Petrus Blog

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 and plan before my donor meetings.

Prayer

In a previous life, I spent 11 years in technical sales for a large computer company. Before I made an important call or presentation, I would say the prayer to the Holy Spirit. I memorized this prayer in second grade—long before I understood the words. The prayer is very “all purpose.” I used it before tests in high school and college, difficult conversations, and sales calls. The prayer doesn’t ask for a specific outcome, but requests God’s inspiration for the work I was about to do. 

In the corporate world, my prayer was a private endeavor, with me grabbing a bit of silence away from coworkers, often in the...

By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor

Clarence, the wingless angel: We don’t use money in heaven.

George Bailey: It comes in pretty handy down here, Bub.

From the movie It’s a Wonderful Life.

Note: I am not a lawyer, and the following is not legal advice—just my perspective and experience.

Less than half of the adults in the United States have a will or other estate planning documents. Actually, that’s not quite true. All of us have a will—either one created BY US or one created FOR US by our state government. Do you think your state government would distribute your property the same way you would? 

If you haven’t made your own estate plans, please get busy on this—especially if you have minor children. Maybe you think you don’t have enough assets to worry about, or you’ve listed beneficiaries for your bank accounts and insurance policies. You still need a will and perhaps other estate planning...

In this episode, the Blueprint for Development series is on it's third installment. Tara and Sarah are back with Annual Funds, also known as an operating budget or director's fund. How can you create a new or sustainable development program that doesn't depend solely on that one event or those 1-2 major donors? Tara and Sarah give some great starting tips on making that change from dependence to sustainable. 

If you missed the first two episodes in this series, you can find them here:

Blueprint for Development: Infrastructure

Blueprint for Development: Communications

Show Notes:

Tara and Sarah are back in this third installment of the "Blueprint for Development" series, discussing Annual Funds, aka operating budget or director's fund. 

This is your general operating funds that come in from donations. Funds that you can generally count on as part of your general budget. 

Due to 2020, there's a need to look more critically at annual funds. Parishes especially have...

In this episode, Andrew visits with Julia Golding, successful author with works such as the Cat Royal series and the Companions Quartet. They discuss the project that Julia has launched to purchase Tolkien’s home at 20 Northmoor Road in Oxford and turn it into the first literary center devoted to Tolkien and his works. Project Northmoor, as it is called, kicked off in November 2020, with a goal to raise 4.6 million pounds, or $6 million US dollars to buy the house and convert it into a literary center. Andrew and Julia discuss the project and what she has learned about fundraising through her efforts. It's a fascinating conversation with lessons and parallels to fundraising of all kinds. If you want to learn more about the project or make a donation, you can find more information at www.projectnorthmoor.org. So as they say in the books, let the quest begin.

Show Notes:

There are few literary phrases that are more well known than Middle Earth, Gandolph the Grey,...

 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...