My diocese gets smeared in the news constantly because our soon-retiring archbishop has quite a lavish retirement home; that, coupled with the fact that this area has been hit hard by the recession, makes raising money difficult. I know I’m not in a position to give much; I’m the primary breadwinner with a family & mortgage (in an area with very high property taxes - not an expensive home), and I have debt to deal with. I see little reason to subsidize Catholic schools I can’t afford for my children while I’m barely scraping by; at this point we’ve gone from closing schools to closing parishes.
I think Catholics have a right and a duty to ask about how the church spends its money; I think Catholics also have an obligation to donate money regularly. In fact, giving money consistently is the surest way to wield influence when nonsense goes on in a parish or diocese. I can’t comment on your particular situation, but I think everyone can give something to his local parish, even if it’s just $10 or $20 a month.