Petrus Blog

Keith Myers, Director of Advancement, St. John XXIII College Preparatory

In this episode, Andrew visits with Keith Myers, the Director of Advancement for St. John XXIII College Preparatory in Houston, Texas. Keith and Andrew discuss the importance of tying the ministry of development into forming stewards with intentionality of purpose. They highlight the importance of Christ at the center of that intention. Keith learned valuable strategies for success in development though his career, which included work in campus ministry, secondary education, higher ed and even IT supercomputer sales.  These strategies include setting clear goals and tracking your data. Ultimately, being truly present to another person is of utmost importance.

Show Notes:

• Andrew first worked with Keith in 2005 at St Mary’s Catholic Student Center in College Station when Keith trained Andrew as his replacement at St. Mary’s.
• Making friends with others in development is helpful so you...

Fr. Ben Hasse, Pastor at St. Albert the Great University Parish

In this episode, Andrew visits with Fr. Ben Hasse, the Pastor of St. Albert the Great University Parish in Houghton, Michigan and St. Anne Catholic Church in Chassell, Michigan. St. Al’s is an active and vibrant parish and home to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Michigan Technological University, Finlandia University, and Gogebic Community College in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In addition to being pastor of two parishes, Fr. Ben is the vocations director for the Diocese of Marquette. During their conversation, he joyfully tells of his experience in ministry and development for the university parish. He speaks of the practical concerns of running a parish and student center while also emphasizing the importance of relationship.

Show Notes:

• Ben Hasse experienced a powerful retreat in his junior year of high school then started going to daily mass and went back to confession...

By Sarah Rose, Petrus Development Consultant

St. Albert the Great’s monthly giving program is living! I don’t mean their monthly giving program is called the “Living Faith Society,” but it is actually living. It is growing and bringing life into their development program. And yours can too!

St. Albert the Great University Parish is an active and vibrant parish that is home to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Michigan Technological University, Finlandia University, and Gogebic Community College.

A recurring monthly giving program is hugely beneficial to both your ministry and your donors.

For example, a donor can provide a larger gift spread over twelve monthly installments than he or she would be able to provide in one or two larger donations within the year.  St. Al’s Living Faith Society average gift size is $57.78 a month, ranging from $10 to $300 a month.

With the Living Faith Society, St. Al’s has a predictable cash flow...

By Andrew Robison, President of Petrus Development

This past weekend, one of the biggest pro-life movies of our time was introduced to American audiences in theaters across the country. Unplanned is a biopic about Abby Johnson, a Planned Parenthood clinic director who underwent a radical transformation and became one of the most outspoken advocates for the pro-life movement.

I watched the movie opening night with my wife and was moved beyond tears for the families, women, and babies impacted by abortion. It was emotionally exhausting while also being incredibly powerful. So why am I talking about this movie? It’s because I believe that this movie and this story offers a treasure trove of lessons for anyone in ministry and especially in the field of development.

The Power of Story

Despite the movie being in theaters for just a few short days, you don’t have to spend much time on the internet before coming across stories of people sharing that they were...

Kerry Robinson, Global Ambassador, Leadership Roundtable

In this episode, Andrew visits with Kerry Robinson the Global Ambassador of Leadership Roundtable and author of the book, Imagining Abundance: Fundraising, Philanthropy and a Spiritual Call to Service. During their conversation Kerry details her experience working in development for the Catholic Student Center at Yale University and later goes on to describe the origins and legacy of Leadership Roundtable, packed with useful lessons along the way.

Show Notes:

• Kerry Robinson was the first Executive Director of Leadership Roundtable, beginning in 2005.
• Author of “Imagining Abundance,” published in 2014.
• Past Experience with St. Thomas More Catholic Center at Yale University. Raised $75 million in their capital campaign.
  • She began at St. Thomas More at Yale in 1997 while she was pregnant with her second child.
  • She didn’t intend to work in development (or even to work full time). She wasn’t...

John Flynn, Vice President of Philanthropy, FOCUS (Denver, CO)

In this episode, Andrew visits with the Vice President of Philanthropy for FOCUS, John Flynn. They discuss the impact that development can have on ministry as well as the importance of having a plan and a vision for your ministry. Two tools for success explored are the Case for Support and the Blue Ribbon Committee. Other successful development strategies are also highlighted. Most importantly, a development officer in the Catholic Church needs to be committed to a life of prayer and participation in the Sacraments.

Show Notes:

• John Flynn’s Work History:
  • 2010-Present: Vice President of Philanthropy, FOCUS (Denver, CO)
  • 2005-2010: Co-Founder, Petrus Development (Austin, TX)
  • 1994-2004: Director of Advancement, St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center (Lawrence, KS)
• John got involved with the St. Lawrence Catholic Center while he was a student at Kansas University. Fr. Vince Krische was the chaplain for the...

By Mary P. Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor

We all know that volunteers are vital to our ministries. Without them, we would have to spend more money doing things that need to be done or forgo doing them entirely. An engaged volunteer believes in your mission, and even learns more about it on the job. How we treat them matters, not only because we value their work, but also because volunteering can be a first step in financial support.

When my kids were young, I wanted to volunteer and give them the experience of volunteering. So I went to my local St. Vincent de Paul thrift store. The store sold donated clothing and household items at a low cost, which gave those in need the dignity of being able to make their own choices. Proceeds from the store were channeled into helping the poor with rent, utilities, medications, and food.

Gretchen ran the local store and was its only paid employee. Whenever I visited to drop off gently used items, there were always busy volunteers cheerfully...

Larry W. Massey, Jr., President, Scanlan Foundation

In this episode, Andrew visits with President of the Scanlan Foundation, Larry Massey. The Scanlan Foundation funds Catholic non profit organizations primarily in the Houston area. Their mission is to promote the Roman Catholic Church of Texas. Larry discusses his role with the Scanlan Foundation, as well as Scanlan’s history and impact on the Houston community and the state of Texas. He also gives practical advice for how to interact with foundations like Scanlan and others.

Show Notes:

• The Scanlan Foundation was formed on January 25, 1947.
• Timothy Scanlan came to Houston, Texas from Ireland in 1837 at 21 years of age. An industrious, civic-minded gentleman, he became one of the richest men in Houston as a merchant and savvy businessman. He was elected Mayor of Houston in 1870 and also served as Postmaster General under Ulysses S. Grant. He was the driving force behind construction of the main, major infrastructure...

By Andrew Robison, President of Petrus Development

This post was originally written for the CCMA (Catholic Campus Ministry Association) Fundraising Focus Newsletter.

People sometimes come to me and ask if it’s worth it for their organization to start fundraising. It seems like a fairly straightforward question that would solicit a straightforward answer from me, but I understand why people would ask the question. It’s not so much a question of “Should my organization have more money for our ministry?” That one is pretty obvious. I believe that most people asking that question are really asking “What will the return on investment be if we start fundraising?” In order to answer that, the Petrus team has put together a list of ten “returns” that come as a result of “investing in development.”

1. Expansion of programming: In the words of Mike Perkins, President of Heroic Media, Inc., “When you have more money,...

Sarah Robinson, FOCUS Missionary, Wichita State University

Patrick Glaze, FOCUS Missionary, Wichita State University

In this episode, Andrew visits with Sarah Robinson and Patrick Glaze who are FOCUS Missionaries. FOCUS stands for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. It is a Catholic, collegiate outreach whose mission is to share the hope and joy of the gospel with college and university students, inspiring and equipping them for a lifetime of Christ-centered evangelization, discipleship and friendships in which they lead others to do the same. Sarah and Patrick tell Andrew about their work raising money for and participating in FOCUS at Wichita State University as well as the impact that FOCUS has had on their lives and the lives of those they’ve encountered while participating in this ministry.

Show Notes:

• Sarah graduated from Ole Miss and Patrick, from Texas A&M, and both were sent to Wichita, Kansas in their first years as FOCUS missionaries. Both...