Newest Member of the Petrus Team - An Interview with Joelle Fitzmaurice on the Petrus Development Show
Welcome to Season 4 of the Petrus Development Show. Today Andrew is joined by our newest team member, Joelle Fitzmaurice, Junior Consultant with Petrus Development. In this episode, Andrew and Joelle visit about her background, what brought her into the fundraising world and what she’s learning and doing so far with Petrus.
Show Notes:
Background
While she now resides outside of Washington D.C., Joelle is originally from small town Wisconsin. When deciding on college, it was important to her to keep her Catholic faith during college and decided on Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina. During college she interned with the Alumni Program which was her first stint in fundraising. After college she worked in politics before being called into missions and connected with FOCUS, where she worked for two years. In June of 2021, she came on board at Petrus Development.
Fundraising for FOCUS
How did participants react to fundraising? Those that are familiar with fundraising...
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...
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...
Building a More Connected Church - An Interview with Matthew Warner on the Petrus Development Show
In this episode, Andrew visits with Matthew Warner, founder and president of Flocknote, a technology company with a mission to build a more connected Church. As part of this mission, Matthew is driven to understand and educate priests and ministry leaders on how to connect specifically with the middle 82 percent of Catholics. Those Catholics that are neither dynamic nor absent Catholics but, rather, somewhere in the middle in terms of involvement. Andrew and Matthew discuss communication, leadership, fundraising, ministry and even touch on a few favorite television shows of theirs.
Show Notes:
Background
Matthew Warner is a fellow Aggie Catholic. Born and raised Catholic, was always good about going to Mass but wasn't sure that he always realized the gift that it was.
After college, he began working and figuring out what his faith really meant to him.
As he went deeper with his faith life, he was becoming more involved in the church and discovering the...
A Handful of Wax - An Interview with Cory Howat on the Petrus Development Show
In this episode, Andrew visits with Cory Howat, Executive Director of the Catholic Community Foundation of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the founder of #iGiveCatholic. If you have ever spoken with anyone from Louisiana, odds are you have heard a good story. Today, Cory shared with us some wild tales of rubber chickens, crying with priests and bishops and even a brief mention of that time he met Michael Jackson that will not disappoint. In the midst of those stories, he also shared so many nuggets of wisdom about fundraising, stewardship, generosity and having a heart for serving the people of the Church. You’ll laugh, you’ll probably cry and you will definitely learn something new about development.
Show Notes:
Cory Howat, Executive Director of the Catholic Community Foundation of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the founder of #iGiveCatholic
Background
A prayer in his junior year of high school, "Lord, use me."
He became familiar with...
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...
Blueprint for Development: Communications on the Petrus Development Show
In this episode Tara Doyon, Director of Client Services and Sarah Rose, Director of Communications, continue leading us through the Blueprint of Development series. They discuss what your communication efforts look like today and what they can look like in the future once you implement a sustainable development program at your organization. You don't want to miss out on hearing the great first steps they give on how to begin transforming your messaging to be donor-centric so that you can continue building the Kingdom.
Show Notes:
What you've seen
What communication materials are being sent out currently? Let's take an audit of your communications efforts. A lot of times it's only the Sunday church bulletin and maybe a website.
Tara's organization did an in depth audit with an outside consultant close to a decade ago and, while the bulletin was number one, they were able to dissect what it was about the bulletin that made it number one. What was it about this...
Legend of the Bluebonnet
By Sarah Rose, Petrus Consultant
“Intense love does not measure, it just gives.” - St. Teresa of Calcutta
Spring is here! In Texas, that means the bluebonnets are in full bloom. These gorgeous blue flowers bring joy to so many people - including myself!
Growing up, The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie dePaola was one of my favorite books. It is the perfect book for any wildflower lover in Texas. Now it is a storytime go-to for my little ones.
Tomie dePaolo recounts the tale of how the beautiful bluebonnet flower came to be. It is a story about a Comanche girl who makes a transformational gift - a gift that not only meets the needs of her community, but also transforms the Texas hill country.
To view a video of a reading of the book, click here.
The legend takes place during a terrible drought and famine. The Comanche people lament, “Great Spirits, the land is dying! … Tell us what we must do.” As things worsen, the Shaman announces that...
