Donations to D.C. Archdiocese’s Down Nearly a Third After Year of Controversy

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s key annual fundraising appeal took in nearly a third less money in 2019, after sexual misconduct and mismanagement scandals involving some of the region’s most prominent Catholic leaders.

The archdiocese, which includes the District and its Maryland suburbs, received $10,350,027 for the 2019 Annual Appeal, compared with the 2018 total of $14,192,188, which is about where it had hovered since 2013. The drive was called “the Cardinal’s Appeal” until a year ago, when officials rebranded it to play down the image of high-ranking clerics.