Success Strategies for an Online Giving Day
By Mary Hernandez, Petrus Blog Contributor
Online giving days have been growing in popularity and reached compulsory status since the pandemic forced non-profits out of the rhythm of traditional in-person fundraising events. Whether you will participate in #GivingTuesday, her Catholic cousin #iGiveCatholic, or another online giving day that has traction in your region, these strategies can help to guide you in developing a successful online giving day plan.
RECOGNIZE AND BUILD YOUR TEAM
Online giving days are built to capitalize on the power of crowdfunding. First-time giving day participants can get discouraged after a poor showing on a giving day if their strategy consists of harnessing the power of the crowd by sharing a social media post (even a really compelling one) and expecting dollars to flow in. The crowd is a bit of a misnomer here. I rather liken a giving day to teamfunding. You may not know all the folks in a crowd, but you do...
Women in Philanthropy Episode 4 with Sister Kathleen Lunsmann
The Women in Philanthropy podcast is back! Hosted by Tara Doyon, Director of Client Services and Sarah Rose, Director of Communications. In this episode they are joined by Sister Kathleen Lunsmann, President of Support Our Aging Religious (SOAR). This great conversation includes female roles in leadership, donor centric development and how this can transform an "ask" into a mission to build the Kingdom. They also discuss the power of listening and the gifts it can bring to you and to your donor.
Show Notes:
Sister Kathleen Lunsmann is the President of Support Our Aging Religious.
SOAR is a non-profit based in Washington, DC established in 1986. The organization supports Catholic sisters, priests and brothers. Specifically those who are aging and need support.
Elderly religious continue to re-invent themselves. For example, learning a new language in their 80s.
Sarah met Sister Kathleen through the Nonprofit Alliance, and the Catholic Development...
What Development Means to Me by Rhen Hoehn
By Rhen Hoehn, St. Albert the Great University Parish Development Director, Houghton, Michigan
I grew up in a Catholic family that practiced the faith. While I was preparing for confirmation, I went on a NET (National Evangelization Team) retreat. This retreat plus the grace of the sacrament energized me even more to be a better Catholic.
After I started college at Michigan Technological University, I became very involved with St. Albert the Great University Parish. I attended Mass, and Catholics in my dorm invited me to parish activities and events. For three year I was a “chapel rat,” one of a group of six students who, in exchange for an apartment, did maintenance chores around the parish. Houghton is in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. With an annual average snowfall of more than 200 inches, that involved a lot of shoveling!
My first development experience was a job to help raise money to fix the church’s leaking roof. I took the job because I needed...
Don’t wait for a Class Gift, Start with Stewardship
By Mary Hernandez, Petrus Blog Contributor
Three Cheers for the Class Gift
The class gift tradition is widely recognized in educational circles. Schools have received benches, statues, fountains, trees, and other commemorative items from grateful grads. Many Catholic ministries have invited their graduates to consider participating in a monetary Class Gift. This type of Class Gift is one of the most significant ways for a graduate to leave a legacy, support future students who will find their home at the Catholic Center on campus, and participate in its mission. This initiative builds an automatic connection between the ministry and its alumni, leaves room for flexibility and growth, and naturally provides many opportunities for stewardship and alumni celebrations as giving milestones are reached. There is no downside to implementing a Class Gift in your ministry.
Teach Students to Give Early and Often
But why wait...
Giving USA Report 2021
By Mary P. Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor & Local Charity Board Member
Latest Information on Giving Trends
Giving USA 2021: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2020 was released in June. This report on the state of philanthropy is LONG and comprehensive, so I picked a few findings that would interest Petrus clients and blog readers. The opinions expressed below are my own. If you would like more detail, summary information is available for free here and you can purchase the full report here.
- 2020 marked an all-time high in philanthropic giving.
More money was given last year than in any previous year studied, and about 5% more than in 2019. There are probably a number of reasons for this: (1) households whose incomes were NOT greatly affected by the pandemic, such as retirees on fixed incomes or those who stayed employed, felt a greater internal motivation; (2) investment value and the stock market recovery was high, which affects the wealth of...
Commentary - "AI and the Future of Generosity" by Nathan Chappell
By Sarah Rose, Petrus Director of Communications
Recently, I was invited to watch one of OSV talks titled “AI and the Future of Generosity” by Nathan Chappell, Senior Vice President of DonorSearch Aristotle.
The OSV Talks are a “series of topics from Catholic leaders to spark discussion, explore new, or re-explore old approaches, and inspire creative thinking, all from the heart of the church.”
In the talk “AI and the Future of Generosity,” Nathan Chappell answers the question “How do you solve the world’s most pressing issues?” in 18 minutes or less.
The simplified conclusion is INCREASE GENEROSITY. Now we’re talking!
Nathan leads the research and development division at DonorSearch Artistotle. In other words, he is a data man.
According to Nathan, the data shows that last year 56% of Americans made donations. And the average American gave about 2% of their income to charity.
If Americans...
What Development Means to Me
By Mary P. Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor & Local Charity Board Member
What Development Means to Me
I was blessed with generous parents. At a very young age, I learned that development is a family project that requires planning and commitment.
When I was kid, before paychecks were automatically deposited, my dad would cash his check at the bank every other week, and bring a stack of money home. My mom would divide the cash into piles: for food, utilities, mortgage, kids’ allowances, savings, and the parish pew collection. At the time, I didn’t realize I was absorbing a lesson that has shaped my own giving.
You are more likely to give to a ministry, others, or to a good cause if you PLAN ahead and are committed.
My parents also “made” us put some of our allowance in the collection basket. The message was clear, “YOU are part of this Church, and YOU have a FINANCIAL obligation toward her mission.”
One day when I was complaining about...
Virtuous and Responsive Fundraising - An Interview with Gabe Cooper on the Petrus Development Show
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...
March Madness and Fundraising
By Mary P. Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor & Local Charity Board Member
March Madness and Fundraising
March Madness is upon us! I love basketball and I love this time of year. Winning teams have different strategies, and I can’t help comparing them to fundraising practices.
Big Star Strategy in Basketball
Over the past two years, a team I followed recruited a REALLY GREAT player. The coaches designed their game strategy around this player. Other players tried to get him the ball and let him score. The team enjoyed a level of success for a while. Then the players who wanted a more active role transferred to other teams. Also, at times, the star player had an off game, or got injured. The rest of the team had trouble stepping up to win.
Big Star Strategy in Fundraising
What can this teach us about fundraising? Big Stars in fundraising have the means and interest in making gifts that can jumpstart or transform your ministry. Focusing on them is a great...
Saint Benedict of Nursia
St. Benedict of Nursia
July 11, 480 - March 21, 547
When it comes to the virtue of temperance, there are few people throughout history that more clearly embody this than Saint Benedict of Nursia. The author of the Rule of St. Benedict and the “Father of Western Monasticism”, Saint Benedict was a monk who lived 1,500 years ago and yet still influences millions of people every day through his words and instruction on wisdom, moderation and humility.
So who was Saint Benedict of Nursia?
Born in A.D. 480 to a wealthy Roman nobleman, Benedict spent his early years living in comfort with his parents and his twin sister, Scholastica. In his early teens, Benedict was sent to Rome to formally begin his studies. Disgusted by the immoral standards of Romans, Benedict left his studies in 500 and sought a life of solitude. He lived for three years in a cave on the side of a mountain outside of Subiaco, Italy.
During this time, he spent his days...
