Father Michael had seen it all before. A generous donor seemed enthusiastic, nodding along, asking great questions, and even mentioning how much they admired the campus ministry's mission. 

Then came the ask. 

The donor smiled, said they’d think about it, and promised to follow up soon. Week...

It's a recurring question in the life of a fundraiser:  "How much money should I request from a donor when I meet with them?"  If that's a question that continues to baffle you, we have good news!  Andrew and Rhen return with an episode on tools you can use to determine the appropriate dollar amount...

The choice of who to hire as a fundraiser can be one of the most important decisions that an organization makes.  Choosing the right development staff makes a world of difference in whether or not a ministry is able to build a successful and sustainable development program.  

Show Notes:

If you could make your donor calls 16 times more effective, would you? Of course you would. And the best part? You don’t need a new CRM, a bigger list, or a groundbreaking pitch. 

It just takes is three simple adjustments, all backed by research.

These aren’t gimmicks. They’re data-driven ch...

The phrase "stacking the deck" often has a negative connotation, leading people to think you're doing something unfair or manipulative.  Good news!  As we share in today's podcast episode, we think that "stacking the deck" in fundraising terms can be a wise and helpful strategy in many situations.  ...

We come to you in this week's episode with an exciting opportunity.  We are thrilled to invite you to our 2025 RAISE Regional Workshops.  

Show Notes:

As Andrew and Rhen share in the episode, Petrus is changing things up in 2025.  Instead of hosting a large multi-day annual conference in ...

May isn’t just for flowers and graduations—it’s also the biggest month of the year for new monthly donor signups. That’s right! According to NeonOne, May sees more people commit to recurring giving than any other month.

Why? Maybe it’s the post-tax season calm, the inspiration of spring renewal,...

Welcome back!  We return with an episode that explores how fundraisers should handle advice from donors, particularly when it comes with strings attached to financial contributions. 

Show Notes:

In this episode, Andrew and Rhen chat about various ways to handle donors who, in addition ...

The start of the year is full of fresh goals, long to-do lists, and that faint hope that this will be the year you finally organize your inbox. (Spoiler alert: it won’t be.) 

But there’s one task you should definitely add to your calendar that’s both rewarding and surprisingly easy:  stewardship me...

Happy New Year!  We're back with our first Petrus Development Show episode of 2025, and we return with a discussion about fundraising attire.  Yep, you read that correctly.  We're talking about clothing.  In this episode, Andrew and Tara share details about how a fundraiser should dress for donor me...

2024 was a banner year for blogs over at Petrus Development. Whether you’re a fundraising rookie or a seasoned pro, these posts brought the heat, the heart, and the how-to. Let’s count them down in reverse order because, you know, suspense is everything. 😏

🥉 #3: “Do I Really Need to Meet Dono...

In response to repeated inquiries about foundation funding, Petrus offers this special deep dive into how to maximize grantwriting success.  Join Andrew and Rhen as they explore strategic approaches for nonprofits seeking grants, including the key principle of treating foundations as major donors...