All posts by Susie Boone

Session 38 | 3:30 pm | Designing Catholic Funding Strategy for Sustained Impact

Location: Hanover D

Competition for resources is intense. Donors are looking not simply to support problems, but invest in solutions that have sustained impact. The keys are to design arguments for funding that can be tied to clear program measures of outcomes and to do so in sustained ways. A compelling case for support can only come after the design of a funding strategy that is tied to organizational performance. This session will offer examples of successful approaches.

Speaker: Dr. Susan U. Raymond
Executive Vice President
Changing Our World
New York, New York

Moderator: Debra Leaverton
Director, Parish Stewardship Education and Pastoral Services Appeal
Orange Catholic Foundation
Garden Grove, California

 


Susan Raymond is executive vice president at Changing Our World. She is responsible for designing and conducting research for both nonprofits and foundations as well as developing business plans and program evaluations for new and existing institutions. Dr. Raymond has extensive experience in research, analysis and planning. Prior to joining Changing Our World in 1999, she held positions with the New York Academy of Sciences, The World Bank, Center for Public Resources, and U.S. Agency for International Development. In February 2011, Women United in Philanthropy honored Dr. Raymond with the Women in Excellence and Achievement Award. In September 2014, she received the John and Patty Noel Humanitarian Award for her work in global health and development in Africa. She is a regular speaker on the future role of philanthropy and has published four books and many professional articles on the changing philanthropic landscape globally. Dr. Raymond earned her bachelor’s degree Phi Beta Kappa at the University School of Advanced International Studies in a joint program with the School of Hygiene and Public Health.

Session 39 | 3:30 pm | Practical Foundation Strategies for Working Effectively with Parishes

Location: Hanover C

How do development directors and pastors work together to ensure the missions and goals of their endowments support and promote stewardship in individual parishes? This session is a blueprint for developing that unique, symbiotic relationship.

Speaker: Joseph Citro
Senior Vice President
Greater Mission
Columbia, Maryland

Moderator: Josh Diedrich
Assistant Director
Catholic Foundation
Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin


Joseph Citro, senior vice president of Greater Mission, has served the Catholic Church for almost 30 years directing diocesan stewardship and development offices, Catholic foundations in the Dioceses of St. Petersburg and Venice, and Catholic Charities agencies. In the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Mr. Citro served as the first foundation director building its structure, board, strategies for fund development and outreach to the parishes. During his tenure as executive director of the Catholic Community Foundation in Venice, Mr. Citro was able to quintuple the amount of funds under management and secure an additional $10 million dollars in expectations. Most of Mr. Citro’s foundation work was centered on parishes and he developed a unique educational effort for parishes that generate a significant number of high worth gifts. Mr. Citro is a former lecturer in Catholic University’s graduate school of social service and has frequently presented at annual ICSC conferences, in both English and Spanish language sessions. He has spoken internationally at conferences in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Grenada and Guatemala.

Session 40 | 3:30 pm | Practical Ideas to Ensure Parish Giving Success

Location: Hanover FG

Are you experiencing an overabundance of giving at your parish? If not, this session may be helpful as we discuss practical ideas focused on strategically increasing giving at your church. Whether the need is to increase weekly offertory or annual appeals, these tips can be applied to enhance discipleship and generosity.

Speaker: Jeff Bachelor
Diocesan Account Manager
ParishSOFT
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Moderator: Linda Maccarone
Stewardship Coordinator
St. Mary Catholic Church
Royal Oak, Michigan


Mr. Jeff Bachelor has been with ParishSOFT for over four years. As a diocesan account manager, he consults with dioceses to streamline operations, increase efficiencies, and reduce risk. This includes: strategic stakeholder discussions, process reengineering consultation and implementation, parish fulfillment and product support. Prior to working at ParishSOFT, for over seven years, Mr. Bachelor was part of a team of youth ministers that created, planned, promoted, and executed weekly catechetical nights along with multiple weekend retreats specifically designed for today’s youth. He has served the mission fields in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Canada as well as the inner city of Detroit. He has spent a semester abroad in France and Europe and is a current graduate student at the University of Michigan. He and his wife, Emily, are active members of Christ the King Catholic Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Session 21 | 2:00 pm | Hospitality: The First Principle of Parish Stewardship

Location: Regency VII

How do you move parishioners from a “what do I get” to a “what do I give” way of thinking? What drives commitment to a parish? How do you engage parish members to embrace stewardship as a way of life? This presentation focuses on the essential building block of stewardship: hospitality. Learn ways to create a welcoming environment that drives people back to your parish and not away from it.

Speaker: Reverend John Bonavitacola
Pastor
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish
Tempe, Arizona

Speaker: Deacon James Brett
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish
Tempe, Arizona

Moderator: Audrey Ronnfeldt
Stewardship Coordinator
Diocese of Wichita, Kansas


Father John Bonavitacola was ordained a priest in 1988 and has been pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Tempe, Arizona, for 14 years. Previously, he served 12 years as director of chaplaincy services for the Philadelphia prison system. He successfully introduced stewardship as a way of life to the community in Tempe including offering parishioners the opportunity to become a “stewardship household,” in which the practice of stewardship offers them parish and school services at no cost. Stewardship successes at the parish include the annual “People Raiser” Ministry Fair; and yearly videos that promote stewardship. Trained as a substance abuse counselor, Father Bonavitacola has worked with the Twelve Step community for 25 years and has given 12 Step retreats all over the world. He is the executive director of the FullCircle program for young people and their families struggling with substance abuse and related disorders.

Deacon James Brett is the director of finance and stewardship for Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Tempe, Arizona where he has been assigned as a deacon for 17 years. As a deacon for over 20 years, he has been active in many liturgical ministries along with involvement in the RCIA process. He has been active in implementing all phases of stewardship at the parish for 10 years. Deacon Brett has been a presenter of workshops at the regional and diocesan level over the course of the last five years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from Arizona State University where he also taught financial and managerial accounting from 2002 to 2010. Prior to working at the parish he worked for a chemical manufacturing company first as a cost accountant before being promoted to controller from 1987 to 2000. Deacon Brett is married, has two children and nine grandchildren.

 

Session 7 | 8:30 am | Diocesan Stewardship and Development Team: How to Maximize its Effectiveness

Location: Hanover AB

Handouts:

Diocesan Stewardship and Development Team: How to Maximize Its Effectiveness

Team Effectiveness

Mission and Value Statements

White Board Example

Update on the Services Provided by the Office of Development

Development Office Structure

Development Office Strengths

This session will focus on diocesan team effectiveness from the experiences of the three seasoned diocesan panelists. The session is perfect for new diocesan staff members (1-3 years) and panelists will share what has worked well for them as they strive to balance the teaching of the spirituality of stewardship with the work of development in their respective dioceses.

Speaker: Patrick Grace
Executive Director
Catholic Community Foundation
Cleveland, Ohio

Speaker: Jim Kelley
Director of Development
Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina

Speaker: Renee Underwood
Associate Director of the Advancement
Foundation
Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas

Moderator: Marta Sweeney
Director of Donor Relations, Annual Giving
The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida, Inc.
Orlando, Florida


Patrick Grace is the executive director of Catholic Community Foundation (CCF) in Cleveland, Ohio, a position he has held since 2007. His current responsibilities include oversight, direction and management of all diocesan advancement and stewardship initiatives for the Diocese of Cleveland. In addition to raising nearly $21 million annually via annual appeals, major and special gift efforts, CCF manages a $123 million investment portfolio and its related distribution processes on behalf of the diocese and its 187 parishes. Before joining the diocese in 1995, Mr. Grace worked for Community Counselling Service, a national fundraising and public relations consultant firm. In addition to his work with the diocese, Mr. Grace is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the ICSC board of directors. He is a past president of Marquette University’s Northeast Ohio alumni association and is a member of the St. Luke Parish Finance Council in Lakewood, Ohio, where he, his wife and three children are members.

Jim Kelley is the director of development for the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina. He is responsible for managing the office which operates the Diocesan Support Appeal; assists parishes with stewardship efforts and capital campaigns; assists Catholic school development efforts; directs development efforts for Catholic Charities and Campus Ministry; operates annual appeals for priests’ retirement, seminarians and the Eucharistic Congress; directs the planned giving and leadership gifts programs; and writes grants. Mr. Kelley is also the executive director of the Foundation of the Diocese of Charlotte. He is the author of Stewardship Manual: A Guide for Individuals and Parishes Developing Stewardship as a Way of Life and the book Sustaining and Strengthening Stewardship. He is the co-author and co-editor of Stewardship: Disciples Respond – A Practical Guide for Pastoral Leaders and The Children’s Stewardship Manual, both publications of ICSC. He was a member of the committee that organized and produced the newest ICSC publication Keeping Stewardship Alive: Proven Stewardship Ideas. He served on the ICSC board of directors from 1994 to 2000 and was vice president of the board from 1997 to 2000. He was appointed to the ICSC board again in November 2006 and was elected president in May 2007, serving until May 2011. Mr. Kelley was a member of the ICSC stewardship education committee from 1994 to 2006 and served two terms as chairperson of the committee. He chaired the ICSC planned giving/foundation advisory team from 2002 to 2007. Mr. Kelley has been a regular speaker at ICSC conferences, the ICSC institutes and at over 125 diocesan stewardship days in North America and overseas. He was the 2000 recipient of the Bishop Connare Award from ICSC. He co-chaired the 2007 ICSC Miami conference planning committee. Mr. Kelley has significant board experience having chaired 27 nonprofit boards over the last 20 years. He is a Knight of Malta and holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University.

Renée Underwood has served in stewardship, development and Catholic foundation management roles for dioceses since 2009. She currently has responsibility for annual and planned giving for the Diocese of Fort Worth as associate director of its Advancement Foundation. A current board member of ICSC representing Region X, she has extensive experience in leading high performing teams. Prior to her nonprofit career, she served in advertising, marketing and executive management roles. Ms. Underwood holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University, an MBA from The University of Texas at Dallas and has completed additional graduate studies toward a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University New Orleans. Ms. Underwood is a widow, a mother and grandmother. She is a spiritual director, a Lady of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and a Lay Dominican.

 

Session 4 | 8:30 am | Moving Beyond Sunday: Engaging and Connecting Your Parishioners with the Parish Mission

Location: International South

Telling your story is key to engaging and connecting your parishioners with your parish mission. Connecting your parishioners begins with engaging them in the life of the parish beyond Sunday Mass so they increase their gifts of time, talent, and treasure. Join us to learn how to brand your mission driven message, improve communications, increase your digital outreach, grow your offertory, increase the number of volunteers in ministries, and foster an engaging parish community.

Speaker: Katie Herzing
Digital Product Sales Associate Lead
Our Sunday Visitor
Huntington, Indiana

Speaker: Joanie Lewis
Appeals and Campaigns Account Executive
Our Sunday Visitor
Huntington, Indiana


Katie Herzing’s current role at Our Sunday Visitor is parish coach for parishes throughout the United States as they seek to establish a plan for advancing the mission of their parish.As a member of a digital generation, Ms. Herzing brings her experience of youth ministry, religious education, parish office management, and a personal love of Jesus and technology to parishes throughout the country. She spends her time talking with parishes about how they will share the gospel in the 21st century to create missionary disciples of stewardship. She focuses on helping parishes create a print and digital communication strategy to celebrate their mission, stabilize their offertory, and share their story

Session 5 | 8:30 am | La Espiritualidad de la Corresponsabilidad / The Spirituality of Stewardship

Location: Learning Center

Esperamos que la espiritualidad de la corresponsabilidad abra nuestros corazones y mentes a cómo Dios nos está llamando a vivir nuestra vida cotidiana. Empezando con el antiguo testamento y siguiendo en todo el nuevo testamento veremos que somos llamados y enseñados por nuestro Gran Maestro y también los requerimientos de ser un discípulo y mucho más. La corresponsabilidad es nuestra vocación vivida en gratitud por todas las bendiciones otorgadas por nuestro Dios generoso

We expect the spirituality of stewardship to open our hearts and minds to how God is calling us to live our daily lives. Beginning with the Old Testament and following throughout the New Testament we will see that we are called and taught by our Grand Master, the requirements of being a disciple and much more. Stewardship is our vocation lived in gratitude for all the blessings bestowed by our generous God.

Speaker: Coni Perez
Stewardship Consultant
ICSC
Houston, Texas

Moderator: Myrtha Diaz-Medina
Moderadora, Consejo Pastoral Passoquial Parroquia
Espiritu Santo
Toa Baja, Puerto Rico


Coni Perez, a long-term parishioner at St. Luke the Evangelist and former director of stewardship, actively worked in the parish helping to maintain stewardship awareness. During her years at St Luke, she has participated in many parish ministries and is always inviting others to become involved. St. Luke the Evangelist was honored in 2004 as the winner of the ICSC Archbishop Thomas J Murphy Award for its long-term commitment to stewardship as a way of life. After a career with General Motors, Coni has worked as a training and quality consultant in customer service skills with companies across the nation. Currently, she works with parishes and dioceses to establish or enhance their stewardship programs and speaks at stewardship conferences and webinars. She has served on the customer advisory panel on stewardship for Our Sunday Visitor, the stewardship networking group in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and on both the parish stewardship and education services and conference planning committees for ICSC.

Session 6 | 8:30 am | Maximizing the Annual Fund: Advanced Strategies that Work

Location: Hanover E

Handout:

Annual Fund

Looking for fresh strategies to take your school’s annual fund to a higher level? This session will provide you with emerging trends and innovative strategies including segmentation techniques, and a few old methods that have been repackaged in powerful ways. From increasing your donor base to getting more from loyal supporters, this session is a must for the strategic, bottom-line-oriented annual giving team looking to grow their annual fund.

Speaker: Larry Furey
Partner
Partners in Mission
School Leadership Search Solutions
Westwood, Massachusetts

Moderator: Mary Campo
Director of Development
Saint John Neumann Catholic High School
Naples, Florida


Larry Furey brings senior level management experience and over 25 years of development knowledge to Partners in Mission. He is currently providing comprehensive advancement services to Catholic schools, dioceses and religious organizations throughout the United States. He serves as assistant headmaster for advancement at Xaverian Brothers High School, a Catholic all-boys college preparatory school located in Westwood, Massachusetts, where he is leading his second capital campaign for $25 million. It was under Mr. Furey’s leadership that the school successfully increased its annual giving program from $120,000 to over $1,300,000 in eight years. Prior to his responsibilities at Xaverian, he served as vice president of advancement at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston. Mr. Furey began his career in advancement in 1990 when he left public accounting to become the first director of development at his alma mater, Marian High School in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, New York, and is both a Certified Fund Raising Executive and a CPA. He is the treasurer and board member of the Association of Catholic Admission and Advancement Officers of New England. Mr. Furey and his family reside in Westwood, Massachusetts.

Session 8 | 8:30 am | Diocesan Support for Parishes

Location: Hanover D

Competing priorities of the annual appeal, seminarian education costs, and diocesan office necessities, all lead to the support of parishes being shuffled to the bottom of the priority list. This session will share ideas on how the diocesan stewardship and development office can create systems to effectively help parishes become more successful.

Speaker: Peter de Keratry
Executive Director of Stewardship and Development
Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Moderator: Kim Richard
Director of Development and Stewardship
Diocese of Amarillo, Texas


Peter de Keratry serves as executive director of stewardship and development in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He oversees all areas of stewardship and development in the archdiocese including parish stewardship promotion, annual appeals for seminarian education, Catholic schools, communications and general archdiocesan ministries. Beginning in 2017, he began management of the first comprehensive capital fundraising campaign for the archdiocese. After growing up in a Mexican-American family in Amarillo, Texas, Mr. de Keratry graduated from Texas A&M University in speech communication. He holds a master’s degree in philanthropy and development from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive. He is a member of the Order of Malta. Mr. de Keratry, his wife Colleen and their four children live in Oklahoma City and are members of Saint Eugene Parish. Mr. de Keratry comes to Oklahoma from his previous position as campaign manager of To Teach Who Christ Is, a $350 million campaign for the Archdiocese of Chicago. He has worked in diocesan, parish, school, and university ministry settings across the United States and served as director of resource development in the Archdiocese of Brisbane, Australia.

Session 9 | 8:30 am | One Year Later – Lessons Learned

Location: Hanover C

The speakers will discuss the motivation and challenges of starting a Catholic foundation. Their discussions will include foundation governance including the role of the bishop and the board of trustees, as well as interaction with the diocese, and fostering relationships with pastors and donors. The panel will discuss examples of documents and policies based on their proposed governance structure. Early experiences, stumbling blocks, opportunities and strategies will also be discussed.

Speaker: Angela Moloney
President and CEO
Catholic Foundation of Michigan
Detroit, Michigan

Speaker: Gary Rectenwald
Executive Director
Catholic Community Foundation
San Diego, California

Moderator: Thomas Scholler
Associate Director, Development and Stewardship
Archdiocese of Detroit, Michigan


Ms. Angela Moloney – As a long-time leader in the Catholic nonprofit community, Angela Moloney is grateful to fulfill a passion for philanthropy work as founding president and CEO of the Catholic Foundation of Michigan, a position she’s held since May 2017. She has served Catholic organizations for nearly 20 years. Most recently she served as domestic director at Jesuit Volunteer Corps, a Catholic organization connecting young volunteers with opportunities to serve marginalized communities. Her work included cultivating major gifts, leading regional development and fundraising efforts, and acquiring grants to support the program. Ms. Moloney obtained a master’s degree in theology from Washington Theological Union and completed a management executive certificate program from Georgetown University in nonprofit management. She graduated from Madonna University in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in pastoral studies and counseling. Currently she is studying at The American College of Financial Services. A volunteer at heart, Ms. Moloney has served her community as president of the board of trustees of the Ypsilanti District Library, through lay ministry at her parish, and as a volunteer at Detroit organizations including the Capuchin Soup Kitchen and The Greening of Detroit. Ms. Moloney and her family are members of St. Mary’s Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Gary Rectenwald  was selected as executive director of the Catholic Community Foundation of San Diego in 2016, following a successful 30-year career as an executive with information technology companies such as IBM, AT&T and Computerland. Prior to joining IBM in 1978, Mr. Rectenwald graduated summa cum laude and earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science from The Ohio State University. He went on to earn a master’s degree in computer and information science and an MBA in marketing and finance from Ohio State. Mr. Rectenwald has served All Hallows Catholic Church for more than 25 years, training and scheduling liturgical ministers and chairing the stewardship committee in 1998. He hosted a family of eight Kosovo refugees in his home for 15 years, attended an audience with Pope Francis in 2013 and received a personal visit from former President Clinton in recognition of his efforts. He has served on several boards including the San Diego Bowl Game Association, Lead San Diego, San Diego State University, San Diego Unified School District and the Mayor’s “City of the Future” task force.