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Small Events Yield Big Payoffs

By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor


 

When we think of fundraising events, we may picture galas with sponsorships, lots of guests, food, drink, auctions, and entertainment. 

 

Smaller events are a way to raise funds that let you connect with benefactors at a personal level. These events ar...

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Unveiling the Blueprint: Crafting a Self-Sustaining Fundraising Program in 2025

By Rhen Hoehn, Director of Marketing


Catholic nonprofits are quickly realizing that the future of their ministry relies on building a self-sustaining fundraising program.

 

In a time of shrinking Catholic demographics, relying on your budget to come from an organization like your diocese does n...

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Just One Per Day: The Art of Gratitude

By Rhen Hoehn, Director of Marketing


Have you ever had a donor call and thank you for thanking them so well?

 

Believe it or not, it does happen. It should be your goal to earn one of those calls this year.

 

Here is one simple, often-overlooked way to make it happen.

 

Just One Per Day

Th...

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Setting Fundraising Goals: The Top Five Metrics

By Rhen Hoehn, Director of Marketing


Setting appropriate goals for a fundraiser can be overwhelming. Fundraisers have many different responsibilities, but they all lead to the same end goal - dollars raised.

 

Should we boil a fundraiser’s goals down to just the dollars raised for the year?

 

...
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Crafting a Vision for the New Year

By Rhen Hoehn, Director of Marketing


As the holidays approach, we often spend time thinking about our resolutions for the coming new year.  We use new year's resolutions to highlight our personal goals and our vision for our individual future.  That said, organizations can also use the start of t...

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FUNdraising in the Month of December

By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor


 

December is the time for the FUN part of FUNdraising! After getting the Christmas/Year-end appeal out,  grab a cup of hot chocolate, sit back, open the mail, and count up the donations! 

 

I hope you get to do lots of that, BUT there is still work to b...

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Get More Out of Your Giving Day

By Rhen Hoehn, Director of Marketing


Days of giving can be a boon for your fundraising efforts, but they can also be a big waste of time without the correct approach.

 

A well-executed giving day begins long before the day itself. It actually culminates with that day of giving.

 

Here are fou...

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Fundraising As Both Science and Art

By Chris Scroggin, Petrus Consultant


Have you ever wondered what art and science have in common? 

Art draws on emotions.

Science uses rational thought.

But, science and art both demand creativity and excellent observational skills

Most techniques used by artists even have interesting scient...

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The Case for the Case Statement

 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...

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9 Attributes to Look for When Hiring a Fundraiser

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...

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Confronting the Fear of Fundraising

 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...

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Required Minimum Distributions: A Case Study with a REAL Person

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...

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