Erika Ahern is Associate Editor for CatholicVote and the LOOP. Her work has also appeared in USA Today, the Washington Examiner, Plough Quarterly, National Catholic Register, Catholic Exchange, the Daily Caller, Connecticut Examiner, Crisis Magazine, and Regina Magazine. She wears pants. Erika and her husband live outside of New Haven, Connecticut, with their seven children.
Official Terms and Conditions
Updated as of August 30, 2021
1. To Enter:
Beginning Wednesday, September 1, 2021 and continuing until Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 11:59:59 p.m. EDT, United States residents may enter their eligible Catholic parish or Catholic 501(c)(3) organization in the EDIFY $10,000 Donation Contest ("the Contest").
In order to nominate a Catholic parish or 501(c)(3) organization in the Contest, a United States Resident must complete an online entry form and provide all required entry information, acknowledgements, and consents.
Entry must be submitted through www.EDIFY.us.
One entry per person with a unique email address and phone number.
Participants who have made an error in submitting their entry may submit a subsequent entry to correct errors in the initial entry. Prior to each drawing, the entry list will be reviewed, all duplicate entries will be removed, and only the later submitted entry will be included in the drawing. Persons submitting multiple entries for reasons other than making good faith corrections may be disqualified from the Contest.
The Catholic Parish or Catholic 501(c)(3) organization with the most unique, verified entries will be declared the Contest winner. If in the rare case that two or more organizations have an equal number of unique, verified entries, the $10,000 donation will be split into equal shares and distributed to the winners.
2. Eligibility of Catholic Parishes, Catholic 501(c)(3) organizations and Nominators
A Catholic Parish is eligible to be nominated if it is an open and active parish of a Catholic diocese or archdiocese within the 50 states of the United States of America. CatholicVote Education Fund will verify the parish’s open and active status by checking the parish’s listing in the 2021 Official Catholic Directory, the official (arch)diocesan listing of parishes on its (arch)diocesan website and by searching for the parish’s own website.
A Catholic 501(c)(3) organization is eligible to be nominated if it earned 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service on or before January 1, 2021, received at least $10,000 in donations in the 2020 Calendar year and could produce a letter of support from its (Arch)Bishop and Pastor stating the fidelity of the group to the Teaching Magisterium of the Church and that it is currently open and active. Alternatively, non-parish Catholic 501(c)(3) organizations can also be eligible if they participate in the “IRS Group Ruling” and were listed in the 2021 Official Catholic Directory under one of the dioceses or archdioceses within the 50 states within the United States of America.
An individual is eligible to nominate their Catholic Parish or favorite Catholic 501(c)(3) organization if:
You are a living, legal permanent resident of one of the 50 states within the United States of America.
You are at least 16 years of age.
You can share a unique email address and phone number as part of your entry.
You are not an employee or officer of CatholicVote Education Fund or related organization.
You can share proof of any of the four requirements above if requested.
3. Prize
The winning Catholic Parish or Catholic 501(c)(3) Organization (or in the case of a tie, the winners collectively) will earn a $10,000 donation from the CatholicVote Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, which sponsors EDIFY.
After verification of the winner(s)’s entries, the donation will be made within 30 days to the winning organization(s).
4. Verification
CatholicVote Education Fund staff, partners, or contractors will review and attempt to confirm potential winner information and eligibility prior to declaring an Official Winner for the Contest.
Verification of all information and eligibility criteria must be established to the sole satisfaction of CatholicVote Education Fund before a potential winner is named an Official Winner or entitled to receive the donation prize.
Required Telephone or email Response: A potential winning Catholic Parish or Catholic 501(c)(3) organization may have all of its nominators contacted by phone or email to verify the uniqueness of their entry. The nominator will have 48 hours to respond to the email or phone message or their nomination will be disqualified.
The burden of demonstrating eligibility in a timely manner and to the satisfaction of CatholicVote Education Fund rests with the nominator or potential winning organization. This burden extends to obtaining documents and records necessary to establishing eligibility.
5. General Rules
Catholic Parishes and Catholic 501(c)(3) organizations which do not meet the eligibility requirements defined in these Official Terms and Conditions are not eligible to enter or to win. Individuals who do not meet the eligibility requirements to nominate a Catholic Parish or Catholic 501(c)(3) organization defined in these Official Terms and Conditions are not eligible to nominate.
By participating in the Contest, all nominators and entrants agree to be bound by these Official Terms and Conditions, all final decisions of CatholicVote Education Fund, and all procedures established for the Contest.
Publicity of Winners. An Official Winner’s participation in the Contest and acceptance of the prize constitute the Official Winner’s express permission for CatholicVote Education Fund to use it’s name and likeness for advertising and promotional purposes, without compensation. Further, by accepting a prize, the Winner agrees to hold the CatholicVote Education Fund and its partners, employees, commissioners, owners, directors, officers, affiliates, subsidiaries, contractors, assignees and agents, harmless against any and all claims or liability arising out of the Official Winner’s participation in the Contest and receipt and ownership or use of a prize.
All materials submitted by participants in connection with the Contest become the property of the CatholicVote Education Fund and will not be returned. Prizes are nontransferable to any entity or other person.
If any discrepancy exists between these Official Terms and Conditions and other statements or materials or advertisements concerning the Contest, these Official Terms and Conditions shall prevail.
These Official Terms and Conditions are subject to review and may be amended or revised at any time at the sole discretion of the CatholicVote Education Fund.