| In the Spotlight
|
 |
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center
University of Colorado, Boulder
Congratulations on a wildly successful matching gift weekend!
With two donors agreeing to match up to $60,000 during
their annual matching gift weekend, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center was well
positioned for a successful collection leading into the weekend. The offertory itself
collected $70,000 from the students from the community. Following Mass on
Sunday, two more benefactors came forward with checks for an additional $30,000
for a total of $160,000!
But there is more... The weekend saw an additional $110,000
in new monthly EFT commitments, including one gift at $4,000 per month! (That is
NOT a typo)
The grand total for this matching gift weekend was
$270,000!
Congratulations
Fr. Kevin Augustyn, Megan Dillon and the Catholic Center Staff!
|
|
Greetings!
Awe, renewal and gratitude.
These words describe my experience of a recent trip to Italy
with a group of benefactors of the Vatican Observatory Foundation. Joining the group for a special tour of Rome
and Castel Gandolfo, Colleen and I had the opportunity to visit some amazing
parts of these historic cities. The
Jesuits who staff the observatory are priests and brothers who are also world
class scientists. I continue to be in
awe of the many ways in which the Church has worked to integrate science and
religion through the centuries.
During our trip, we also had the privilege to meet with some
other really wonderful Catholic communities along the way: the Franciscan
community of the Vineyard in Venice, the Poor Clare sisters at Santa Chiara in
Assisi, some missionary priests of the Fraternity of St. Charles, the
seminarians of the North American College, and the Apostles of the Interior
Life. The Apostles are serving in
Spiritual Direction and Formation at the University of Wisconsin, University of
Kansas, and Texas A&M University.
I am so pleased to tell you that while we hear often that
the "Church is dead in Europe," there are strikingly memorable - and growing - places
where the Church is alive and vibrant.
Some of these communities of faith have outreach to Africa, Asia,
Eastern Europe, and even to the United States. These groups are renewing
themselves and those around them by actively living their faith and inviting
others to do the same.
Another interesting component is that all of these communities
are participating in the world of philanthropy.
While it might not be typical American fundraising programs, there is
definitely a growing field of fundraising for these organizations. As an example, the Poor Clare sisters rely on
the generosity of those outside the cloister to support their simple day-to-day
needs, but they also have to raise significant sums to found new
monasteries. Yes, I said found new
monasteries. In fact, they are working
on six new foundations in Central America and Africa.
Fundraising for the people we met in Italy is less
complicated than we often view it. They have a story of the work they do and
how it impacts our world. They tell that
story to those who might be interested.
Then, they ask them to be a part of that work by making a financial contribution. Sound familiar?
I hope you enjoy this edition of Petrus ED and that you find
it helpful to your fund development program.
I also hope you will join me and so many other inspiring men and women
in ministries throughout the country - and the world - in Orlando for the 5th
Annual Petrus Leadership Conference this January. It will undoubtedly be an opportunity to get
energized for the year ahead, and will perhaps offer you a sense of awe,
renewal and gratitude for the abundant blessings of this life.
Take care,
Peter de Keratry, CFRE
Managing Principal
|
|
|
5th Annual Petrus Leadership Conference
January 4-6, 2010 Hilton, Walt Disney World Resort
Orlando, Florida
At a time when the need for
additional funds is the greatest, proactive organizations are investing in
strategies and approaches that will ultimately benefit their programs and
budget.
Whether you are new to fund development or want to expand your skills, the
Petrus Leadership Conference be a great resource!
Presentations include:
- An Introduction to Development
- Asking for and Closing Major
Gifts
- Making "the Ask"
- Donor Motivations for Planned
Giving
- Prospect Research and Data
Mining
- PLC-to-go: Great ideas, Best
Practices and Resources for the Road
An investment in the Petrus
Leadership Conference will help you meet your budget challenges proactively and
with faith! We hope you will join us!
Visit us to register, view the schedule or find out more about the conference.
|
|
Hiring a Great Development Director
By John M. Flynn
Principal
Petrus Development
Good development people are hard to find. Great development people are even tougher to
find. We often talk to leaders who are
quick to share their true feelings about their experience of hiring a Development
Director. Those conversations commonly begin with statements such as these:
- "We
hired a development director, now we can get back to our real jobs."
-
"We
hired a development director, but he/she didn't even raise her own salary the
first year so we let him/her go."
- "Development
people expect you to do their jobs for them. It isn't my job go out and visit
with people about making gifts."
When working in the Church
or a small non-profit, we expect More...
|
|
Making the Most of Face-to-Face Visits
By Mike Perkins Senior Consultant
Petrus Development
One of the fundamental principles of development is that "People
give to people." Those who support to a cause often have a personal
reason for giving - and enough trust in the organization to give a
gift. A direct mail appeal or online donation can be the doorway
through which one may enter into a relationship with your organization.
At other times, a connection made at a special event, a phone call or
through an email may be enough to spark a connection between benefactor
and a worthy cause.
In fund development, the most productive, fruitful relationships are
often the result of intentional, personal face-to-face visits. Taking
the time to explore a benefactor's interest in depth, ascertaining
alignment with the mission, building confidence in your organization,
and sharing the plans and vision of the leadership can lead to a deeper
relationship between a benefactor and organization - and may ultimately
lead to an increase in major gift giving.
The appointment is scheduled, now what? More...
|
|
Grant Requests that Get Noticed!
By Maureen Murray
Grant Writing Consultant
Petrus Development
Did you know...
- Overall foundation giving rose by an estimated 2.8
percent in 2008 to $45.6 billion
- Foundation assets dropped an estimated 21.9 percent in
2008, setting a record
- Estimated 2009 foundation giving will decrease by 8 to
13 percent[i]
At a time when there is greater competition for less funding, it is even more important than
ever to craft a grant proposal that will get you noticed and generate income
for your organization. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you prepare a
winning grant request!
Find
the Right Foundation
Personal
relationships are the best place to start.
Have you or your organization had previous success with a foundation? Do you or does one of your board members know
a foundation board member? More... |
|
|
|
|
