CatholicVote 2023 Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT

Brian Burch and Lawmakers Confront Federal Law Enforcement for ‘Targeting’ Pro-Life Americans at the US Capitol

Stop

Hate Rally at the

Imagine if 70 million Catholics put their faith into action. The nation our children will inherit depends on the choices we make today. Our mission is clear: To inspire every Catholic in America to live out the truths of our faith in public life.

WE CAN SEE THE VICTORY ALREADY WON FOR US BY CHRIST

A Message from CatholicVote President,

Brian Burch

You ready?

2024 could be a doozy.  But also our finest hour.

Every presidential year brings surprises. Who could have predicted COVID, lockdowns, BLM riots, or doubts about the integrity of our elections in 2020? What will 2024 bring? It’s hard to predict. But we will be ready.

2023 sent some real whiplash our way – from the incredible response to our FBI lawsuit and Dodgers campaign to demoralizing defeats on the pro-life front. The Left always wants us to believe

that the fight is over and we’ve lost.

We’re too pro-life. We’re too extreme. We’re too… Catholic. So “out of touch.” Time to give up.

I don’t buy it... The battles we wage every day are winnable. This report proves that. With God, all things are possible.

This incredible team of men and women proves to me every single day that the power of Christ overcomes every obstacle when we work with faith, humility, and above all joy.

I say this every year, but the

“happy warriors” that make up the CatholicVote family are the best defense and brightest hope we have. We can see the victory already won for us by Christ – and with your help we are working to bring that victory to the hearts and minds of a restored and redeemed America.

It’s my greatest privilege to work for you and alongside this team.

I hope the work you see in these pages gives you that same sense of confidence, encouragement, and zeal for the work ahead of us in 2024.

Leadership

Josh Mercer, Vice President and Editor of the LOOP

Mercer is a gritty, professional journalist with deep experience that includes Washington Correspondent for the National Catholic Register. He and his team produce the wildly popular LOOP, LOOPcast, and much of the life-changing content for which we are well known.

John Sherman, Chief Development Officer

Sherman is a seasoned development professional who brought to CatholicVote skills and experience from leadership positions at T. Rowe Price, Bank of America, and MetLife. He and his team focus on engaging our generous donors to create the funding essential to carry out our vital mission.

Sarah Chastain, Director of Marketing

Chastain is an experienced marketing professional who worked with clients ranging from universities, to large non-profits, to small startups before joining CatholicVote. She and her team expertly steward CatholicVote’s incredible brand in every space, including social media, and engage our growing audience with compelling graphic and artistic content.

Josh Reznicek, Director of Video Production

Reznicek is a graduate of John Paul the Great Catholic University and worked on numerous video and film productions in the Catholic and secular world before joining CatholicVote. He and his team produce compelling video content that is viewed by tens of millions of people every year.

Logan Church, National Political Director

Church is an experienced political professional who worked on over a dozen political campaigns for high-profile candidates such as Senator Marco Rubio. She and her team expertly marshal CatholicVote’s considerable political resources on the front lines of the battle for the soul of our great country.

Be Excellent Award Spotlight

Kara Mone, Senior Development Officer

Communication is the name of the game here at CatholicVote. Whether it is communicating among staff, to the public, or with our CV family, we value excellent communication skills. Intelligent, compassionate, and kind, Kara was able to secure multiple gifts for CatholicVote this year, which have helped us grow to reach more Americans than ever.

The Hon. Tim Huelskamp, Senior Advisor to CatholicVote

Every Catholic should know by now that the FBI has been up to no good: interviewing priests, infiltrating churches, and investigating “traditional” Catholics. Tim has been indispensable in helping CatholicVote to sue the FBI for the information behind such blatant betrayal. Through his leadership and dogged determination, CatholicVote will never let up pressuring the feds for the truth.

INSIDE LOOK

Stark’s untiring work ethic, combined with her artistic vision and sharp wit, leads the design team to bring you the amazing graphics you see in the LOOP, CatholicVote’s campaigns like the St. Michael Novena, and even the LOOPcast thumbnails. Her creative spark seems forever unquenchedshe is always coming up with new ideas or insider memes to make us smile! Sarah makes everything CV does look amazing.

President Brian Burch instituted the “Be Excellent” staff awards in 2021, granting the award at the monthly all-staff (ZOOM) meeting to a CV employee who exemplified CatholicVote’s mission, fortitude, and dedication. Staffers eagerly await the announcement at the end of each meeting – and we wanted to share a few of this year’s outstanding award winners with you!

Sarah Stark, Senior Graphic Designer

Staff Growth

Elizabeth Hall is a junior literature major at Ave Maria University in Florida. Prior to CatholicVote, she spent several years discerning a religious vocation with the Dominican Sisters of Mary.

EXPERTISE: ex-con(vent), youthful perspective, Catholic puns

Scott Williams is an experienced creative with expertise in social media, podcast, and video series production. He has previously worked in news and commercial media, most recently at PragerU. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife and 1-year-old daughter.

EXPERTISE: creative producer, strategist, and director

Mary Kroner is a native of Springfield, Illinois and a recent graduate of the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology. She has worked as a writer for the Southern Nebraska Register and her work has also appeared in Catholic World Report and Catholic News Agency .

EXPERTISE: copywriting, copyediting, and reporting

Tanner Heffner lives with his wife and daughter in northern Ohio. He previously worked as a product manager at various software companies using data to grow user bases.

EXPERTISE: increasing donor engagement through data analytics and improved user experiences

FBIlawsuit

APRIL

BurningtheChurches CatholicVote published Burning the Churches drawing attention to the over 400 attacks on Catholic churches since 2020. CV’s tracker became the #1 source for up-to-date stats and details on dese crating churches, as well as the feds’ abject failure to defend them.

JUNE Dodgers

In June, the LA Dodgers invited an anti-Catholic hate group, the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” to receive a “Community Hero” award. Catholic Vote stepped up and raised over a million dollars to protest the team’s actions.

A Look Back on JANUARY

Whistle-blower

Kyle Seraphin’s publication of the shocking “Richmond memo” proves that the FBI has been spying on Catholics.CatholicVotetook action: we sued the FBI for all documents, emails, and recordsregardingitsunconscionabletactics.

CV’s violence tracker cited in Congressional proceedings 2023

• 5 House Hearings

• 1 Senate Hearing

• Over 12 internal memos

El LAZO – the LOOP’s sister publication for Spanish speakers – launched its first novena honoring Our Lady of ParticipantsGuadalupe. offered thousands of prayers for the persecuted Church.

OurLadyofGuadalupe

DECEMBER

The Four Pillars of CV

America is in trouble — and Catholics have the answers that will save our great nation. All we need is our God-given freedom to live out our faith to its fullest in our homes, parishes, and political life.

MEDIA

The future depends on bringing the truth to every corner of society. Through the LOOP, el LAZO, and EDIFY we’re changing hearts and minds — and investing in new, interactive media to empower Catholics to restore America.

POLITICS

EDUCATION

We are forming the next generation of politically-engaged Catholics with initiatives like EDIFY, the Catholic Accountability Project, and a robust college internship program.

LAW

We’re taking the fight to the Department of Justice and holding the Biden administration accountable for targeting Catholics and pro-life Americans. Our lobbyists in DC remind Congress: they work for us.

CatholicVote is boots-on-theground because elections have consequences. We’re identifying and educating Catholic voters and organizing long-term strategies to restore our constitutional order.

TOP STORIES OF 2023

BISHOP STRICKLAND REMOVED: SUGGESTS WHY Only eight hours after Pope Francis removed Bishop Joseph Strickland as the head of the Diocese of Tyler, the Texas prelate shared his side of the story. “I really can’t look to any reason except I’ve threatened some of the powers that be with the truth of the Gospel,” Strickland said of his ouster.

POPE FRANCIS: ‘DEMASCULINIZE THE CHURCH’ Pope Francis on Thursday asked members of the International Theological Commission to “demasculinize the Church.” He called “masculinizing the Church” one of “our great sins” and told the Commission: “This is a task I ask of you, please. Demasculinize the Church.”

BIDEN ADMIN ISSUES NATIONAL ABORTION MANDATE FOR EMPLOYERS

The alarming Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) rule is now open for a 60-day period during which citizens can comment with objections. CatholicVote is calling on citizens to submit comments via an easy-to-use portal.

HERE ARE THE BISHOPS DENOUNCING DODGERS A growing number of Catholic prelates are rebuking the Dodgers’ decision to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Here is a list of the bishops and dioceses who’ve spoken up so far.

The LOOP Keeps Going Up

I read the LOOP every morning after prayer. I enjoy it very much and spread the word about it to my parishioners and friends.

My only real news every morning.

MADELINE

Thank you so much for your commitment to telling the truth about the news in our country!

SUSANNE R.

In January 2023, we set out to grow the LOOP to over 600k subscribers in 12 months. Confidence in the media is at an all-time low, but the LOOP is where hundreds of thousands of Catholics get the news that matters from a source they trust.

FATHER MICHAEL T.

C.

CatholicVote at the Synod on Synodality

With all the confusion surrounding the Synod on Synodality, we decided to see it for ourselves in order to deliver reliable, eyewitness coverage.

CatholicVote’s team of reporters stayed in Rome, attending the daily press conferences with journalists from all over the world and meeting one-on-one with key players. Our writers produced dozens of stories and succinct analyses on the inner workings in Rome — and you loved it! Watch for Synod Round Two in October 2024!

PHOTO CREDITS: DANIEL IBÁÑEZ

PHOTO CREDITS: DANIEL IBÁÑEZ

LOOPcast

Tom, Josh, and Erika comment on the current events, drawing on the natural law, common sense, and Catholic tradition, with a keen sense of humor. The podcast brings hundreds of thousands of Catholics a down-toearth take on all things LOOP!

I love how the three of you interact & the different perspectives each of you bring. You put your hearts, souls, and minds into reporting issues and applying our faith to each situation… Our world needs you!”

El LAZO

In the final months of 2022, CatholicVote launched el LAZO –a sister publication to the LOOP entirely written and curated for Spanish speakers. The new media initiative saw astounding growth in its first year – and looks forward to the years to come!

The OLG Novena was a nine-day prayer event dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, held from December 3 to December 12. VC staff broadcast the prayers daily from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. Approximately 3,600 prayers were offered in reparation for the persecuted Church worldwide

Several celebrities and influencers who are outspoken about their love for their faith and Our Lady led our audience in prayer throughout the novena, including Verónica Flamenco, Anderson Monsalve, and Mariana Cordero. Their involvement resulted in a notable increase in VC social media activity and el LAZO subscribers!

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE NOVENA

TOP VIDEOS

195,000 Views

117,000 Views

TOP PODCASTS

13,700 Listens

10,000 Listens

EDIFY

Imagine if 70 million American Catholics were fully equipped to elevate the public discourse and shape public policy!

EDIFY brings together today’s top leaders in politics, education, and culture. From their witness, EDIFY produces powerful, short videos and podcasts delivering timeless truths on tough questions — all grounded in the teachings of the Catholic Church.

EDIFY uses its educational platform to evangelize and catechize, because political questions require us to plumb the depths of the Church’s ancient wisdom.

450% Increase in social media engagement

3.3M VIEWS

Across all platforms in 2023

Podcasts and Reports

FANFA EV

Outreach Expose

One of today’s most influential “Catholic” figures, Father James Martin founded Outreach to make LGBTQ+ people “feel more welcome” in the Catholic Church. But is that his only motivation? Outreach itself has yet to face much scrutiny. CatholicVote’s Catholic Accountability Project provides a closer look at the controversial organization.

The Receipts Podcast

2023 saw the launch of The Receipts, CatholicVote’s new podcast providing in-depth coverage on the issues that matter most. The goal? To give you the best research on what matters most – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and to hold Catholic leaders accountable to the truths of the faith. Because every Catholic deserves the truth.

Our inaugural series dramatized the COVID Report, a one-of-a-kind dive into both the best and the worst of the Catholic Church’s response to the pandemic.

Groundbreaking Research Reports

Catholic Accountability Project

The investigative reports of the Catholic Accountability Project work to unearth and reveal the truth behind major figures, movements, and events of our time from a Catholic perspective. Stay tuned in 2024 for more of the excellent reporting you won’t find anywhere else.

Making Headlines

The LOOP broke the Dodgers story and CatholicVote’s protest was covered in hundreds of news outlets across the country. The CatholicVote team appeared in dozens of hits, including with Fox News, the Los Angeles Times, New York Post, Wall Street Journal, EWTN, Relevant Radio, and major secular radio and TV stations across the country.

Political Team Efforts

LOOPers Changed Bad Biden Policies

IMPACT: Through CatholicVote’s portal, LOOPers submitte d 88,000 p ublic comments to Congress and the Biden administration demanding an end to the FBI targeting of Catholics, the persecution of pro-life healthcare workers, and the illegal federal funding of abortion.

Defending Senator Tommy Tuberville

When the Biden administration announced a policy to pay for abortions and “abortion travel” for military members, one senator stood almost alone against this overt disregard for federal law. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama vowed to halt military promotions until the policy changed – and he did for nine

long months. Director of Government Affairs Tom McClusky and his team worked closely with Tuberville’s staff, encouraging other pro-life senators to support him.

Our presence in DC continues to grow under McClusky, who has been repeatedly named as a top lobbyist by The Hill!

Parish Resources

In its fight against Issue 1 in Ohio, the CatholicVote team piloted a new “parish pack,” including:

The initiative was highly successful and CatholicVote plans to roll it out to every state and every parish, providing resources, support, and encouragement to all American Catholics for the 2024 election.

You Sent 125K+ Postcards in Ohio and Virginia

We doubled down on our pivot to handwritten postcards as our primary volunteer effort. What’s old is new again, and everyone still looks at their mail… especially when there’s a handwritten message from a fellow Catholic on the back!

In total, CV volunteers wrote and sent 125,000 postcards in Ohio and Virginia. We are analyzing their impact, and our preliminary research is showing a statistically significant increase in turnout among voters who received one of our postcards.

Scott Hahn

I loved having the chance to get together with my family and friends to write postcards to our fellow Catholics throughout the state of Ohio. It was not only a fun experience, but it let us be involved in the fight. I would do it again in a heartbeat.” “

Joins the Fight

Catholic author and evangelist Dr. Scott Hahn opened his Steubenville home to host a postcard writing party. Dedicated participants sent over 10K postcards as a result. Thank you, Dr. Hahn!

Cecilia M.

LOOP v. Dodgers

In early May 2023, CatholicVote President Brian Burch heard a rumor that the LA Dodgers were planning to give a Community Hero Award to a group calling itself the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.”

The “sisters” are actually a bunch of men who dress up in sexually explicit “nun” clothing with one purpose: to mock Catholics.

Then they perform stunts designed to be as shocking and offensive as possible, such as a “condom savior mass,” an annual “Jesus in drag” competition, and pole dancing on a cross.

This was “Pride Month” on steroids. And CatholicVote knew a line had been crossed.

The LOOP broke the story first, and within 48 hours it went viral. We set out to raise a million dollars for an ad campaign calling out the Dodgers in the heavilyCatholic LA market. In just a couple weeks, we exceeded that goal, entirely through 30,000 small donors – the most successful small donor campaign in our history.

We set out to make this stunt by the Dodgers as painful and detrimental to their business as possible so that no other mainstream corporation would ever partner with the SPI again. Sure enough, the Dodgers presented the award an hour before the game – in a city where fans are known for arriving late –before a nearly empty stadium. Inside sources tell us other sports teams planned to honor the SPI, but canceled after our campaign.

CITY, STATE York, Pennsylvania

SPOUSE Married to Tina for 40 years in 2024!

DONOR PROFILE

Norm Basso

CHILDREN 5 Children - now scattered across the USA and heaven

FAVORITE SAINT St. Joseph, the model father

FUN FACT ABOUT ME Before I was married and had the responsibility of children, I rode motorcycles, SCUBA dived, and jumped out of a perfectly good plane (wearing a parachute, of course!).

HOBBIES Today I volunteer with a number of non-profit organizations and boards, do community work, golf, and travel to visit children, friends, and my favorite –grandchildren!

WHAT CV MEANS TO ME

CatholicVote is a way for me to find the TRUTH these days, especially from a Catholic perspective. Social media and many communication systems are very biased and unreliable when you’re trying to learn about current events or make decisions for your life and family.

I subscribe to other informational outlets but find the LOOP to be the best at drilling into critical current events. The LOOP covers so many issues, allowing me to have solid conversations in expressing my faith and political beliefs.

How is your gift being used?

LOOP AND EDIFY

NEWS REPORTING

VIDEO AND PODCAST PRODUCTION

ADVERTISING

TECHNOLOGY

LEGAL ADVOCACY

PRO-LIFE LEGAL ADVOCACY

FBI FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA) REQUEST AND LAWSUIT

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FOIA REQUEST AND LAWSUIT

LEGAL ADVOCACY

POLITICAL ADVOCACY AND DEFENSE OF THE FAITH

POLITICAL ADVOCACY AND DEFENSE OF THE FAITH

OHIO CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

VIRGINIA MIDTERM ELECTION

DODGERS CAMPAIGN

CATHOLIC ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT

HIDE THE PRIDE

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS

CHURCH VIOLENCE TRACKER

Hero of the Year

Kyle Seraphin

The former agent-turned-whistleblower made headlines for exposing political bias in the FBI and publishing an internal Bureau memo linking traditional Catholics to “white supremacy influences.” At great personal risk, Kyle continued to press for answers throughout the year.

Because of Kyle’s bravery, CatholicVote was able to pursue its own investigations, which ultimately proved that the FBI deliberately weaponized undercover agents and counterterrorism tools to target Catholic Americans.

In December, the House Judiciary Committee released a stunning report confirming our findings: the Biden administration’s Department of Justice has been working to cover up the true nature and extent of its efforts to marginalize Catholics.

Kyle’s own account of the story –including his time in the FBI – appears in CatholicVote’s 2024 book, For God, Country, & Sanity: How Catholics Can Save America .

The Hero of the Year Tournament is part of the Catholic Accountability Project’s Heroes and Zeroes project.

In 2024, CatholicVote will publish For God, Country, and Sanity: How Catholics Can Save America , a collection of essays on current political trends. From Kyle Seraphin’s chapter:

“As I sat down to read the Richmond memo, I could not help but notice that the entire thing is written from the perspective of someone who holds views antithetical to what we believe as Catholics…. Targeting Catholics in one memo quite frankly opens a door for the FBI to look into all traditionally religious people – which, statistically, is almost half the country.”

FBI Lawsuit

After Kyle Seraphin published the so-called “Richmond” memo, CatholicVote took action to get to the bottom of the story. What we found has been far-reaching –and the information we uncovered has fueled multiple Congressional hearings this year.

“We now know that the FBI relied on at least one undercover agent to produce its analysis… [and proposed] that its agents engage in outreach to Catholic parishes to develop sources among the clergy and church leadership to inform on Americans practicing their faith.”

~Congressman Jim Jordan, R-OH

The Agency also aimed to “sensitize” Catholic churchgoers “to the warning signs of radicalization,” and “enlist their assistance to serve as suspicious activity tripwires.”

CatholicVote and our partners at Judicial Watch are prepared to litigate this matter to the end. Americans have every right to know what led to the decision to authorize spying on Catholics in church! What led to this memo, who was behind it, and what will the consequences be?

Rest assured that this fight is far from over. Hearings are only the beginning. We are not going away.

A Prayer for America

Lord Jesus Christ,

We come to you humbled and forlorn, after months of struggle to defend and protect your little ones and meeting with stark rejection.

Lord, help us to remember that you warned us that in following you the way is narrow, requiring us to carry our crosses, and face contempt and even martyrdom.

You told us, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace but a sword.”

A sword that would divide us even from our loved ones, much less, from those who hate us.

But you also told us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

You know we are prone to self-doubt and anxiousness, to troubled hearts and fearful souls. Yet you are infinitely compassionate and patient.

BEHIND THE SCENES

So now, open our hearts and minds to your peace, and may we understand that it is a peace “which surpasses all understanding,” conquering all sadness, all fear, all discouragement, all despair.

And let the words of David your prophet echo in our hearts: “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”

Shower us with your grace, and let your peace bear fruit in hope, courage, perseverance, and joy.

So that with humble zeal, we may lift up our heads, and move forward in conforming to your will, and proclaiming your Gospel.

We ask this in your most Holy Name, in union with your most Blessed Mother, Mary, invoking her intercession.

Amen.

On November 8, CatholicVote held an all-staff meeting following the unfortunate passage of Issue 1, the “abortion on steroids” amendment in Ohio. While we arrived with heavy hearts, our chaplain Father DeCelles opened us in prayer. His words – and the grace of God – strengthened and lifted our spirits. May they do the same for you, who support us every day in the fight for faith, family, and freedom in America.

Thank you!

We hope this report has left you encouraged. Hopeful. Eager for what comes next. Because it proves that we can change the course of American history.

CatholicVote is making a difference.

You are making a difference.

None of this would be possible without the prayers and financial support of courageous souls like you. Thank you again for all you have done and all you will do in the future to support this vital work!

We can’t do it without you.

“

None of this would be possible without the prayers and financial support of courageous souls like you. Thank you again for all you have done and all you will do in the future to support this vital work!”

Brian Burch, CatholicVote President