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...
The Infinite Game of Fundraising
By Andrew N. Robison, President of Petrus Development and Jason Shanks, President of OSV Institute
“A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” - Henry Ford
Toss the ball. Grab some jacks. Move your piece here and chute down the ladder. Have you ever considered the fact that life is a game? Do you ever feel like you are in a big game of checkers? Or Don’t Break the Ice?
And what about other aspects of life? Is the world of business a game--with winners and losers? Is ministry a game? Were Saints Benedict and Dominic playing a game? Or Mary and Martha?
In his book, The Infinite Game, Simon Sinek explains that we are all playing a game...in ministry, in business and in life. But what type of game are we playing? According to Sinek, there are two types of games: finite and infinite games. So what is the difference?
THE FINITE AND THE INFINITE GAME
Finite games, like football and chess, have winners and losers. The rules of the...
The Summer of Loving Monthly Donors
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 donations as we leave.
Right now, pastors and directors of ministry are really loving their monthly donors. THIS summer is the PERFECT time to “share the love” through appeals to grow your base and ask your current monthly donors to prayerfully consider increasing their gifts.
Your benefactors understand that cash flow can be the difference between thriving, surviving, or dying. If they haven’t experienced a loss of income, they know people who have. They’ve seen businesses and nonprofits in their communities struggle and even close their doors. Your benefactors do not want that to happen to your ministry. So—it’s time to share...
Capital Campaigns - Interview with Matt Bond on the Petrus Development Show
In this episode, Josh Whelan, Petrus Vice President, visits with Matt Bond, Director of Development at St. John's Catholic Student Center at Oklahoma State University. They discuss the current Capital Campaign that is taking place at St. John's Catholic Center. They will discuss the $25 million campaign to build a new Church and Student Center, expand the campus ministry team and establish an endowment. They have raised over $15 million in gifts and pledges and will launch the campaign to the public in September. In this interview, you will learn steps to launching a campaign and get insight into what to expect. This interview originally took place during the Petrus Virtual Conference 2020.
Show Notes:
This will be a broad overlay of the campaign along with Matt’s unique viewpoints.
Matt Bond
Matt graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in business administration and a minor in accounting. After graduation he spent 2-3 years flipping and selling...
Opened Envelopes, Opened Hearts: Interview with Stan Guimont on The Petrus Development Show
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:
Path to My Salvation: Interview with Jason Simon on The Petrus Development Show
Jason Simon, President of Evangelical Catholic
Evangelical Catholic has been forming missionary disciples since the early 1990s. The Evangelical Catholic works nationally to support dioceses parishes and university campus ministries to lead self-sustaining evangelization movements through their customized coaching service and online learning management system. Evangelical Catholic currently works with over 100 Catholic ministries across the nation. Jason Simon is the President of Evangelical Catholic. In this episode he discusses his journey through Evangelical Catholic, his faith journey, and how that relates not just to fundraising but to running an organization.
Show Notes:
From Wisconsin
Grew up protestant
His wife was Catholic and he tried to convert her when they were dating. Her efforts and the mentorship of the founder of Evangelical Catholic, Tim Cruz, made an impact on him and lead to his conversion.
Married for 21 years. He and his wife have 6 kids.
When Jason began...
PLC 2019: Donor Panel with Dennis & Marie Wierzbicki
Dennis and Marie Wierzbicki, Donor Panel, 2019 Petrus Leadership Conference
In this episode, Dennis and Marie Wierzbicki, benefactors to the “One Church, Many Disciples” Capital Campaign for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City sat down with Peter de Keratry at the 2019 Petrus Leadership Conference to share about their experience as donors. Dennis is the president of Ditch Witch and Marie is a volunteer for many nonprofit organizations in and around Oklahoma City. Dennis and Marie shared lessons they have learned along their philanthropic journey, how they have encouraged their children to be philanthropic and what their experience getting involved and giving to the “One Church, Many Disciples” campaign was like. The Wierzbicki’s honestly answer questions from Peter and the audience to share a donor’s perspective regarding invitation, engagement, recognition, and more!
Giving to religious causes vastly exceeds any other category in the...
The Visit that Taught me Three Basic Principles of Development
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. Mary’s Catholic Center at Texas A&M University. Pat and her husband had recently made a $50,000 gift to the Foundations in Faith capital campaign so this was a stewardship visit to bring her up to speed on the progress of the campaign. I remember Greg asked Pat a question, or maybe it was more of a statement to the effect of, “Pat, for you to make a gift of this size, you must have had a really wonderful experience at St. Mary’s when you were in school at A&M.”
Her response has stayed with me for many years and I still share it with development directors and chaplains today. Pat looked directly at Greg and said, “No, I really didn’t. I...
Selling the Sizzle: Interview with Frank Shannon on The Petrus Development Show
Frank Shannon, Executive Director of Development at St. Mary’s Catholic Center at Texas A&M University
In this episode, Andrew visits with Frank Shannon, Executive Director of Development at St. Mary’s Catholic Center at Texas A&M University. Frank and Andrew covered a variety of topics, including Frank’s career before St. Mary’s, how he transitioned from 25 years in higher ed to a Catholic ministry and how the current campaign at St. Mary’s is going.
Show Notes:
- Frank’s first job out of college was as a loan officer for the Stephenville Savings and Loan but left the S&L business to became a development officer at Texas A&M after a call from Bob Walker, Vice President for Development at the Texas A&M Foundation.
- Frank’s training at Texas A&M mostly came from going on donor calls with Bob Walker and other senior development officers. It was during a meeting with Pat Zachry, long-time donor for A&M,...
The Glorious Arena of Fundraising: Interview with Mike Perkins on The Petrus Development Show
Mike Perkins, President and CEO of Heroic Media
In this episode, Andrew visits with Mike Perkins, President and CEO of Heroic Media about his career, what he has learned about fundraising and ministry along the way and how he came into his current role with Heroic Media.
Show Notes:
- Mike began his career as a youth minister but was asked to help with fundraising projects along the way. When he was discerning how to support his growing family and remain in ministry, he received two invitations in the same day to consider working as a development officer.
- Mike considers that his passion for ministry and his ability to articulate the needs and opportunities well were characteristics that other people saw in him and made them think he would succeed.
- People sometimes equate philanthropy and sales but Mike believes they are very different. He never “pitches” prospective donors on giving to an organization, but he presents opportunities to support. Mike...
