Category Archives: ICSC

International Catholic Stewardship Council – Conference

Session 1 | 9:00 am | Stewardship: A Life-Giving Spirituality

ICSC Mon AM 19

Session 1
9:00 am – 10:00 am

Chicago Ballroom X
Stewardship:  A Life-Giving Spirituality

Speaker: Reverend Joe Creedon
Pastor Emeritus
Christ the King Catholic Church
Kingston, Rhode Island

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

Stewardship is as old as the Bible and as new as Pope Francis’ vision for the church we love! Stewardship is neither a program nor a euphemism for putting more money in the collection basket. Authentic stewardship is a spirituality geared to the life and ministry of all the baptized. This session will explore the biblical roots of stewardship, the basics of the United States bishops’ pastoral letter, “Stewardship: A Disciples Response,” and how the sacraments both nourish and form our lives as faithful stewards of all God’s wonderful gifts.

The Reverend Joseph D. Creedon

Father Joe Creedon is pastor emeritus of Christ the King Parish in Kingston, Rhode Island where he served for 31 years. He studied theology at the University of Louvain in Belgium. Father Creedon was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law Degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1991. He was a Fellow of Psychiatry and Religion at the Menninger Clinic in 1980 when the clinic was still located in Topeka, Kansas.

Author of 14 Advent and Lenten daily meditations booklets, Father Creedon has recently published his first book, Stewardship: A Life-Giving Spirituality. In retirement, he has been a sought after speaker on the spirituality of stewardship. He has spoken to the priests of the Archdiocese of Southwark in London, the Diocese of Trenton in New Jersey and most recently to the priests of the Archdiocese of Toronto. In his very active retirement, Father Creedon enjoys giving parish missions and stewardship workshops.

In his 51 years of priestly ministry, Father Creedon has served the Diocese of Providence as an assistant pastor, high school teacher, campus minister and pastor. He also served two terms on the ICSC board of directors.

Session 20 | 10:30 am | Benefits of a Capital Campaign, Beyond the Dollars Raised

ICSC Mon AM 19

Session 20
10:30 am – 11:30 am

Michigan
Benefits of a Capital Campaign, Beyond the Dollars Raised

Speaker: Matt Vuorela
President
Steier Group
Omaha, Nebraska

Moderator: Shannan Brommer
Director of Stewardship and Development
Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska

The final tally on your campaign thermometer is an important benchmark of any capital campaign. But why stop there? Campaigns can serve as the springboard to bolster every area of your stewardship and development program. Learn how campaigns can fuel your planned giving, annual fund and digital giving platforms.

Mr. Matt Vuorela

Matt Vuorela is president of the Steier Group. His passion for helping the Church started at an early age due to the influence of his grandfather, Bob Matt, who was a national advocate for church development and investment in Catholic education. In the late 1970’s, Matt’s grandfather presented to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops a need for a stronger focus on development at the diocesan level. Driven by his grandfather’s example, Mr. Vuorela has spent the last decade at the Steier Group working with Catholic parishes, schools and dioceses.

Mr. Vuorela was a marketing major at Creighton University. He and his wife, Liz, have three young children. The Vuorela family attends St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Omaha, Nebraska, where Mr. Vuorela coaches youth soccer and is a member of the Knights of Columbus. He enjoys golfing, playing board games with his kids, and talking about his painful experience as a contestant on Wheel of Fortune.

Session 19 | 10:30 am | Strategies for Increasing Your Enrollment

ICSC Mon AM 19

Session 19
10:30 am – 11:30 am

Sheraton Ballroom II
Strategies for Increasing Your Enrollment

Speaker: James S. Friend, Jr.
Senior Managing Director
Changing Our World
Green Bay, Wisconsin

Speaker:  Tom Farrell
Senior Managing Director
Changing Our World
New York, New York

Moderator: Debbie Benz
Associate Director
Office of Development and Stewardship
Diocese of Peoria, Illinois

Join us for a presentation on enrollment strategies that have produced results for Catholic schools in dioceses around the country from different socioeconomic areas. Hear how schools have increased their enrollment using a creative Tuition Transfer Grant Program, a tiered registration fee structure, strategic use of financial aid, new strategic messaging and many other simple but key tactics. We will also include at least 20 tactical ideas to engage your volunteer student recruitment team.

Mr. James S. Friend, Jr.

For 25 years, Jim Friend has provided service to Catholic organizations through philanthropy and ministry. He began his career in parish ministry at St. Thomas of Villanova Parish in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. After running his first successful parish capital campaign, he consulted for the Diocese of Camden where he oversaw a two-year diocesan stewardship initiative that was recognized by the International Catholic Stewardship Council. Over the next couple of years, he conducted capital campaigns for numerous parishes around the Mid-Atlantic region.

In 2014, Mr. Friend was recruited by the Faith in the Future Foundation as its first chief development officer, and he provided oversight for all fundraising for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s 17 high schools and four schools of special education. By setting new standards, he led the high school system to nearly double its fundraising results over four years.

Mr. Friend is currently an Aspirant in the Diaconate formation program in the Diocese of Allentown, and remains active in his parish. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from West Chester University and earned a master’s degree in English and publishing from Rosemont College. He and his wife, Kristin, and their three children live in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania.

Tom Farrell

Over the past four decades, Tom’s work has focused primarily in the area of Catholic philanthropy. Since 1985, Tom has directed approximately 1,000 parish fundraising initiatives and three dozen major diocesan development programs. These endeavors have taken place in a combined 100 arch/dioceses across 35 states.

Prior to joining Changing Our World in 2010, Tom was the founder and CEO of Trinity Fund Raising Consultants. Established in 2001, Trinity quickly became a national leader in Catholic fundraising, with an emphasis to deliver guidance to Catholic parishes. From 1985 to 2001 Tom worked for the Martin J. Moran Company, a leading Catholic fundraising firm, where he reached the level of president.

Since joining Changing Our World, Tom has consulted with arch/dioceses including the Archdioceses of Hartford, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York and St. Louis, and the Dioceses of Albany, Alexandria, Brooklyn, Camden, Dallas, Portland, Syracuse and Trenton. He has raised more than $1 billion for the Catholic Church.

Tom serves on the advance committee of Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire. He is a graduate of Franklin Pierce and lives in Smithtown, New York with his wife and sons.

Session 51 | 10:00 am | The Spiritual and Practical Approach To Promote Stewardship as a Way of Life

ICSC Tue AM 19

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.

S – W | Strategic Partners and Exhibitors

ICSC Exhibitors

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

M.A. Philanthropy and Development Program
2500 Park Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612.728.5137
www.smumn.edu

Booth: 126

Cheryl Pray, Executive Director

The philanthropy and development program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota remains one of the most unique and innovative master’s programs in the country. The program is designed for experienced philanthropy professionals, who shaped by their ethical values, embrace the opportunity to become agents of change. Coursework will prepare the student for a senior leadership position in any nonprofit organization. The curriculum focuses on the transformational role a philanthropy professional plays in today’s society by utilizing innovative and ethical fundraising strategies.

SecureGive

420 Fury’s Ferry Road
Augusta, GA 30907
706.228.3210
www.securegive.com

Booth: 213

David Barnett, Chief Operating Officer
Brian Brooker, Giving Consultant

SecureGive is a digital giving software that has been serving churches all over the United States for 14 years through online, mobile, text to give and kiosk platforms. All plans include implementation and success coaching for the lifetime of the relationship. Robust reporting abilities and more than a dozen API’s with church management software make things easy for administrators. Donors enjoy a single login process no matter the giving platform with the ability to give to multiple categories in one card transaction. SecureGive offers check scanning with bank deposit and offline cash donations. SecureGive proudly
serves The Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta, St. Paul Catholic Center in Indianapolis, St. Francis of Assisi in Castle Rock, and many more thriving parishes across the country. SecureGive works closely with Catholic Stewardship Consultants to maximize the outcome of the software in your parish.

SHARPE newkirk

855 Ridge Lake Boulevard, Suite 300
Memphis, TN 38120
901.680.530
www.sharpenet.com

Booth: 226

Joseph Chickey, Managing Consultant
Laura Knitt, Senior Consultant

Since 1963, Sharpe Group has helped nonprofit organizations build and structure their planned giving programs with consulting services, training and a variety of communication materials designed to inform and motivate donors about smart gift planning opportunities.

BRONZE LEVEL STRATEGIC PARTNER

Steier Group

10844 Old Mill Road
Omaha, NE 68154
402.391.3244
www.steiergroup.com

Booth: 209

Dan Howard, Executive Vice President
Sean McMahon, President of Client Services
Matt Vuorela, President

The Steier Group is a national, Catholic, full-service, stewardship-driven fundraising and development firm. We partner with Catholic parishes, schools and dioceses to conduct campaign planning (feasibility) studies and manage successful campaigns. The firm is known for a personalized and flexible approach. We don’t just tell you what to do; we roll up our sleeves, become a part of your faith community and get the job done together. Because of our emphasis on stewardship, our clients consistently see increases in offertory giving and annual fund support following a Steier Group-led capital campaign. Beyond raising dollars for your campaign, we place a significant focus on planned giving, updating your database, wealth screening, exploring foundation support, customizing appeal strategies, digital giving, maximizing pledge redemption and strong, transparent communications.

Stewardship Technology

201 W High Street, Suite B
Mount Vernon, OH 43050
740.326.2627
www.stewardshiptechnology.com

Booth: 125

Chris Marchette, Mission Advocate
Trey Swallow, Director of Sales

Stewardship Technology provides custom technology solutions that fund and fulfill the missions of faith communities. Stewardship’s seamless, easy-to-use processing platforms support the philanthropic needs of today’s fundraising landscape. With more than 15,000 members and nearly two decades of delivering smart, easily-integrated solutions, Stewardship has a proven track record and a mission to serve our members.

Our Electronic Giving Solutions (EGS) platform provides you with flexible options, tailored to the needs of your faith community. With easy onboarding, custom donor forms, mobile giving app, text-to-give, event registration, social media integration, customized reporting, and more, EGS is the perfect solution for your electronic giving needs. To learn more about Stewardship and all of our solutions visit www.stewardshiptechnology.com

BRONZE LEVEL STRATEGIC PARTNER

 

Suttle-Straus, Inc.

1000 Uniek Drive
Waunakee, WI 53596
608.849.1000
www.suttle-straus.com

Booth: 316

Theresa Aide, Sales Representative
Steve Harold, Vice President of Business Development
Maeghan Nicholson, Marketing Manager
Karen Wenning, Business Development Manager

Suttle-Straus provides comprehensive marketing solutions that incorporate creative design, print, displays and signage, direct mail, transactional mail, kitting and fulfillment services. Suttle-Straus understands the unique challenges and solutions required to execute successful fundraising campaigns, particularly from the data management and personalization perspective. Their data software allows for detailed personalization of mailers, including elements such as name, address, image, copy and more so you can make a stronger connection with recipients and maximize your return on investment. From consultative services and managing direct mail campaigns, to designing and printing all supporting materials, Suttle-Straus is truly a one-stop shop for appeals. By consolidating multiple services under one roof, dioceses can benefit from working with an experienced team, streamlining processes and having a cohesive campaign that delivers results.

BRONZE LEVEL STRATEGIC PARTNER

 

TurnKey Direct Marketing, Inc.

PO Box 261
Excelsior, MN 55331
952.401.3383
www.turnkeydirect.net  

Booth: 115
Kari Struthers, Project Manager
Tom Struthers, Inspired Gifts Steward

Turnkey Direct Marketing is a skilled appeal production partner dedicated exclusively to non-profit causes, including 16 dioceses thus far. We bring 22 years of fundraising experience and the newest in print and database technologies to lift response. We work together with your development team to make the appeal process easy, swift and successful. You can turn to TurnKey for expertise in obtaining first time gifts and maximizing average gifts as well as lifetime donor value. Good stewardship emerges through our attention to ROI and delivery of proven best practices.

Key competencies include: donor segmentation and variable messaging, accurate and automated match inserting capability, creating strong and more compelling appeals, monthly giving, and donor appreciation that leaves them feeling a sense of Catholic purpose. Products include: in-pew envelopes, tax notices, bulletin inserts, address labels, prayer cards, and major donor packages.

SILVER LEVEL STRATEGIC PARTNER

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
(Office of National Collections)

3211 Fourth Street NE
Washington, DC 20017
202.541.3365
www.usccb.org

Booth: 107, 109

Marie Ferman, Evangelization and Catechesis, Office of Evangelization and Catechesis
Nicole Germain, Assistant Director for Promotions, Office of National Collections
Ed Kiely, Director, Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa
Mary Mancarini Campbell, Executive Director, Office of National Collections
Colin O’Brien, Promotions Assistant, Office of National Collections
Fr. Leo Perez, OMI, Director, Church in Latin America
Marilyn Santos, MA, Associate Director, Office of Evangelization and Catechesis
David Spesia, Ed.D., Executive Director, Office of Evangelization and Catechesis
Tetiana Stawnychy, Director, Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe

The bishops of the United States established the national collections to support the Church’s works of social justice, evangelization and education, both domestically and around the globe. Through our parishes, every Catholic participates in a global community of faith. The national collections are a powerful expression of this community. Our contributions help people across the street and around the world, people who struggle to practice the faith, people who live in great need. National collections are assigned a national date. However, many (arch)dioceses elect to change national collection dates to avoid conflict with local activities and needs. Please check with your local (arch)diocesan staff for the following collections: Collection for the Church in Latin America, Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, The Catholic Relief Services Collection, Catholic Home Missions Appeal, Catholic Communication Campaign, and Peter’s Pence.

BRONZE LEVEL STRATEGIC PARTNER

Villanova University Center for Church Management & Business Ethics

800 Lancaster Avenue
Villanova, PA 19085
610.519.6015
www.churchmanagement.villanova.edu

Booth: 423

Matthew Manion, Faculty Director
Chuck Zech, Faculty Director Emeritus

The Center for Church Management in the Villanova School of Business provides education and scholarship in the Augustinian Catholic tradition on strategic, management and temporal matters in service to leaders of churches and Christian faith-based ministries.

The Master of Science in church management is an innovative, two-year online graduate business program that provides church leaders with a high-level skill set in church management part-time from home. The center also offers a certificate in church management through a collaboration with Our Sunday Visitor. Webinars can be taken as a full series for a certificate or on an “á la carte” basis. The center produces research, organizes conferences in church management on the Villanova campus and internationally, and conducts custom on-site and online training for a global network of church leaders.

BRONZE LEVEL STRATEGIC PARTNER

Walsh & Associates, Church Capital Campaign Specialists

1601 E Hwy 13, Suite 200
Burnsville, MN 55337
800.894.3863
www.walshfundraising.com

Booth: 419

Michelle Sandquist, Director, Prospective Client Services & Relations
Michael Walsh, President

Walsh & Associates, Church Capital Campaign Specialists, has been helping Catholic churches and church members since 1984. Our services include helping churches to prepare for and conduct successful capital campaigns with pre-campaign feasibility and planning studies, campaign implementation and follow-up and fulfillment services and support.