Advancing Our Church

February 16, 2020 Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend and Tom Farrell visit the Diocese of San Jose and speak with Joe Naylor, Chief Development Officer. Joe talks about the first couple of years in his new role in the diocese, including some of the new initiatives he has introduced. Some examples include a Fundraising Bootcamp for pastors and a Diocesan Legacy Society.Joe previously served as Vice President for Advancement and Communications for two different Provinces of the Society of Jesus. He also formerly served as Executive Director for the Providence St. Joseph Medical Center Foundation and Senior Director of Gift Planning for the Los Angeles Orthopedic Hospital Foundation. Joe brings great passion, expertise, and creativity to his work in the diocese. The Diocese of San Jose, The Catholic Church in Santa Clara County The Diocese of San Jose makes its home in a fertile valley surrounded by rolling hills and pine-covered mountains. Known from the 19th century as “the Valley of the Heart’s Delight,

February 09, 2020 Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend visits the Archdiocese of San Francisco to talk with Rod Linhares, Director of Development, and Florian Romero, Director of Stewardship.Rod oversees fundraising for the Archdiocese, where he has been a resident his whole life. Rod’s personal mission is to help everyone to understand the magnitude of services and ministries that are offered throughout the Archdiocese. Rod discusses the Annual Appeal, Planned Giving, the Archbishop’s Circle, and a survey the Archdiocese just conducted to understand what parishioners love about their home parish. Rod brings great passion and expertise to his role.Florian is a seasoned professional in fundraising, but for many years, she has been focused on the spirituality of Stewardship. Florian works closely with parishes to help them understand Stewardship as a way of life and a culture change for parishes. Florian describes how Archbishop Cordileon is personally committed to the model of Stewardship and how this kind of tr

Published: February 02, 2020 Today, Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend travels to his hometown in the Diocese of Phoenix and visits with the senior team in the Office for Mission Advancement. What were the three things that Bishop Olmstead asked God to show him so that he would know that a new seminary was His plan? Learn about the incredible mission of Nazareth House, a new seminary house of formation in the diocese. Some additional topics we cover include… How should a new Development Officer spend the first 90 days? What did Bishop Olmsted say was one of the best byproducts of running a diocesan campaign? How does the Ascent Conference help parishes in the Diocese of Phoenix? The focus of refugee ministry through Catholic Charities. Bishop Olmsted’s two incredible Exhortations: Complete My Joy and Into the Breach Today, we learn about these initiatives and much more as we meet the senior management team for the Office of Mission Advancement in the Diocese of Phoenix. Our guests today ar

Published: January 26, 2020 Happy Catholic Schools Week 2020!In honor of Catholic Schools Week, we are replaying the best moments in Catholic Education on our Podcast in 2019. Our guests this week (pictured above from top left to right) include Mark Freund, Jason Morrison, Dr. Brooke Tesche, Dr. Tim Uhl, Jennifer Trefelner, Matt Russell, John Petruzzelli, and Steven Virgadamo. Not pictured but included in our podcast are Changing Our World‘s Brian Crimmins (CEO), Gavan Mooney (President and Chief Client Officer), Kaitlin McTighe (Managing Director), and our host, Jim Friend (Managing Director).In this episode, we replay clips from these episodes: Dr. Tim Uhl Jason Morrison & Mark Freund Steven Virgadamo on Catholic School Leadership Data-Driven Communications Plans for Catholic Schools The Future of Catholic Education Kolbe Academy Catholic Schools Week 2020 National Catholic Schools Week (CSW) is an annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. Now entering its

Published: January 19, 2020 On today’s podcast, Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend is joined by Jennifer Trefelner and Nick Regina on the topic of “Leveraging Catholic Schools Week” for marketing, enrollment, and philanthropic opportunities. This podcast is the audio from the webinar that was held on January 14, 2010. The conversation covers topics like: What are the benefits of a strong communications plan? Generational trends in communications. What are the reasons that parents chose a Catholic education in 2020? How does Catholic Schools Week fit into the context of a larger marketing plan? Examples Catholic Schools can use to promote themselves during Catholic Schools Week. Days of Giving How to engage your constituencies during Catholic Schools Week. …and much more! About Catholic Schools Week Since 1974, National Catholic Schools Week has been an annual celebration of Catholic Education in the United States. This important week in the life of Catholic Schools begins the

Published: January 12, 2020 Today, Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend interviews Msgr. Jim Vlaun, who discusses his role as the former chaplain for the New York Jets, his visit with Pope Francis, his popular cooking show, his 30+ year run as the host of Religion and Rock, and much more! Msgr. Jim has hosted everyone from Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones to Jimmy Buffet. His radio program is nationally syndicated and airs every week on local radio stations on Long Island and on Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio.     About Msgr. JimMsgr. Jim Vlaun is the President and CEO of the Catholic Faith Network, the Catholic Television station of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, which broadcasts on TV and online to millions of homes 24/7. Msgr. Jim has hosted many TV programs with top sports figures and other prominent national TV hosts, along with other venerated priests, rabbis, religious and lay leaders, and most importantly, the people in the community who make a difference in everyday life.    The Ca

Published: January 05, 2020Donor Stewardship plays a crucial role in the vitality of Catholic schools, parishes, dioceses, and faith-based nonprofits. Understanding the donor’s interests and needs is critical to stewarding their long-term interest in your organization. The donor’s journey with you requires time and attention, which oftentimes is an important missing ingredient in development offices.Today’s podcast replays a webinar Changing Our World, conducted in November 2019. Jim Friend hosts a discussion with CW’s Nick Walsh and Shawn Trahan, joined by Michelle Brown, Chief Development Officer at the Independence Mission Schools. The conversation covers a variety of ways that donor stewardship can cultivate and build a process for continued giving by engaging your donors in authentic relationship building.Our Panel of ExpertsShawn Trahan, Senior Managing Director: Shawn has more than 20 years of experience working within the nonprofit sector, including planning/directing major capital campaigns, fundrais

Published: December 22, 2019 Merry Christmas! In this very special Christmas episode, Jim Friend and the staff at Changing Our World extend to you their very best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!A Note from Our HostDear Friends,This week, we publish the 29th episode of the Advancing Our Church Podcast. Since June 10, 2019, we have been proud to host over 50 guests who have graced us with their wisdom, their courageous stories, and their passion for advancing the mission of our Church in the world. Their commitment to this work has educated and inspired us.I am so grateful for the support of our wonderful and faithful listeners who offer feedback and support and help us to promote this mission every week. Thank you for helping us to promote our podcast on social media and the ratings you leave us on iTunes.Finally, many thanks to our wonderful clients and friends at Changing Our World, who have chosen CW as a partner in this mission. May God bless you, your family, and your friends in this

Published: December 15, 2019 Today we visit the Church of St. Anne in Garden City, New York, to discuss their very successful capital campaign. We visit with their pastor, Rev. Msgr. Thomas Harold and the Director of Parish Operations, Mary Lou Engrassia. Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend is joined by Yasmine Hicks, who directed this important campaign. Hear the story of how this parish completed this successful capital campaign.Church of St. Anne: CampaignCampaign Goal: $3.5 Million Amount Raised: $3,554,000“Being Catholic at St. Anne’s: Our Families, Our Mission, Our Future” addressed the needs and plans for increased Meeting and Ministry space for the many activities, organizations, and ministries of the parish.  In order to serve their children and parishioners better, they explored and finalized plans for the addition of a new building to serve as a meeting and ministry facility. This facility will contain more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space, be fully accessible, hold up to 250 people, and wil

Published: December 08, 2019This week, Changing Our World‘s, Jim Friend speaks with Brian Corbin, KHS, Executive Vice President for Member Services at Catholic Charities USA. For Brian, Catholic Charities is “a ministry of the Bishop that enables us to continue the work of the early Apostles in caring for the widows, orphans, and strangers among us.” Today, we see how Catholic Charities provides service to people in need, advocates for justice, and calls the entire church and other people of goodwill to do the same.About Brian CorbinPrior to joining Catholic Charities, Brian served as the Executive Director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Youngstown. He also served as the Diocesan Director for Migration and Refugee Services (MRS). Brian served as the Diocesan Director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and the Director of Catholic Relief Services. He was also the Diocesan Liaison for the Northeast Ohio Diocesan Council of St. Vincent de Paul. With over 27 years of service, Brian provided

Published: December 01, 2019 This week we visit one of Changing Our World’s former clients, the Central Association of the Miraculous Medal. We visit with Mary Jo Timlin-Hoag, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Sheila McGirl, CFRE, Senior Director of Institutional Advancement. Kaitlin McTighe, Managing Director at Changing Our World, joins Jim Friend for this conversation.Mary Jo is the first lay president and CEO in the 103-year history of the Shrine. She has held leadership roles at Aetna, GE Healthcare, General Motors, McKesson, MedScape, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She was also active through service on several charitable boards and a member of a number of professional societies. Mary Jo has a long connection to the shrine. When she was a child, her parents had a devotion to the Virgin Mary and brought Mary Jo regularly to a weekly novena. Mary Jo’s connection with CAMM has been reinforced over the years through her brother, Father John Timlin, C.M. Fr. John directs the formation

Published: November 24, 2019 Dr. Tim Uhl is a popular blogger and host for the Catholic School Matters Podcast and the Superintendent of Montana Catholic Schools. Today, Jim Friend talks with Tim about life, Catholic School leadership, and Catholic education. The two also spend a significant amount of time talking about podcasting. We learn how Tim began his podcast and the intellectual curiosity that guides his journey in podcasting. This is a little more of a relaxed conversation than an interview; we hope you enjoy this conversation. Also, we hope that all of our listeners enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving Holiday this week! About Tim Uhl Dr. Uhl serves as the superintendent of Catholic Schools for Montana, serving 23 schools, 3900+ students, and two dioceses (Helena and Great Falls-Billings).  He has previously served as the principal of Holy Rosary Regional School in Tacoma and Catholic High School in New Iberia, Louisiana.  Tim is the founder of “Catholic School Matters,” a podcast about Catholic Schoo

Published: November 17, 2019 Imagine if your job facilitated daily personal interaction with more than 500 of the nation’s top CEOs and corporate presidents, representing dozens of professional disciplines, in relaxed settings oftentimes, alongside their spouses, across more than 20 metropolitan areas in the United States and several foreign countries. Sound too good to be true? That is exactly what John Knowles does every day. Today, Jim Friend interviews John Matthew Knowles, who serves as Legatus Director for the Northeastern United States and international territories. John Matthew Knowles Mr. Knowles is the Director of the Northeastern US and International Chapters of Legatus. He is an accomplished advancement executive specializing in membership associations and higher education institutions. He currently works as Legatus Director for the Northeast and International, based in the greater New York City area. Prior to his work with Legatus, John served as the chief development and external affai

Published: November 10, 2019 On today’s podcast, Jim Friend talks with Julianne Stanz, Author of a new book entitled “Start with Jesus.“Julianne’s challenge: “Take a moment and ask yourself: does every activity in my parish point more deeply to Jesus?” Julianne’s new book aims to help parish communities make sure the answer to this question is a resounding “Yes!” Serving parishes in her diocese as the Director of New Evangelization, Stanz has recognized a practical and motivational way to restructure a parish’s mission – to start with Jesus.Start with Jesus is a book about people, processes, and culture rather than an emphasis on quick fixes or unsustainable efforts. Julianne’s approach aims to help regular people transform parishes from the inside out by growing in a relationship with Jesus Christ through individual and group experiences, thus transforming our parish communities.Julianne begins our interview today by talking about her life and career in Evangelization. She serves as a consultant to the U

Published: November 03, 2019 Today we finish our coverage of the 2019 International Catholic Stewardship Conference with an interview with Msgr. John J. Bracken. Msgr. Bracken stopped by our booth at ICSC this year, and we had a terrific impromptu interview about his life as a priest and his career not only as the Vicar General for the Diocese of Brooklyn but also as the very first Director of Development. He has been a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn for over 52 years. Msgr. Bracken is a bit of a legend because he literally created the job of a Development Director right at the time in history when the Bishop’s pastoral document, Stewardship: A Disciples Response, was published. Monsignor talks about his career, his calling, and the nature of Stewardship. Please enjoy this interview with our host, Jim Friend. About Msgr. John J. Bracken A native of Richmond Hill, he attended St. Benedict Joseph School; Cathedral College, Brooklyn; St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore; and St. Louis University. He served

Published: October 27, 2019 Join us for interviews at the 2019 International Catholic Stewardship Conference (ICSC), held on October 6 – 9 in Chicago. Changing Our World was proud to sponsor this 57th annual gathering with over 800 participants from around the world. The conference attendees convened to talk about Catholic stewardship, leadership, and advancement. Today’s episode features interviews Manny Aguilar, Shaun Riedell, Andy Gaertner, Msgr. Carlos Quintana Puente and J.J. Gonzales.Mission of the International Catholic Stewardship ConferenceThe International Catholic Stewardship Council promotes and supports Catholic teaching on stewardship by providing education and resources for dioceses, parishes, and institutions of the Roman Catholic Church. Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses” Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosar

Published: October 21, 2019 Jason Morrison & Mark Freund are accomplished leaders in Catholic Education. On today’s show, hear their thoughts on the evolving models of Catholic education and the dynamics of remaining competitive in today’s marketplace. Changing our World‘s Gavan Mooney, President, and Chief Client Officer, and Kaitlin McTighe, Managing Director, interview these two experienced leaders in Catholic Education.Jason MorrisonJason is the Diocesan Secretary and CEO for Catholic Education in the Diocese of Scranton. He is responsible for managing the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System. His primary responsibilities include financial stability, Enrollment, and Development. Mr. Morrison is the former VP of Operations for the Healey Education Foundation, where he served schools across the United States, implementing Boards of Limited Jurisdiction, Advancement programs and addressing sustainability issues for Catholic schools. Jason is the former Secretary for Stewardship and Development for

Published: October 13, 2019 Debbie Leaverton serves as Director of Parish Stewardship for the Orange Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Orange in California. The Diocese serves a growing English, Vietnamese, and Spanish-speaking population with over 3.2 million Catholics. The Diocese serves the largest population of Vietnamese in the United States.   Today, Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend talks with Debbie about a variety of initiatives in the Diocese of Orange, including Debbie’s work with assisting pastors to adopt stewardship as a way of life in their parish. Debbie describes how she serves parishes in stewardship, planned giving and capital campaigns.Debbie describes the interesting backstory of the construction of the new Christ Cathedral that was just dedicated on July 17, 2019. The Cathedral is now open to the public. The Cathedral will be open for tours during the 2020 International Catholic Stewardship Conference (ICSC) in Anaheim next fall.About Debbie LeavertonDebbie started with the Diocese

Published: October 06, 2019 This week we tackle many common fundraising questions that our consultants are asked often. Jim Friend is joined by a talented group of Changing Our World fundraising consultants, including Brandi Holys, Diana Curren, and Ray Witkowski, for this informative roundtable session. Some of the questions the group discusses include: Why do people Give?* When is the best time to fundraise? How can I stop marketing and communications from overlapping with my appeals? How do I find not only more donors but more donors that are the right fit for my organization? Why do I have to use a specific ask amount? What’s the best way to steward a donor? How important is donor recognition? How often should I be in contact with my donors…before and after their gift? How often should I be communicating with my donors? How important is online giving? How important are special events? How can I leverage my special events? Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Krist

Published: September 30, 2019 Meet David DiNapoli, the Director of Development for the Diocese of Portland in Maine. On today’s show, Jim Friend talks with David about his role in the Diocese and some of the challenges and opportunities that he is pursuing as he leads a development office that covers 33,215 square miles with a population of 279,159 Catholics. David’s office oversees the Annual Appeal and Planned Giving, and he provides support to the 55 parishes and the Catholic School system in the Diocese.We begin our show today with an interview with Brandi Holys. Brandi is a Senior Director with Changing Our World who is currently assigned to a $70 Million Capital Campaign for the Diocese of Green Bay. Brandi shares some stories about her career and what she does for fun.About David DiNapoliPrior to taking the lead Development position with the Diocese of Portland, David DiNapoli served as a Director for Changing Our World, conducting Capital Campaigns and studies with a number of Diocese and Archdioce