Every fundraiser eventually walks out of a donor meeting thinking, well, that didn't go how I planned.

Maybe the donor was cold. Maybe leadership said the wrong thing. Maybe the setting was a disaster. Maybe you realized halfway through that this was absolutely not the moment for an ask.

The...

When you walk into a donor meeting, you’re not just bringing your case for support, you’re bringing yourself. 

How you present yourself matters. 

Attire won’t close a gift on its own, but the wrong choices can distract, undercut confidence, and even send unintended signals. 

Fundraisers ...

Picture this: Your organization's biggest donor prospect has finally agreed to meet about funding your new project. They're busy, they're selective about their philanthropic investments, and they've just said those magic words: 

"Let's discuss this over dinner. You pick the place." 

Suddenly, y...

The start of the year is full of fresh goals, long to-do lists, and that faint hope that this will be the year you finally organize your inbox. (Spoiler alert: it won’t be.) 

But there’s one task you should definitely add to your calendar that’s both rewarding and surprisingly easy:  stewardship me...

2024 was a banner year for blogs over at Petrus Development. Whether you’re a fundraising rookie or a seasoned pro, these posts brought the heat, the heart, and the how-to. Let’s count them down in reverse order because, you know, suspense is everything. 😏

🥉 #3: “Do I Really Need to Meet Dono...

By Rhen Hoehn, Director of Marketing

Running a nonprofit is like steering a ship through uncharted waters. As the executive director, you’re the captain, guiding the crew. Amid the waves of daily tasks, one crucial element stands out: fundraising. 

You might be tempted to delegate fundrais...

By Rhen Hoehn, Director of Marketing

I'm often asked, “Why would I spend time and money to go meet donors for coffee when I can just send them an email or letter?”

Or, “Wouldn’t it be easier and cheaper to put a little time into grant writing, rather than meeting with people and hoping some o...

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?

By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor

Donor meetings can be intimidating to both new and experienced development professionals, but they also have the potential to be such fruitful blessings to our ministry.  In my years of fundraising, I've developed a series of steps that helps me prepare a...

By Mary Hernandez, Petrus Blog Contributor

Your year-end appeal is about to get to the final proofing stage, and thankfully, there is still time to edit with a critical eye and include your donors as a key player in your messaging. 

Your appeal likely includes these elements:

• Transformat...

 By Mary P. Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor & Local Charity Board Member

Where I live, we can now attend Mass in a socially distant way. Attendance is less than half of what used to be “normal.” At the offertory, instead of a pew collection, the priest reminds us to please drop off our donation...

By Andrew Robison,  President of Petrus Development 

This post is an excerpt from the Fundraising Focus series presented by the Catholic Campus Ministry Association (CCMA).

Many years ago, I was sitting in a donor meeting with my boss at the time, Greg Gorman, and a major benefactor for St. Ma...