By Bryan Wilburn, Director of Development, St. Paul’s Newman Center at NDSU

What can you do when you’re in a rut? 

I suppose one option would be to stay there. To act as if it’s not happening and try to power through on your own. Oftentimes though, the first step to getting better is admitt...

By JoAnn Shull, Petrus Consultant

I’m going to be really honest with you, dear reader, in that for the vast majority of my life I had no idea what this idea of “development” was or that I would end up in a career that I didn’t even know existed.  

Growing up, my family was not church-going, bu...

By Mary P. Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor & Local Charity Board Member

Let’s Get Excited about RMDs!

This may be the most boring blog post you’ll read this week, but slogging through it could bring a lot of money to your ministry!

2021 is shaping up to be a CRAZY tax year. Many of our benefa...

By Josh Whelan, Petrus Vice President and Senior Consultant 

In 2000, I went to the University of Mississippi with the career goal of either becoming a psychologist or a lawyer.

My father is a psychologist, and like him, I want to help people. He is a person I greatly admire, and I often se...

By Tara Doyon, Petrus Director of Client Services and Senior Consultant 

Like many in a development-related profession, I had planned on a career in “something else.” When money was needed for organizations and programs that I cared about, I discovered and honed my development skills. 

Grow...

By Mary Hernandez, Petrus Blog Contributor

What is it about a photograph that draws a person in and compels one to fixate on the point of interest long enough to find himself somewhere in that captured landscape?

My photographer friend Amy explained the Rule of Thirds in photography - which...

By Mary P. Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor & Local Charity Board Member

March Madness and Fundraising

March Madness is upon us! I love basketball and I love this time of year. Winning teams have different strategies, and I can’t help comparing them to fundraising practices.

Big Star Strate...

 By Mary P. Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor & Local Charity Board Member

Over the last eight months, special event fundraising has morphed from live gatherings to cyberspace experiences. During this time, I have “attended” a number of virtual events, watched others on YouTube to learn, and was ...

 By Rhen Hoehn, Development Director, St. Albert the Great University Parish

The following post is an example of messaging included weekly to our Annual Manual Program clients. For more information, visit https://www.petrusdevelopment.com/annualmanual

Fundraising for a ministry or nonprofit...

 By Mary P. Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor & Local Charity Board Member

There is no guarantee that a particular football team will win a particular game. Also, there is no guarantee that a fundraising team will reach its goal. However both are more likely if they study, train, and have a plan....

By Andrew N. Robison, President of Petrus Development and Jason Shanks, President of OSV Institute

“A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” - Henry Ford 

Toss the ball. Grab some jacks. Move your piece here and chute down the ladder. Have you ever considered the fact that ...

 By Mary P. Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor & Local Charity Board Member

Where I live, we can now attend Mass in a socially distant way. Attendance is less than half of what used to be “normal.” At the offertory, instead of a pew collection, the priest reminds us to please drop off our donation...