Calvary Episcopal Church has been serving the spiritual, transformative, and charitable needs of the greater Santa Cruz area for over a century-and-a-half—longer than Santa Cruz has been a city. Founded in 1864, our story has been made possible by generations of those who have given their gifts of time and financial resources. Please consider joining that journey so that Calvary will be our legacy as well as our inheritance.
General Fund Donation
Following the biblical admonition of “render unto God that which is God’s,” general operating funds are used for things like salaries, utilities, and general maintenance. These come from annual pledges, plate offerings, and individual gifts. Without these funds, we would not be able to open our doors to those we serve.
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Labyrinth Fund
Calvary has plans to build a permanent labyrinth at the corner of Center and Lincoln Streets for the enjoyment and spiritual enrichment of the parish and the broader community. Your donation will help us realize our dream.
Rector’s Discretionary Fund
Our priest is often in the position of needing and being able to help those in emergency situations who come to Calvary seeking help. The rector’s discretionary fund allows our priest to provide such help confidentially and at the priest’s discretion. These are usually unplanned, and are funds not attached to the operating budget (general fund).
Organ Fund
Calvary recently replaced our old Moller pipe organ. We were able to acquire a larger and superior-quality Schoenstein (Opus 84, 1981) instrument for 10% of full replacement cost, but that still amounted to nearly $65k. Part of the savings entailed parishioners doing much of the project themselves–you can see their work on our organ project page! Donations to this fund will be applied directly to the loan we had to take from our trust fund to cover the cost of purchasing and installing the new organ.
Building and Restoration Fund
Calvary recently replaced our roof as well as our front doors and several other needed projects. Our historic 160-year-old building requires occasional projects—many of which are just waiting to be funded!
Choral Scholars
Calvary’s Choral Scholars program provides small stipends to university music students who provide leadership for our highly-regarded music program and, in turn, gain valuable professional experience.
Coffeehouse
Our weekly Monday night coffeehouse provides a meal, bible study, information on mental health and other services, and community to our mostly homeless population.
Food Bank
Our semimonthly food bank provides groceries on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays to our low-income population.
Outreach
Each month, donations to “Outreach” go to a different ministry in Calvary’s outreach program. We support the Association of Faith Communities/Faith Community Shelter, the Calvary Coffee House (homeless dinner ministry), COPA (Communities Organized for relational Power in Action), College Ministries, the Calvary Preschool, the United Thank Offering, and the Calvary Choral Scholars Program. A donation to “Outreach” supports the outreach ministry of the month.
Planned Giving
If you’re interested in speaking with our Rector about the opportunity to include Calvary in your estate planning or to make a memorial gift, please use this form to send us an e-mail. We will contact you shortly: