Diocese of Rockford

What Diocese of Rockford does

The Diocese of Rockford is a territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established on September 23, 1908 by Pope Pius X, serving 411,932 Catholics across 6,457 square miles in 11 Northern Illinois counties (Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, JoDaviess, Kane, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, and Winnebago). It operates a parish-based service network consisting of 107 parishes plus 2 missions and 1 oratory, organized into seven deaneries (Aurora, DeKalb, Elgin, Freeport, McHenry, Rockford, and Sterling), and a Catholic education system spanning 29 grade schools with 6,199 students, 8 high schools with 2,572 students, and parish religious education programs enrolling 36,675 children. The diocese employs approximately 3,000 people, including 107 active priests, 9 religious priests, 142 permanent deacons, 84 religious women, and 9 religious brothers, under the governance of Bishop David J. Malloy, the ninth Bishop of Rockford since 2012.

Core service delivery relies on a parish-direct distribution model augmented by digital platforms and broadcast media. Functional offerings include sacraments (3,972 infant baptisms, 4,332 first communions, 4,104 confirmations, and 587 marriages annually), K-12 Catholic education, adult faith formation, pastoral counseling, Catholic Charities social services, vocations support, Tribunal services, marriage and family resources, and Safe Environment compliance programs. The technology stack is intentionally limited: a WordPress-based website (rockforddiocese.org), Microsoft Office 365 email, a YouTube channel for archived video, Google Maps integration for parish boundary search, TeamViewer for IT support, and a multi-platform donation infrastructure integrating GiveCentral, OSV Online Giving, MyEOffering, ParishSoft, Tithe.ly, WeShare, and eService Payments. Broadcast reach is extended through a WREX-TV Channel 13 partnership delivering Sunday TV Mass at 6:30 a.m. and the Bishop's daily "Top of the Morning" reflections weekdays at 6:59 a.m.

The diocese operates as a non-profit religious organization with no commercial revenue; all funding flows from charitable giving. The four primary diocesan-level fundraising mechanisms are the annual Diocesan Appeal, the National Appeal (supporting Catholic schools with operating deficits, retired priests' pensions, the Catholic Communication Campaign, Retirement Fund for Religious, and Catholic University of America), the International Appeal (supporting Peter's Pence, Catholic Relief Services, disaster relief, and Central/Eastern European Church aid), and the Mission Appeal (supporting World Mission Sunday, Black and Indian Mission Collection, Catholic Home Missions, and missionary societies). Disbursements to USCCB partners in the prior cycle ranged from $6,026 (Society for the Propagation of the Faith) to $139,559 (Retirement Fund for Religious). Parish-level online giving supplements diocesan appeals. Financial statements are not publicly disclosed; the organization files internally with the Vatican as part of its annual diocesan report.

Name

Diocese of Rockford

Legal name

Diocese of Rockford

Website

https://rockforddiocese.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Diocese of Rockford is a Catholic territorial jurisdiction serving 411,932 Catholics across 11 northwestern Illinois counties through 107 parishes, 29 grade schools, 8 high schools, and parish religious education programs, funded entirely by charitable donations via four annual appeals and parish-level online giving.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Charitable Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Catholic Broadcasting (MPABALAB), Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

Keywords

• Catholic diocese administration
• Religious education services
• Parish pastoral services
• Charitable giving campaigns
• Catholic K-12 schools

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Diocesan Appeal: Annual fundraising campaign supporting diocesan ministries, priest retirement, Catholic schools, and evangelization efforts. Donors can give one-time, sustaining, or pledge-based recurring gifts via credit card or bank withdrawal.
2. National Appeal: Combined appeal supporting Catholic schools with operating deficits, retired priests' pension (36 retired priests), Catholic Communication Campaign (TV Mass, Top O' the Morning broadcasts), Retirement Fund for Religious (elderly sisters/brothers/religious order priests), and Catholic University of America.
3. International Appeal: Lenten appeal supporting Peter's Pence, Aid to Catholic Church in Central and Eastern Europe, Catholic Relief Services, Worldwide and U.S. Disaster Relief, Catholic School Financial Support, and Rockford Diocesan Priests' Pension.
4. Mission Appeal: Annual appeal supporting World Mission Sunday, Black and Indian Mission Collection, Catholic Home Missions, Catholic School Financial Support, Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Church in Latin America, Church in Africa, and Priests' Pension.
5. Parish Support / Online Giving: Online donation capabilities for individual parishes through various platforms including GiveCentral, OSV Online Giving, eService Payments, Tithe.ly, and ParishSoft. Parishes offer online giving for tithes, donations, and collections.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Diocese of Rockford is a Catholic territorial jurisdiction providing spiritual, educational, and charitable services across 11 Northern Illinois counties. Its core offering includes the administration of Catholic sacraments (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage) through 107 parishes, K-12 Catholic education across 37 schools, parish-based religious education programs, pastoral counseling, vocations support, and charitable fundraising campaigns (Diocesan, National, International, and Mission Appeals) supporting diocesan ministries, priest retirement, Catholic schools, and global Catholic causes.

Product overview

The Diocese of Rockford operates a comprehensive digital platform consisting of a main website portal and multiple online services serving Catholic communities across 11 Northern Illinois counties. The offering includes communication services (TV Mass broadcasts, Top of the Morning daily reflections, multimedia content), parish management tools (parish directory, boundary search, priest directory), educational services (Catholic schools, religious education with 45,446 total enrollments), charitable giving platforms (Diocesan Appeal, National Appeal, International Appeal, Mission Appeal with multiple integrated payment processors), and administrative services (documents library, Safe Environment compliance, Tribunal services). The diocese employs approximately 3,000 people and serves 411,932 Catholics through 107 parishes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catholic Sacraments and Parish Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 411,932 Catholics served across 11 counties
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Catholic Relief Services (CRS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2026International humanitarian organization providing aid to victims of persecution and natural disasters, legal services to poor immigrants, and advocacy. Diocese contributed $72,838 last year through International Appeal.
• Peter's PencecoreOthers · 15 March 2026Collection providing funds to the Holy Father for response to needs around the world including victims of war, oppression, and disasters. Diocese contributed $29,027 last year.
• Retirement Fund for ReligiouscoreOthers · 10 January 2026National collection benefiting nearly 25,000 elderly Catholic sisters, brothers, and religious order priests. The Benedictines of Marmion Abbey and the Congregation of the Resurrection have presence in the Diocese of Rockford and benefit from this assistance. Diocese distributed $139,559 last year.
• Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC)coreOthers · 10 January 2026USCCB collection supporting Catholic media projects. Half of collected funds remain in diocese supporting TV Masses, Top O' the Morning broadcasts, and livestreams. Diocese distributed $135,080 last year.
• Catholic University of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2026Supports students from the diocese and research initiatives including Catholic Identity Professional Program. Diocese distributed $7,602 last year.
• GiveCentral (Online Donation Platform)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Online giving platform (givecentral.org) used for Diocesan Appeal, National Appeal, International Appeal, and Mission Appeal collections. Accepts credit card and bank withdrawal donations with one-time, sustaining, and pledge options.
• WREX-TV Channel 13coreOthers · 1 January 2026NBC affiliate television station in Rockford, Illinois broadcasting TV Mass (Sundays 6:30 a.m.) and Top of the Morning daily reflections (weekdays 6:59 a.m.). Primary media partner for reaching broader audience.
• Society for the Propagation of the Faith (SPF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Missionary organization with membership option for donors. Members pray daily for missionary work, unite personal crosses with Christ's suffering, and donate financially. Diocese contributed $6,026 last year.
• Black and Indian Mission CollectionminorOthers · 1 October 2025USCCB collection supporting Native American, Alaska Native, and Black Catholic communities through grants for schools, parishes, and missionary services. Diocese distributed $31,224 last year.
• Catholic Home Missions AppealminorOthers · 1 October 2025USCCB collection funding pastoral projects in poorer dioceses lacking resources for evangelization, religious education, and ministry training. More than 40% of U.S. dioceses are considered home missions. Diocese distributed $31,224 last year.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Archdiocese of Chicago: The metropolitan Catholic see governing the broader Chicago region of which the Diocese of Rockford is a suffragan. Operates an overlapping network of parishes, schools, and charitable ministries at significantly larger scale.
• Catholic Charities USA: National Catholic social-services network of which the Diocese of Rockford's charitable programs are a member. Operates an overlapping charitable-giving, social-services, and donor-engagement mission at national scale.

Others

• Catholic Relief Services: International humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, which the Diocese of Rockford supports through its International Appeal. Comparable Catholic institutional donor channel for international disaster relief and charitable giving.

Direct peers

• Diocese of Springfield in Illinois: Southern Illinois Catholic diocese with comparable multi-county geographic model and parish-school footprint. Directly comparable territorial Catholic jurisdiction with similar population scale and rural mission structure.
• Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend: Indiana Catholic diocese of comparable size, school system, and parish network structure. Comparable Midwestern Catholic governance body with similar demographic and operational profile.
• Diocese of Peoria: Central Illinois Catholic diocese serving 26 counties with similar parish, school, and appeal structures. Most comparable peer given similar territorial scale, rural/suburban mix, and central-Illinois demographic profile.
• Diocese of Madison: Wisconsin Catholic diocese serving 11 counties with a comparable parish and school count. Directly analogous governance body serving a similar Midwestern Catholic population with similar appeal and education programs.
• Diocese of Green Bay: Wisconsin Catholic diocese of comparable scale and rural/suburban demographic profile. Runs a similar parish-school-charitable-giving model in a neighboring Midwest state with overlapping cultural and demographic characteristics.
• Diocese of Joliet: Adjacent Illinois Catholic diocese covering Will, DuPage, Kankakee, Kendall, Grundy, and Iroquois counties. Directly comparable as a Catholic diocesan governance body serving suburban Chicago-area Catholics with parishes, schools, and the same appeal structure.

Regional players

• EWTN Global Catholic Network: Largest Catholic media network in the U.S., which complements the Diocese of Rockford's local TV Mass and "Top of the Morning" broadcasts. Operates a similar faith-based broadcasting mission at national scope rather than the diocese's regional scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RockfordDiocese
• Xx.com/RockfordDio
• Facebookfacebook.com/Diocese-of-Rockford-107823162598914
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-diocese-of-rockford

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Diocese of Rockford