The Music Center
Campaign

Yes, we have secured 100% participation from Chapter and Cathedral Leadership!

While there is no definite way to determine the exact start date, the earliest opportunity for construction to begin will be near the scheduled completion of the Major Gifts Campaign in July 2024, when funding for the project has been secured and/or identified through campaign pledge commitments.

St. Paul’s has a policy where service contracts are not signed until the funding is identified; construction on the project will not begin until 90% or more of the campaign goal has been secured in gifts or pledges.

In early 2021, St. Paul’s Cathedral conducted a planning and listening exercise, which invited input from our cathedral leaders and members, to identify our needs and priorities, with the purpose of creating a masterplan for our cathedral campus. Among the priorities identified, the Music Center was determined to be the most viable and realistic component of the plan to pursue at this time. After the successful completion of the Music Center, we can proceed with the possibilities of moving forward with the other priorities identified in the Master Plan, including the Outreach Center, and other priority funding needs identified in the listening phase of the Master Vision Plan.

No. The Cathedral relies on the income generated from our invested funds to support the annual operating budget and achieve our ongoing ministry goals.

We are confident that we will hit our fundraising goal for the Music Center campaign. In the event that we do not reach our goal, we will realign and adjust the project accordingly. We are committed to providing a home for our music program and will proceed with our vision in smaller steps aligning with our donors’ intentions.

The planned construction in the new Music Center will retain the existing windows and newly installed HVAC system, and to incorporate new ventilation and ducting systems, which will further enhance the overall airflow and environmental quality of the space.

Yes, and groups such as the Voices of Our City Choir—which currently serves as a ministry partner on our campus—have already expressed interest in the use of the new facilities. Our hope is that the new Music Center will can be yet another jewel in the crown of San Diego’s musical arts scene. Conversations with other potential community partners are already promising in this regard.

A donor wall will be prominently displayed in the Music Center to recognize the generous support received from campaign donors at all funding levels.

Yes, donors can make anonymous contributions to the campaign. Gifts can also be recognized in honor of / in recognition of others at the request of the donor.

A pledge is a written agreement, formalized with a Statement of Intent (SOI) that communicates a donor’s intention to make a gift to the campaign, either at a later date or paid over a period of time. We encourage donors to consider making multi-year pledges to the Major Gifts Campaign. This approach allows individuals to comfortably contribute a larger amount while maximizing the impact of their gift. It ensures that they can honor a financial commitment that works for their financial position, while also allowing the full amount of the pledged commitment to be counted toward the campaign goal, whatever the payment structure and timeline selected. Contributions to the Major Gifts Campaign can be pledged over three (3) years.

We understand that circumstances can change, and sometimes it may not be possible to fulfill a pledge. We appreciate your support, and we want you to know that we understand if you are unable to fulfill your pledge. You are not legally responsible for your pledge, but it will be very helpful for us to know as early as possible if you will be unable to fulfill it.

Absolutely! While planned and estate gifts cannot be counted toward the Major Gifts Campaign due to our need for capital funding up front to complete the project, we greatly appreciate and accept legacy gifts. Your support through these means enables us to make a lasting impact at the Cathedral. We would be more than happy to discuss your interest in making a planned gift and provide you with the necessary information and resources.

As you may already know, we host a lot of arts and musical events at St. Paul’s, including a wonderful and growing partnership with the Voices of Our City Choir. They are just one group that would benefit from the construction of a hospitable and functioning rehearsal space, but it wouldn’t end there. Villa Musica, the Early Music Society of San Diego, and groups we don’t yet know who need space could find a home in our Music Center. Until the Music Center is built we won’t know the full extent of the possibilities, but it would unquestionably enhance our community outreach abilities, just as the Guild Room and other spaces on campus do now, but with a special emphasis on the music and arts component of our mission and ministry.

We are strongly committed to continuing our partnership with VOOCC. Conversations have already begun on how we can accommodate our partnership and support their operations during and after construction. Yes, they would certainly lose their current office spaces, but we’re exploring possibilities with them to maintain on-campus activity. We can provide temporary spaces for meetings during the week in the Great Hall (which is wheelchair accessible) with the use of temporary dividers, and provide a temporary space where they can continue their studio recordings. Hand in hand with this we are beginning discussions of their possible long-term use of the Undercroft (beneath the chapel) as their home. With VOOCC fully installed in that area, we would benefit from the knock-on effect of utilizing the Undercroft as an outreach-specific space sooner rather than later, fulfilling another, much desired element of our Master Plan.