Petrus Blog

Petrus Development is pleased to announce the addition of Josh Whelan to the Petrus team as Vice President and Senior Consultant. Josh comes to Petrus from the Fellowship of Catholic University Students where he spent nearly three years as a Sr. Director and Area Director of the South Region. As a member of the Petrus team, Josh will bring his experience and passion for Catholic philanthropy to ministries looking to form strong development foundations, build up their programming and accelerate their physical and ministerial growth. 

The President of Petrus, Andrew Robison, is thrilled to have Josh joining the team. “Josh is a true professional that really understands how to grow a ministry and take it from good to great! He has had amazing experiences throughout his career implementing annual fund strategies, securing major gifts and planning and launching capital campaigns, and he’s an excellent teacher and coach. His passion for his Catholic faith drives him and I...

Fr. Ben Hasse, Pastor at St. Albert the Great University Parish

In this episode, Andrew visits with Fr. Ben Hasse, the Pastor of St. Albert the Great University Parish in Houghton, Michigan and St. Anne Catholic Church in Chassell, Michigan. St. Al’s is an active and vibrant parish and home to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Michigan Technological University, Finlandia University, and Gogebic Community College in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In addition to being pastor of two parishes, Fr. Ben is the vocations director for the Diocese of Marquette. During their conversation, he joyfully tells of his experience in ministry and development for the university parish. He speaks of the practical concerns of running a parish and student center while also emphasizing the importance of relationship.

Show Notes:

• Ben Hasse experienced a powerful retreat in his junior year of high school then started going to daily mass and went back to confession...

John Flynn, Vice President of Philanthropy, FOCUS (Denver, CO)

In this episode, Andrew visits with the Vice President of Philanthropy for FOCUS, John Flynn. They discuss the impact that development can have on ministry as well as the importance of having a plan and a vision for your ministry. Two tools for success explored are the Case for Support and the Blue Ribbon Committee. Other successful development strategies are also highlighted. Most importantly, a development officer in the Catholic Church needs to be committed to a life of prayer and participation in the Sacraments.

Show Notes:

• John Flynn’s Work History:
  • 2010-Present: Vice President of Philanthropy, FOCUS (Denver, CO)
  • 2005-2010: Co-Founder, Petrus Development (Austin, TX)
  • 1994-2004: Director of Advancement, St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center (Lawrence, KS)
• John got involved with the St. Lawrence Catholic Center while he was a student at Kansas University. Fr. Vince Krische was the chaplain for the...

Sarah Robinson, FOCUS Missionary, Wichita State University

Patrick Glaze, FOCUS Missionary, Wichita State University

In this episode, Andrew visits with Sarah Robinson and Patrick Glaze who are FOCUS Missionaries. FOCUS stands for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. It is a Catholic, collegiate outreach whose mission is to share the hope and joy of the gospel with college and university students, inspiring and equipping them for a lifetime of Christ-centered evangelization, discipleship and friendships in which they lead others to do the same. Sarah and Patrick tell Andrew about their work raising money for and participating in FOCUS at Wichita State University as well as the impact that FOCUS has had on their lives and the lives of those they’ve encountered while participating in this ministry.

Show Notes:

• Sarah graduated from Ole Miss and Patrick, from Texas A&M, and both were sent to Wichita, Kansas in their first years as FOCUS missionaries. Both...

Jacob Laskowski, Founder and CEO, 86 Creative 

In this episode, Andrew visits with Jacob Laskowski, founder and CEO of 86 Creative, a full service marketing and design firm that’s worked with some of the most well known organizations currently serving the Catholic Church. In this conversation, they dive into the principles of design and marketing that most directly affect a charity’s ability to fundraise and discuss how organizations can best position themselves to clearly explain their mission and vision.

Show Notes:

• Jacob began his career with FOCUS as a missionary and then working in their marketing department. Two of his major accomplishments during that time were creating a new logo for FOCUS and rebranding their annual conference as SEEK. https://www.focus.org/
• Later, Jacob decided to start his own business where he could be creative and work with a variety of clients. 86 Creative is a full service design and marketing firm that helps businesses and...

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...

By Mike Perkins, South Area Director at the Fellowship of Catholic University Students

Henry Ford said, “You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.”

Newsletters, when done well, can be an effective means of spreading the good word about your mission and ministry. At the same time, quality work can produce a return on the investment of staff time and energy. They enable us to tell our constituents what we are doing right now and why our current ministry efforts will make a difference in the future. In short, newsletters communicate why your ministry is worthy of their trust and philanthropic support.

It’s all about Relationships

One consistent Petrus mantra is that “development is about relationships.” Building a sustainable development program compels us to identify prospects, inform them about our ministry, involve them in the ministry and secure their investment in a manner that is fulfilling for them while also meeting our...