Petrus Blog

In this episode, Andrew visits with Bryan Wilburn, the Director of Development at the St. Paul Catholic Newman Center at North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. They discuss how Bryan got his start in development and what they are doing to advance Catholic evangelism on the plains of North Dakota. As well as how being a great development officer can make you a better spouse. We hope that you enjoy the conversation and be sure to stick around for Andrew's three takeaways.

Show Notes:

Background

Bryan is from Montana and went to college in North Dakota. His time there depended his faith. After college, he devoted four years to FOCUS. As for development, he started in development during a college internship. And fundraising for himself for his time in FOCUS. 

He has been back in North Dakota for six years. Fr. Cheney brought him on as a Sustained Giving Officer, helping to build monthly giving partners for the Newman Center. After one year, he became involved...

In this episode, Andrew visits with Gabe Cooper. Gabe is the Founder of Virtuous, a responsive fundraising platform designed to help nonprofit teams build better donor relationships and increase impact with confidence. Andrew and Gabe discuss the power of data and automation and how the ultimate goal is to be able to treat every donor as if they were a major gift donor. They also discuss how Virtuous came to be and their thoughts on the Church as a leader of innovation. 

Show Notes:

Welcome to Episode 79 of the Petrus Development Show. As a liberal arts major and a little more of a right brain thinker, I certainly appreciate stories, connections, imagination and things like that more than the analytical aspects of life. I have always said that I am so thankful for the engineers and mathematicians of the world because if I was in charge of building bridges or calculating long formulas or designing computer software, we would all be in big trouble. I kind of feel the...

In this episode, Andrew visits with Julia Golding, successful author with works such as the Cat Royal series and the Companions Quartet. They discuss the project that Julia has launched to purchase Tolkien’s home at 20 Northmoor Road in Oxford and turn it into the first literary center devoted to Tolkien and his works. Project Northmoor, as it is called, kicked off in November 2020, with a goal to raise 4.6 million pounds, or $6 million US dollars to buy the house and convert it into a literary center. Andrew and Julia discuss the project and what she has learned about fundraising through her efforts. It's a fascinating conversation with lessons and parallels to fundraising of all kinds. If you want to learn more about the project or make a donation, you can find more information at www.projectnorthmoor.org. So as they say in the books, let the quest begin.

Show Notes:

There are few literary phrases that are more well known than Middle Earth, Gandolph the Grey,...

In this episode, Andrew visits with JoAnn Shull, Director of Development at St. Thomas More Newman Center at the University of Missouri. In this episode, Andrew and JoAnn discuss making the transition from campus minister to director of development, fundraising and the importance of communication and design work. They also discuss the challenges you can face when you combine family life with working in development, as well as, how to create a tribe that supports you.

Show Notes:

Background

JoAnn Shull worked as the Campus Minister at St. Thomas More Newman Center at University of Missouri for 8 years before transitioning to the role of Director of Development, which she has held for the last 5 years. 

Bringing FOCUS to the campus is what jump started the need for a devoted development position. FOCUS was fantastic, but what comes with the program is more students. More students meant more retreats, more transportation needs, more food...

In this episode, Andrew visits with Kathryn Whitaker: Catholic wife and mother of six, Business Owner, Graphic Designer, Blogger, and Author of Live Big, Love Bigger. Andrew and Kathryn discuss her professional background and her work in graphic design, especially with Catholic non-profits, with great tips, including the importance of cohesiveness in your brand and telling your ministry's story. They also discuss Kathryn's book, an extension of her blog, which sprung from the traumatic birth experience of her fifth child, and led to a more intentional, Christ-centered family life.

Show Notes:

In this episode, Andrew speaks with Stan Guimont, Account Manager with Palmer Non-profit Communications, a commercial direct mail provider that works with the general non-profit world. Stan has been an account manager with Palmer since 2005. As an air force veteran, Stan began working in advertising in the mid eighties, then spent some time as a radio account executive. He then worked for a publishing company whose clients were mostly non-profits. Stan has found a fulfilling career with Palmer using his creativity and natural sales ability to help his clients. He demonstrates a deep and genuine care for his clients and their needs and provides a wealth of knowledge about direct mail best practices.

Show Notes:

By Mary Langley Hernandez, Executive Director of Advancement, Our Lady of Wisdom Church & Catholic Student Center in Lafayette, Louisiana

A successful appeal can provide an obvious financial benefit to a Catholic student ministry, be an excellent evangelization tool for benefactors and prospects, and educate that same audience on the latest great news about your campus ministry program. Appeals can also be perplexing. We wonder:

• What will resonate with our audiences?
• Is it worth the time to segment donors?
• Should “the ask” be measured, or should we come out swinging for the fences?
• Finally, is the return on investment of our time and financial resources worthwhile?

To find out, I analyzed three-years of Our Lady of Wisdom Church & Catholic Student Center’s Lenten appeals to see if there was a clear formula for success.

Snapshot of Lenten Appeal Year A, “Confession on a Secular Campus”:

We offer over 8 hours of confession a week and...

Mary Hernandez is the Executive Director of Advancement for Our Lady of Wisdom Church and Student Center at the University of Louisiana – Lafayette. Mary is an alum of UL and was a member of the parish prior to receiving an invitation by Fr. Bryce Sibley to help with a fundraising project. Mary accepted and turned a temporary assignment into a full-time position running communications and eventually the development program. In their conversation, Mary and Andrew discuss how the growth of the ministry really spurred growth in their development efforts and how a long-term vision for serving the students of UL has led them to launch a $22M capital campaign to build a new student center.

Show Notes:

• Mary’s first job after graduating from University of Louisiana – Lafayette was as a high school teacher. She left that job and went to work for the university in recruitment and orientation. Mary left the job so she could stay home with her children but went back to...

By Mark Randall, CFRE, Executive Director of Pontifical North American College (Rome)

As we approach the end of the calendar year, development teams are in full swing. With estimates of 30% of all annual giving taking place in December (and 12% in the last three days of the year!), we have reason to be active. But no matter how things are going, don’t relax just yet. Here are ten donor-centric ideas you should consider to maximize revenue and relationships.

1. Know when your major donors give to your organization. Run reports, check your data. Why wait to contact lapsed donors until January? Get in touch now and invite their renewal before 12/31. Many donors are busy and appreciate the reminder. Remember to let them know what you will do with their gift (mission impact!).
2. Don’t rely solely on your year-end direct mail appeal. People give to people – not paper. Even major donors set aside appeal packages and wait for a personal ask. Never assume the check will...