By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor
Plans fail when there is no counsel, but they succeed when advisors are many. (Proverbs 15:22)
It’s a tough world out there, and our ministries need help to survive and grow. Questions arise. Which path should you pursue? How can you get from where ...
That’s a great question! What do fundraisers do anyway? Meet for coffees at high-end coffee shops, wine and dine prospective donors, rounds of golf on the best golf courses around the world, etc. You name it, I’ve heard it!
I think a lot of folks think fundraisers are the non-profit’s sleazy us...
By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor
When a ministry starts to look at fundraising in a systematic, and dare I say disciplined way, one of the first steps is to develop a Case for Support, also known as a Case Statement.
If you are embarking on a capital campaign or want to increase a...
By Chris Scroggin, Petrus Consultant
Herb Brooks was the 1980 Olympic Ice Hockey coach that, against all odds, beat the Russian National team and then went on to win the gold medal.
It really was a “David vs. Goliath” tale that no one expected.
Herb had taken a bunch of college amateurs...
By Rhen Hoehn, Petrus Director of Marketing
Welcome back! In part one of this two-part series, we discussed three steps that must be taken to position an organization for undertaking a capital campaign. In this article, we look at three more steps to kick off the process of a campaign.
Th...
By Rhen Hoehn, Petrus Director of Marketing
A capital campaign is a targeted fundraising project meant to raise significant dollars in a relatively short period of time.
Campaigns can be used to fund needed projects such as building repairs, or they can fund the expansion of a campus to m...
By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor
A group of people are sitting around a table. There are probably some snacks. A leader speaks with passion about some great need in the parish, Church, or community. The leader shares her vision of how major change can come about. She invites those arou...
By Andrew Robinson, Petrus President
Recently, my family and I stayed in an Airbnb. I had an interesting encounter with an appliance that illustrates a problem that a lot of nonprofit leaders struggle with.
Your dishwasher can actually dry your dishes...
You’re probably wondering why this w...
By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor
Cecilia (not her real name, but everything else is true) is an energized Catholic. She aims to
attend daily Mass and give her time, talent, and treasure to help others. She owns and maintains
her own home, and her son is “launched,” earning his own way in t...
By Jamie Cappetta, President, USC Caruso Catholic Center and Petrus Consultant
Like many development professionals, I didn’t start my career aspiring to be a fundraiser, but rather my aspiration was that of a professional baseball player. However, when I did not get drafted my senior year in co...
The other day someone relatively new to development reached out to discuss his career trajectory and it gave me a great chance to reflect on my own career. In Part 1 of this 3 part story, I will share the story of my first job in development and why I left a great work environment and moved across t...
By Mary Hernandez, Petrus Blog Contributor
The newest release of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) annual Compensation and Benefits Study is timed perfectly for organizations creating a strategic plan to start or grow their development team in the new year. We've limited the sc...