Yes, you read that correctly!  In this week's episode of the Petrus Development Show, Rhen quizzes Andrew on which fundraising concepts he would choose to kill, date, and marry.  Listen as Andrew shares his thoughts on which fundraising ideas that should be nixed, which should be further explored, a...

Nobody goes to college to learn how to be a fundraiser. So many times, development professionals tend to end up in the field almost by accident.

Without that educational background, the best practices for raising substantial money for a nonprofit are not always obvious or intuitive.

Many ...

By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor

Plans fail when there is no counsel, but they succeed when advisors are many.  (Proverbs 15:22)

It’s a tough world out there, and our ministries need help to survive and grow. Questions arise. Which path should you pursue? How can you get from where ...

In this episode, Andrew interviews John Knowles, president of the Catholic Finance Association and executive director of the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference.  Andrew and John spend their time together discussing finance, fundraising trends, and the Church’s relationship with emerging technolog...

By Rhen Hoehn, Petrus Director of Marketing

A capital campaign is a targeted fundraising project meant to raise significant dollars in a relatively short period of time. 

Campaigns can be used to fund needed projects such as building repairs, or they can fund the expansion of a campus to m...

 By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor

A group of people are sitting around a table. There are probably some snacks. A leader speaks with passion about some great need in the parish, Church, or community. The leader shares her vision of how major change can come about. She invites those arou...

By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor

The end of the year, that is. 

Did you know that about 1/3 of annual giving happens in December? The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a season that encourages generosity. As a result, nonprofits ramp up their “asks.” Also, in the United Stat...

By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor

Cecilia (not her real name, but everything else is true) is an energized Catholic. She aims to
attend daily Mass and give her time, talent, and treasure to help others. She owns and maintains
her own home, and her son is “launched,” earning his own way in t...

By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor

Latest Information on Giving Trends

Giving USA 2022: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2021 was released in June.  The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy researched and wrote the report. 

The following are highligh...

In this episode, we feature Jacob Laskowski, founder and creative director of 86, and we present his recent keynote address from the Petrus Development Conference in June.  Jacob shares his experience in brand development and storytelling, and he highlights ways that professional fundraisers can use...

In this episode, Andrew visits with Craig Miller, the president of FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.  Together, Andrew and Craig talk about FOCUS, its ministry to college students, and the organization’s unique fundraising challenges.  They also discuss the tremendous growth of ...

By Bryan Wilburn, Director of Development, St. Paul’s Newman Center at NDSU

What can you do when you’re in a rut? 

I suppose one option would be to stay there. To act as if it’s not happening and try to power through on your own. Oftentimes though, the first step to getting better is admitt...