Session 50
8:30 am – 9:30 am

Michigan
Unleash the Power of your Database: Appeal Segmentation and Variable Messaging

Moderator and Speaker: Steve Schons, CFRE
Director of Stewardship
Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota

Speaker: Monica Herman
Executive Director
Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota
Winona, Minnesota

Speaker: Tom Struthers
Inspired Gifts Specialist
TurnKey Direct Marketing
Excelsior, Minnesota

Talking to your donors individually is the key to maximizing both appeal response and donor lifetime value. This session will present common segments of your database worth the effort to variable message and ask. We will cover practices that increase participation of new donors and challenge existing donors to give at higher levels. Your donors will feel appreciated and more connected to your mission. Best practices for managing the complexity of segmentation will also be given.

Mr. Steve Schons, CFRE

Steve Schons is director of stewardship and development and president of the Catholic Development Foundation for the Diocese of Fargo, positions he has held since 2009. Prior to joining the Diocese of Fargo, he worked as director of planned giving for a Fargo-based private nonprofit for 11 years. His accomplishments include surpassing annual appeal goal every year with a 40 plus percent participation rate and increasing foundation assets from $22 million to $69 million. Mr. Schons holds the CFRE credential and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Knights of Columbus at his home parish of Sts. Anne and Joachim in Fargo, North Dakota.

Ms. Monica Herman

Monica Herman currently serves as executive director of the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota in Winona, Minnesota. She previously held the position of director of stewardship/development and communication for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. Prior to her work in Winona, Minnesota she was involved in stewardship and development with Catholic foundations, schools and hospitals. She currently lives in Arcadia, Wisconsin with her husband, Alan, and their beloved French bulldog, Norman. Together they have two grown children.

Mr. Tom Struthers

Tom Struthers started Turnkey Direct Marketing in 1998 and has gone on to serve nonprofit causes exclusively for 22 years, including raising hundreds of millions of dollars through Catholic diocesan appeals. He brings a wealth of response expertise and best practices to the appeal production process.

Mr. Struthers and his wife, Kari, have been married for 31 years. They are active in marriage mentoring, seminarian formation, Eucharist ministry, and Bible study at St. Victoria Parish in Victoria, Minnesota. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas Christian University and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.

Beverage Break with Exhibitors

9:30  am – 10:00 am

Session 51
10:00 am – 11:00 am

Chicago Ballroom X 
The Spiritual and Practical Approach To Promote Stewardship as a Way of Life

Facilitator: Reverend John J. Piderit, SJ
Vicar for Administration/Moderator of the Curia
Archdiocese of San Francisco, California
Speaker: Florian Romero
Director of Stewardship
Archdiocese of San Francisco, California

Moderator: Mary Ann Otto
Pastoral Minister for Missionary Discipleship
St. Joseph and St. Mary Parishes
Appleton, Wisconsin

This session will unveil a new effort to promote stewardship in the parishes of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Built, in part, on the stewardship ministries of other dioceses, this introduction to stewardship places an emphasis on the practical formation of individuals who are new to stewardship. The goal is to form parishioners spiritually so that they gain the confidence and expertise to become the leaders in the parish who educate and form other parishioners on the spirituality of stewardship.

The Reverend John Piderit, S.J

Father John Piderit, S.J., earned a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University, taught economics for twelve years at Fordham University, was president of Loyola University Chicago from 1993 to 2001, was president of the Catholic Education Institute from 2003 to 2018, and since 2014 has served as the moderator of the curia and the vicar for administration in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The author or co-author of six books, he specializes in presenting the Catholic intellectual tradition in a way that teachers at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level and can use it to substantially improve academic results in their teaching.

At the Archdiocese of San Francisco Father Piderit is in charge of all operations in the chancery office; all the larger departments report directly to him. Included among the direct reports is the director of stewardship, Florian Romero, a co-presenter of a session. Ms. Romero and Fr. Piderit conduct formation sessions in the Archdiocese of San Francisco lasting between four and six weeks for parishes interested in pursuing stewardship. The practical booklets they have developed expand on materials developed in the Diocese of Wichita and the Archdioceses of Seattle and St. Louis.

Session 52
10:00 am – 11:00 am

Chicago Ballroom IX
Generosity Beyond Parish Walls

Speaker: Marie Ferman
Evangelization & Catechesis Specialist
USCCB, Secretariat of Evangelization & Catechesis
Washington, DC

Speaker: Nicole Germain
Assistant Director for Promotions
USCCB, Office of National Collections
Washington, DC

Moderator:Ann Marie Calka
Membership Associate
ICSC
Dearborn Heights, Michigan

“Stewardship is an expression of discipleship, with the power to change how we understand and live out our lives.” This session will explore how exercising stewardship in our parish and local communities transforms us into active participants in the Church’s missionary efforts around the world. In this session, staff from the USCCB will walk you through strategies and methods of engagement that resonate with parishioners including young adults. Come and share ways we can work collaboratively. Together, we can inspire generosity and solidarity beyond our parish walls.

Ms. Marie Ferman

Marie Ferman is an evangelization and catechesis specialist at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Previously, she worked in a Catholic church in Silver Spring, Maryland as the coordinator of faith formation and director of youth ministry. She earned a master’s degree in systematic and moral theology from Christendom College’s Graduate School of Theology and her bachelor’s degree in theology from Catholic University of America.

Ms. Nicole Germain

Nicole Germain is the assistant director for promotions in the Office of National Collections at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Previously, she founded MJG Communications, a public affairs and marketing company in Baltimore, Maryland. Ms. Germain has more than 20 years experience in marketing and communication. She has held leadership positions in public affairs and marketing at the Ethics Resource Center and Catholic Relief Services. She earned a master’s degree in public communication from American University in Washington, DC.

Session 53
10:00 am – 11:00 am

Chicago Ballroom VIII
Stepping into Stewardship One Disciple at a Time

Speaker: Schuyler Kleinpeter
Stewardship and Advancement Director
St. Pius X Catholic Church
Lafayette, Louisiana

Moderator: Teresa Keogh
Advisor for Stewardship
Archdiocese of Southwark
United Kingdom

Catechizing before evangelizing doesn’t always produce the fruits needed to sustain a parish’s longevity or the spiritual development of its people. So how could one expect stewardship before evangelization to produce an abundance of fruits as well? This session will outline the one-year journey taken by clergy and staff of St. Pius X Catholic Church to design what the path would look like for a parishioner to be transformed into a disciple with a stewardship response. Participants will have access to print-ready materials that can be personalized and distributed in their own parishes.

Ms. Schuyler Kleinpeter

Since 1996, Schuyler Kleinpeter has worked for local and national organizations in a wide range of nonprofit departments and sectors including healthcare, human services, advocacy and the arts. Currently, she is the stewardship and advancement director for St. Pius X Church in Lafayette, Louisiana, where she leads the development and communications efforts in support of over 3,000 families, 50 ministries and a recent $19 million expansion. Other Catholic affiliations include working for both a program and corporate affiliate of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, as well as the Diocese of Lafayette and Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in a volunteer or temporary capacity. With the majority of her experience in nonprofit development, including a $1 million matching gift from Louisiana Economic Development for innovative healthcare investments, she also has a deep knowledge of philanthropic partnerships, communications, volunteer engagement and nonprofit programming. She is a past award winner of ICSC’s parish stewardship renewal efforts where she received an honorable mention, and is currently a committee member for ICSC. Previously, she served in that same capacity for both the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Planned Giving Association in Baton Rouge. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Session 54
10:00 am – 11:00 am

Sheraton Ballroom III
eGiving Is Good Stewardship!

Speaker: Mike Walsh
Vice President, Sales
Faith Direct
Alexandria, Virginia

Moderator: Krysten McGee
Associate Director
Diocese of Joliet, Illinois

eGiving can be a prayerful and planned means for parishioners to provide stewardship of treasure to their parish. Join us to learn how to engage parishioners with the best practices to foster eGiving at your parish!

Mr. Mike Walsh

Mike Walsh has over 25 years of successful sales and marketing experience in both the corporate and nonprofit worlds. Since 2005, he has been responsible for new business development at Faith Direct. He oversees all direct sales personnel and initiatives as well as positioning for the company in the competitive marketplace. During this time, Faith Direct has experienced a growth level with new clients that will yield over one billion dollars in monies raised in 2017. He is a frequent speaker and presenter at industry conferences. Mr. Walsh is a 1989 graduate of the University of Maryland. He and his wife, Leslie, reside in Charlotte, North Carolina, with their four children. For the past 15 years, they have been active at St. Gabriel Catholic Church.

Session 55
10:00 am – 11:00 am

Ontario
Mejores Prácticas en la Promoción de la Corresponsabilidad Parroquial/Best Practices in Promoting Parish Stewardship

Speaker: Miguel Mireles
Director de Campaña Parroquial
Arquidiócesis de Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Speaker: Myrtha Diaz Medina
Moderadora del Consejo Pastoral Parroquial
Parroquia Espíritu Santo
Toa Baja, Puerto Rico

Cada comunidad parroquial tiene su propia identidad única y está viajando en su propio viaje espiritual. La introducción de la corresponsabilidad a una parroquia debe tener en cuenta esta identidad y reconocer este viaje. Esta será una presentación y discusión sobre cómo presentar la corresponsabilidad a una comunidad parroquial diversa. También explorará cómo superar las barreras en la parroquia y crear una atmósfera de utilización y gestión de todos los recursos que Dios proporciona para la gloria de Dios y la mejora de su creación.

Every parish community has its own unique identity and is traveling on its own spiritual journey. Introducing stewardship to a parish must take into account this identity and recognize this joourney. This will be a presentation and discussion on how to introduce stewardship to a diverse parish community. It will also explore how to overcome barriers in the parish and build an atmosphere of utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God and the betterment of his creation.

Mr. Miguel Mireles
Miguel Mireles is the associate development director for the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Working over the past two years to complete the first ever capital campaign for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, $89 million was raised from an $80 million goal.

Mr. Mireles began his career in nonprofit work as a paternal involvement assistant with the Texas State Region 16 Education Service Center in Amarillo, Texas; helping serve the Hispanic communities and fathers to be influential in their children’s lives.

He then began a 15-year career with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). First in Amarillo, Texas and then in Louisville, Kentucky where he engaged in membership recruitment, volunteer development, programming, and fundraising. Within the BSA, he also advised the Catholic Committee on Scouting for the Archdiocese of Louisville which is one of a few nationally recognized Catholic dioceses for its efforts in incorporating scouting into its youth ministries and faith formation.

Mr. Mireles is originally from Amarillo, Texas and is married to Cyndi. He attended Amarillo College, and West Texas A&M University.

Session 56
10:00 am – 11:00 am

Superior
Catholic Stewardship in a Digital World

Speaker: Nic Prenger
Chief Executive Officer
Prenger Solutions Group
Omaha, Nebraska

Moderator: : Karin Hurley
Director of Stewardship and Development
Diocese of Salt Lake City, Utah

Since 2009, participation in diocesan appeals has dropped 20 percent. Annual appeals are raising more money each year from a shrinking pool of donors. Meanwhile, we are seeing explosive growth in online giving. From 2016 to 2017 mobile giving increased 205 percent. And research shows that dioceses who promote online giving raise more money than those who do not. How can you prepare your parish, school and diocese for this new, digital world? This session will help you find out.

Mr. Nic Prenger

Nic Prenger founded Prenger Solutions Group in 2018 to help Catholic parishes, schools and dioceses adapt and thrive in the new world of digital fundraising.

Having spent the previous 12 years leading one of the largest Catholic fundraising firms in the nation, Nic has seen first-hand how quickly donor habits are changing as the world moves online. Tried-and-true fundraising strategies are becoming less effective, while new, digital tools allow dioceses to find and connect with donors in ways that were previously unimaginable.

Mr. Prenger was the principle researcher and author of the 2018 Diocesan Benchmarking Report which showed that participation in diocesan annual appeals has

declined 20 percent since 2009. He has raised more than $300 million for Catholic organizations and served as trusted counsel to many of the country’s premier Catholic development programs.

A native of Carroll, Iowa, Mr. Prenger is a graduate of Creighton University in Omaha and the University of Iowa Law School. A former board member for the Magis Catholic Teacher Corps, he served on the National Catholic Educational Association’s national advisory council for leadership development. He also serves on the stewardship committee for Christ the King Parish in Omaha, where he belongs along with his wife, Holly, and their three children.

Mr. Prenger’s leadership experience includes working for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Session 57
10:00 am – 11:00 am

Erie
Master Class: Advanced Major Gift Fundraising – Part I

Speaker: Guy Mallabone, CFRE
Chair
Canada Advances Philanthropy
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Moderator: Peter de Keratry
Director of Stewardship and Development
Archdiocese of Oklahoma, Oklahoma

Are you ready to level-up as a mission advancement officer? Have your reached a plateau in your major gift program? Are you frustrated by your cultivations and solicitations not bearing fruit? This three-session Master Class is for experienced foundation or diocesan advancement officers. As you navigate the intricacies of moves management and the dynamics of relational, donor–centered techniques, this Master Class will help you get where you need to go in major gift fundraising.

Mr. Guy Mallabone, CFRE

Guy Mallabone is president and chief executive officer of Global Philanthropic Canada. He has served as vice president of external relations for SAIT Polytechnic and chief development officer for the University of Alberta, as well as senior fundraising positions at the Canadian Red Cross. Since 1980 he has successfully led numerous fundraising campaigns, including the $190 million It Makes Sense campaign at the University of Alberta, the $85 million Invest in Technology Campaign, and the $75 million Promising Futures Campaign.

Mr. Mallabone has taught fundraising management at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton, is currently an adjunct professor for the master in fundraising program at the University of Bologna, Italy, and is the current vice-chair of the Government of Alberta Charitable Advisory Committee. He has delivered keynote addresses and conducted workshops at numerous international conferences in Canada, the United States, Europe, South Africa, and Australasia.

Mr. Mallabone serves on a number of boards and committees including the Carleton University Advisory Committee on Masters of Philanthropy and Non-Profi t Leadership. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Calgary and a master’s degree in philanthropy and development from Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota. He obtained his Certifi ed Fund Raising Executive credential in 1995. Among his numerous publications are his best-selling book, Excellence in Fundraising in Canada, and the professional assessment book The Fund Development Audit.

Session 58
10:00 am – 11:00 am

Huron
How to Create an Investment Policy Statement for Screening

Facilitator: Samuel Saladino
Managing Director
IWP Capital, LLC
Arlington, Texas

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

This session will walk attendees through a step-by-step guide on how to create an investment policy statement that includes Catholic values investment screening. The session will include key questions you should ask finance committee members and it will also explain why Catholic values investing is important to the overall financial and spiritual health of your organization.

Mr. Samuel Saladino

Sam Saladino has over 20 years of investment management experience and is focused on socially responsible investing. He is the CEO of Trinity Fiduciary Partners, LLC, and managing director and founder of IWP Capital, LLC. Prior to forming Trinity in 2005, he was a financial adviser with Ameriprise Financial Planning from 1995 to 2004. His goal of merging values with investment analysis led to the creation of the FFV Scorecard ®, which is a screening tool used by the Epiphany FFV Funds and other institutional clients. He also serves as portfolio manager for the Eventide Limited Term Bond Fund.
A native of Texas, Mr. Saladino earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Baylor University. He has been a leader with Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts for over five years and volunteers with the hospitality ministry at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church. He is the finance committee chair for Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth and serves on the audit committee for the Diocese of Fort Worth. He and his wife, Cara, are members of Legatus, Fort Worth Chapter, and he serves on the board of the chapter. He loves hunting and fishing.