week during CSA season (November-January), and less frequently for the rest of the year. As always, you can contact Cynthia Vassallo at (512) 949-2496 or at to request detailed reports at any time.
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Will the company change information in Parish Data System (PDS)?
No. The Processing Center will be given read-only access to our database; they cannot edit any information. The read-only access we are giving them will help them identify the unique ID number of each donor; this process replaces the mailing labels we used to ask you to put on the pledge envelopes. The Processing Center will use a 5-point match look-up method to ensure the highest accuracy. Any gifts they can’t match with 100% certainty to a record in our database will be researched back here in our offices by our Donor Services team. All data entry of pledges, payments, and parishioner updates will be done right here by our diocesan team.
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How do I know I can trust this company?
The Processing Center is operated by a company called Letter Concepts, which is trusted by dioceses all over the United States to process their pledges. Letter Conceptsspecializes in diocesan annual appeals and follows all the latest security guidelines for handling money and sensitive data. They are SOC-1 and PCI compliant.
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I’m STILL not comfortable with the process. Can’t I just do it the old way?
We have had success with the new procedures according to the feedback we have received. We incorporated this process based on your requests from previous years. We are doing the best we can to accommodate your requests for accurate and timely processing that doesn’t overburden your staff. We are flexible. If you would like to process and batch your pledges
as you have done in the past, please contact Cynthia Vassallo at (512) 949-2496 or at
. We will send you the materials you will need in order to do so.
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For questions or extra supplies, call (512) 949-2496.
Stewardship & Development
Diocese of Austin