Advancing Our Church

Published: September 15, 2019 Today, we finish our exciting three-part “Back to School” series with a terrific show on Catholic School leadership. Today our guest is veteran trainer Steven Virgadamo. Steven discusses the topic of recruiting, training and retaining leaders for Catholic Schools. Steven is an expert trainer of Catholic School Leaders. He is the Executive Director of the Curran Catholic School Leadership Academy and Associate Superintendent for the Archdiocese of New York.Today Steven talks about the mission of Curran Catholic School Leadership Academy. The Academy trains future Catholic school leaders in a comprehensive and cost-effective manner. Steven reflects on his own formation as a Catholic School leader and shares what is needed for a leader to be successful in today’s competitive market. Steve discusses the difference between a good Catholic school and a great one. We hope you’ll listen today to learn from Steve’s experience.About Steven VirgadamoSteven is a talented and passionate ex

Published: September 08, 2019 Today’s Show Data-driven communications plans will separate you from the competition. What are the benefits of a strong communications plan? What does a robust communications plan include? What does RPIE stand for, and how does it play into the communications plan? All these questions and much more will be discussed on today’s show.Today, Jim Friend talks with Jennifer Trefelner in the Diocese of Palm Beach. Jennifer brings over 16 years of Catholic education and Communications experience to this topic. Jennifer will discuss with us the four factors in choosing a Catholic School, the important pillars of your communications plan, and where to begin with your marketing plan.If you would like to download a template communications plan or learn more, feel free to reach out to Jennifer at JTrefelner@Diocesepb.org Our Guest Mrs. Jennifer M. Trefelner, APR, CPRC, is the Director of Communications, Marketing & Social Media for the Diocese of Palm Beach. In this role Jennifer

Published: September 02, 2019 Catholic Education Experts Join Changing Our World‘s Brian Crimmins and Matt Russell, the Chief Advancement and Business Development Officer for the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) as we consider the future of Catholic education in the United States. This presentation was originally delivered as a webinar in April 2019. The conversation was a continuation of a discussion that was first explored during the inaugural NCEA Elizabeth Ann Seton Philanthropy Symposium in Washington, D.C., in the fall of 2018. Today’s Show The discussion today will describe how leaders nationwide are paving the way for the future of Catholic Education. These transformative leaders are showing us the way forward, not in words but in action. These pioneers are collaborating to find solutions to our Catholic schools’ most urgent challenges. To view the full webinar, please visit Changing Our World’s website. You can also download the full NCEA Report.Matt Russell started his c

Published: August 25, 2019 What’s the Secret? Parish Campaigns are a big undertaking, and creating the right plan to raise significant dollars is critical. Join Changing Our World‘s expert consultants as they tackle some of the more common questions about campaigns. How do you prepare for a campaign? Why is it important for a parish to conduct a Feasibility Study?  What is the impact on parish offertory? What is the role of campaign volunteers?* How does it tie into Stewardship? How have the dynamics of Parish Campaigns changed? How do you help a pastor make the ask? Our Guest Experts on Today’s Show Thomas Farrell, Senior Managing Director: Tom Farrell’s tenure with our firm began in 2010. Over the past four decades, Tom’s work has focused primarily in the area of Catholic philanthropy. Since 1985 Tom has directed or given oversight to approximately 1,000 individual parish fundraising initiatives and to three dozen major diocesan development programs. These endeavors have take

Published: August 18, 2019 About Today’s Show How does a diocese become “Catholic Strong?” Can you engage stakeholders in this effort? Can you continue the campaign through the PA Grand Jury Report? Did it help that the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl? We will discuss all of these questions and more on today’s show. Join Changing Our World's Shawn Trahan and Jim Friend as they travel to the Diocese of Camden. Shawn and Jim talk with Rev. Robert E. Hughes, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, and Mariann Gilbride, Director of the Development for the Diocese of Camden. Together with diocesan partners, Shawn directed the campaign that led the team to success. Fr. Hughes and Mariann share their stories of success and new opportunities. The Catholic Strong Campaign In August 2017, the Diocese of Camden embarked upon the “Catholic Strong” Diocesan Capital Campaign. The campaign for Catholics in South Jersey successfully secured pledges totaling over $40 million. Gifts primarily benefited

Published: August 14, 2019 Advanced tactics for your Annual Fund Increasing the Annual Fund requires creativity, focus, and time out of the office. Engaging your donors in conversations about your school can create lasting relationships and leadership for your school’s Annual Giving program. Join Jim Friend for part two of his presentation to the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Green Bay. Jim discusses that making your Annual Fund soar requires a team approach, but Advancement Directors must have a plan in place to engage the Head of School, staff and volunteers to make this a reality. Although this workshop is focused on Catholic Schools, many of the concepts discussed can be applied to any nonprofit setting. A Little About Jim’s Catholic School Experience The Faith in the Future Foundation was created with a unique mission to impact Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The Foundation recruited Jim Friend as its first Chief Development Officer in 2014. Jim led the growth

Published: August 11, 2019 Questions that everyone asks… In Diocesan Campaigns, Parishes and dioceses must work together to create a partnership that speaks to parishioners in the pew. In the midst of today’s Church climate, Catholic fundraising continues to raise millions around the country. Today, our expert consultants cover these popular questions and more. What is the role of the Bishop? Why is a Feasibility Study important? How do you get parishes excited about the campaign? Can a diocesan campaign further leverage your team? How do you determine a financial split between parishes and their diocese? What is the impact on your Diocesan Appeal? Furthermore, our conversation also delves into how understanding the culture of a parish and having flexibility creates an atmosphere of success for a campaign. We cover some of the dos and don’ts a diocese should consider when developing a capital campaign. We also discuss how a campaign consultant can help a pastor recruit volunteers

Published: August 04, 2019 About the Workshop In this episode, Changing Our World’s, Jim Friend delivers a workshop to the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Jim begins by discussing the importance of telling your story as part of the Annual Fund. How we tell our story can have a huge impact on our donors.  Jim continues the workshop by describing the essential components of creating a compelling Annual Fund and discussing how to increase annual gifts yearly. The Annual Fund is the heart of any development program. Getting donors in the habit of annual giving to your Catholic School creates a solid foundation. This can lead to future major gifts or planned giving programs.  Additionally, Jim covers these topics: Structuring your Annual Fund Developing your donor database Creating your Annual Fund Letter Managing your gifts and thanking your donors In part two of this podcast, we will discuss some advanced tactics for increasing your annual fund results. Part tw

Published: July 28, 2019 This week we focus on Catholic Stewardship and ways leaders can educate and engage the time, talent, and resources of the faithful. Our guest is David Baranowski, the Director of Stewardship Education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Dave is a 30-year marketing executive recruited by the Archdiocese over seven years ago to develop educational and marketing materials to support the stewardship efforts of their 182 parishes. In David’s words, “Our goal is to help more people get to Heaven.” David Baranowski is a frequent speaker at the International Catholic Stewardship Conference. During our interview, David shares his unique conversion experience, which sparked his career change. In 2007, Baranowski attended a retreat where the director encouraged participants to listen to God’s guidance — something he said he hadn’t earnestly done before. The experience convinced him to deepen his faith and focus on Christ. While praying about God’s gifts in his life, “this wave of gratitude

Published: July 21, 2019 Creating your case for support is a key element for any nonprofit organization seeking to raise funds for an annual appeal, capital campaign, major gifts program or any key initiative. Join Changing Our World Consultants Colleen Burdick, Kaitlin McTighe, Ray Witkowski, and our host, Jim Friend, for a discussion about the who, what and why of creating a compelling Case for Support. Hear real-life examples, the do’s and the don’ts, and about how engaging your donors in a conversation about your case will rally further support. Reviewing and refining your Case for support each year is an important exercise. Our consultants also consider how you should look at your Case as a living document. It is an opportunity to show your donor's progress and to use that progress to leverage giving. Involving your donors in the development of your Case for Support shows them that they have input on your mission and that they can help you make a difference. What to contribute to the conversatio

Published: July 14, 2019 Making an impact on a Diocesan Development program takes time and expertise. How can spending more time out of the office help build a development strategy? What relationships should Diocesan and parish development officers cultivate? How can technology assist in development? This week, Jim Friend is joined by Scott Whitaker from the Diocese of Austin to discuss these questions and much more. Additionally, Jim chats with Diana Curran, Senior Director for Changing Our World. Diana shares her background in educational advancement and the work she’s doing in the Diocese of Albany. We also learn about her 120-mile adventure through Zion’s National Park in Utah. Diana was recently named a CASE D1 Faculty All-Star and has received awards for creating innovative stewardship and fundraising programs and for her leadership. She speaks at conferences on many topics, including stewardship; fundraising; generational giving preferences and habits; negotiation; and women’s leadership.  Sco

Published: July 07, 2019 Summer Development Planning is an important time of year. What can your organization do differently for the 2019-20 fiscal year to raise more funds and meet the needs of your mission? Today, Jim Friend talks with Vanessa Dickerson and Fred Roberts, two of Changing Our World’s expert consultants, who share their experiences and recommendations. Some of the topics covered in our conversation include: How to address the Church scandal from a development perspective, What the development staff should focus on in the new fiscal year, The importance of conducting a regular self-check and self-inventory on your development strategy, Dealing with changes in the tax code, Sacrificial giving of the parishes, and The importance of making the ask. We hope today’s conversation on summer development planning will inspire you. Fred, Vanessa, and Jim enjoyed the opportunity to explore ideas to help your mission.  If you have any follow-up questions or comments about today’s

Published: June 30, 2019 In this episode, Brian Crimmins (CEO of Changing Our World, Inc.) and Jim Friend travel to the Diocese of Rockville Centre. They meet with Bishop John Barres, Mark Ackermann, and retired business executive Larry Bossidy.  The conversation begins with strategic planning and focuses on how Catholic business people are needed to share their gifts with the work of the Church. The discussion includes how the principles of Larry’s best-selling book, “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done” have been successfully adopted into the business of Church operations and planning. Lastly, we think you’ll enjoy the personal stories and dialogue that happens when each of the men shares something about their faith journey. On December 9, 2016, Pope Francis named Most Reverend John Oliver Barres the fifth Bishop of Rockville Centre.  Bishop Barres came from the Diocese of Allentown, where he served since May 2009. Mark Ackermann was recruited as the first President and CEO of the Cat

Published: June 23, 2019 Kolbe Academy will open in the fall of 2019 as the nation’s first Catholic high school for students battling addiction. The Diocese of Allentown announced the opening of Kolbe Academy on September 7, 2018, at a press conference at St. Francis Center for Renewal, Monocacy Manor, Bethlehem. In this episode, Jim Friend interviews Bishop Alfred A. Schlert, Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, Dr. Brooke Tesche, Chancellor of Education, and John Petruzzelli, the principal of Kolbe Academy. The school is the brainchild of Dr. Tesche, who proposed the idea to Bishop Schlert. “Our goal is to do whatever it takes to give them the services they need,” said Tesche. “They need to learn how to live without drugs and alcohol in their lives. Faith is the critical element for their success. A key element in recovering is ‘surrendering.’ We can talk about it and explore it in a Catholic high school,” she said. Update June 2023: Kolbe Academy closed this year due to challenges with enrollment.

Published: June 16, 2019 The 2019 Florida Stewardship Conference, which was held in May 2019 in Miami, was a tremendous success and as a result, we had the great opportunity to conduct a series of great interviews. Some of our guests included, but were not limited to Archbishop Wenski, Archbishop of Miami; Julianne Stanz, author and national speaker on Evangelization; and Fr. Leo Patalinghug, also known as the “cooking priest”. This week's co-host is Anna Vallez, Senior Director at Changing Our World (CW). Anna talks with us about Stewardship and CW’s approaches to Stewardship with the Latino community. Anna’s enthusiasm, coupled with her experience in overseeing Stewardship initiatives, makes this an exciting podcast. Staff Spotlight: This week, meet Gavan Mooney. Gavan is President and Chief Client Officer for Changing Our World. During Gavan’s interview, we discuss his inspired vision for our podcast and CW’s long and distinguished history of working with Catholic nonprofits, dioceses, parishes, hos

Published: June 09, 2019 This week we visit the home of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at their national headquarters in St. Louis. For over 175 the Society has served millions of people on the front lines through its 4,400 local conferences. The society serves 800,000 members worldwide, known as Vincentians. Their goal is to grow in holiness by building a more just world through personal relationships and service to people. In one year, 100,000 U.S. members in 4,400 local communities provided $3.4 billion worth of service to the poor. St. Vincent de Paul operated 435 thrift stores that produced $150 million in mission-related revenues. And spent $75 million running emergency, transitional and long-term housing programs. During this episode, you will hear from members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, including Mr. David Barringer, CEO, Mr. Ralph Middlecamp, National President and Mr. Joseph Manogue, Chairman of the National Foundation. We know you’ll enjoy learning more about their amazing story.  

Published: November 26, 2017 Today we focus on this idea of Catholic Social Entrepreneurship. A Social Entrepreneur uses the techniques of a start-up company to develop, fund, and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. Why not use those same techniques to tackle the issues of today’s Catholic Church? One great example of this concept is some of the work that is currently revitalizing Catholic education. We have to be open to the practices of the world in order to engage others in this mission. By engaging the laity in a healthy, constructive, and respectful way, we can find business solutions that further our ecclesial work. I hope you will join me for this very brief reflection. I want to hear from you… Please leave a comment!  Send me a quick email to contact@advancingourchurch.com  or use the SpeakPipe app on this page and leave me a voicemail. If you’d like to support the show, retweet our show or repost our episodes on Facebook.  You can follow our show on Twitter @

Published: November 19, 2017 The Parable of the Talents This week’s Gospel is the Parable of the Talents.  The Master of the house gave his three servants talents to share and grow while he was away. We know the story and how it fundamentally serves to remind us of the basic theology of Stewardship.  Everything we have is a gift from God, and we are called to serve each other and Him by sharing those gifts. We all want to receive the same praise that the wise servants received from their master “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Sometimes God has a plan for us that we don’t fully recognize until we spend some time in prayer and discernment.  Today, I share a little personal reflection on my own career.  God called me to share talents that I didn’t expect.  Sometimes the life of a steward isn’t glamorous.  I have been called to haul trash, paint walls, and scrub floors in my ministry career.  All of this was necessary in order to advance the mission of our Church. More to Come! Please le

Published: September 24, 2017 A Brief Stewardship ReflectionToday’s Podcast is a little different in that I reflect on humility and Stewardship.  This episode is about the fact that our focus on sharing our time, talent, and treasure should be about the mission and not “Who Gets the Credit.”  How many times in our lives have we felt as though we weren’t getting enough credit for something?  It’s an aspect of our humanity that we all deal with, and sometimes it can come out during stressful times.  Today’s reflection focuses on this week’s Gospel Reading which can be found on the USCCB website here. I also tie in a great story that Bishop Robert Barron shared on his podcast this week, which you can listen to it here.  Bishop Barron’s Podcast episode that I refer to is called “The Privilege of the Mission.“ More to Come! I enjoyed everyone’s feedback last week as I introduced you to Faith in the Future.   I would love your feedback on today’s format and if you like what you heard.  Please leave a c

Published: September 19, 2017 The Archdiocese of Philadelphia signed a historic management agreement with the Faith in the Future Foundation in 2012. The contract granted oversight of 17 Catholic High Schools and four schools of Special Education.  Archbishop Chaput’s bold move engaged the laity in this first of a kind partnership that captured the attention of the entire country.  This episode visits Faith in the Future 5 years after the signing of the agreement. The podcast will offer an update on the progress, the challenges, and the road ahead.  Today’s show will offer various perspectives on this important milestone. You will hear from Bishop Michael Fitzgerald, Ed Hanway, Casey Carter and more. For more information about Faith in the Future, please visit their publications page. July 2023 Update: After 10 years of service, the management agreement between Faith in the Future and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia ended in 2023. Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses” Join