Broadening Your Base of Supporters Salvatore F. Polizzotto NCDC 50 Years of Catholic Fundraising September 17, 2018 Chicago, Illinois

Are we just for catholics?

Serving our brothers and sisters, all of God’s people The Gospel of Mathew (vv. 31-46) “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

First steps A reflection of reality

Defining your prupose What do you actually accomplish

What? Who? How many? What do your ministries accomplish? Key specifics Fully articulate the impact on people Key specifics Lifting the spirit, everyone’s work Saving a soul, the work of your clergy Saving a person/life Serving the needs of the community Who was served? What are their backgrounds and circumstances? How were their needs met? How many did you serve? Financial Circumstances, roll out what you spend on this not just what you need What are the Hopes, Dreams, Visions of your ministries for serving

A Case in point CF DOT ACA distributes $3,500,000 CF non religious recipients $1,195,000 Recipients Social Services (Catholic Charities) Child Safety and Security Education (schools) Prison Ministries 34% for non-religious purposes benefiting the community

Survey tool Briefly describe your program What are your major objectives  How will you accomplish these objectives? What are key activities for your work? How many will be served? Describe 3 to 5 most important outcomes from your work. How will the support you receive make a difference in bettering the lives and nourishing the faith of the people of our Diocese? What are the most important differences your program will make? If possible, please provide an inspiring or heart touching example, vignette, or story to tell donors

The Biggest Danger: a lack of clarity

What should be your image? Do you need to rebrand? Be very clear What is your image? What should be your image? Do you need to rebrand? Going beyond the parish!!!!! Going beyond the Catholic Community?????!!!!!

Image and position in the eyes of the greater community

A view from a donor’s checkbook The Faithful Catholic Why they give? your needs/ your priorities their needs/priorities How they are solicited? In pew Direct mail Who Solicits?

A view from a donor’s checkbook, cont’d Community donors Community leaders, business leaders, community philanthropists Variants of gender, age, financial capacity Religion is not the prime motivation May believe in the Gospel of Mathew more so than many Catholics What is their motivation What do they want to accomplish with their philanthropy? What do they see when they look at you?

Steps Does your diocese/foundation/ fundraising program have a vision? Do you have a clearly articulated case for support? Your vision/your case for support and: A marketing and communications plan Identify venues and players Develop a list of the community’s top philanthropists A list for every community in the Diocese A Prospect Management Program A peer to peer posture for the Bishop As the CDO; Do you have a plan to focus and on-board major gift prospects? Who are you breaking bread with? Are you in a dialogue with the community’s top donors?

Vocabulary, Frame of Mind, and Image First the parish and then beyond the parish, and it’s not an appeal from the pulpit Know the difference between GIVERS and PHILANTHROPISTS Articulate your values Identify those who share your values and begin a partnership Partner current donors with new prospects and their shared value systems Transition from being self centered to being people and community centric Put the Diocese on an equal par with community’s leading philanthropists as an agent serving the human good

Start with…

Establishing common ground Identify what the people of your region need Identify the needs appropriate to your mission and vision that you are capable of meeting Develop a shared vision with…….. Elicit the Support and Active Involvement of Board Members Major Donors The Most Influential People of the Diocese Community Leaders Community philanthropists Create a plan of philanthropic action among the movers, shakers and philanthropists in your diocese

Ideological Partnerships

A transition; My needs to our needs My needs Our Needs Catholic Schools Education Catholic Charities Social Services, Poor parishes Caring for the homeless, the poor, the sick, women and children, the vulnerable. Special issues; immigration, Catholics Serving All people

Public Positioning: Marketing Your Leader

Public Positioning: Marketing Your Leader Your goal is to make your Bishop the most engaged person in the Diocese Provide list of people who can help him do whatever needs to be done Get him out of the pastoral center

Are we just for Catholics????? Ask Yourself This

In The End

In the End The Catholic Church is the biggest service provider in the country Yes, we serve millions of Catholics We serve millions of non Catholics We even serve agnostics and atheists We meet the needs of people; be they the poor, the hungry, the naked, the oppressed. We feed their souls and their hearts and we also feed their minds and spirits and better the human condition. There are many who will help us because they also want to better the human condition.

Broadening Your Base of Supporters Salvatore F. Polizzotto Good Luck! Broadening Your Base of Supporters Salvatore F. Polizzotto