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Steier Tips

After nearly a quarter century of helping nonprofits plan, reach and exceed their fundraising goals, we’ve accomplished a lot – and learned a thing or two. Our Steier Tips page features the latest Steier Group fundraising advice from our team of experts, case studies and helpful insight to consider as you plan your next campaign.

Prayer, communication helped Epiphany of the Lord succeed during the pandemic

By Steier Tips

Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Community in Katy, Texas, kicked off its capital campaign in October 2019. The campaign combined the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston’s archdiocesan campaign with its own needs. The community faced debt from the construction of a new school plus parish improvements and supporting the expanding school. Four months into the campaign, the world came to an abrupt stop due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fr. Tom Lam made two critical moves during what amounted to be an 18-month campaign pause. He encouraged parishioners to sign up for periodic messages through the parish email system. Signups exceeded the parish…

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What has the Steier Group learned in our 25 years of running capital campaigns?

By Steier Tips

Twenty-five years ago, I took a leap of faith in starting the Steier Group. I’d spent time as a journalist, working as an alum in the institutional advancement office of my Catholic high school and then running capital campaigns for a small Omaha-based family fundraising firm. After five years there, I knew it was time to make the next step in my career. In the back of my mind, going out on my own seemed like a promising opportunity but also a big risk with a two-year-old son and newborn at home. Then my best friend, who I grew up…

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Activated Discipleship with Jeff Cavins

Activated Discipleship with Jeff Cavins

By podcast, Steier Tips

The Steier Group is proud to present our podcast, Twelve Wicker Baskets with Christopher Beaudet. Subscribe now on your favorite podcast app. In the Gospel, Jesus fed 5,000 with only five loaves and two fish. After the crowd was satisfied, there were 12 wicker baskets left over. God provides the abundance. In each episode of this podcast, we will explore, with pastoral leaders and development professionals, all the many ways God meets the spiritual and temporal needs of our parish communities, our Catholic schools and the diocesan church. And not only meets those needs but provides in abundance. The fourth…

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Five keys to successful fundraising

By Steier Tips

In his book “A Spirituality of Fundraising,” renowned author and philosopher Henri Nouwen described fundraising as “proclaiming what we believe in such a way that we offer other people an opportunity to participate with us in our vision and mission.” But how do we get people to give to something we believe in? And what keeps people supporting this in the future? These five keys to successful fundraising can be used for any fundraising effort – a church, school or local nonprofit. We are confident that if you apply these tips, your fundraising effort will be a success. Be authentic:…

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David Baranowski

Interconnectedness of Discipleship, Stewardship and Evangelization with David Baranowski

By podcast, Steier Tips

The Steier Group is proud to present our new podcast, Twelve Wicker Baskets with Christopher Beaudet. Subscribe now on your favorite podcast app. In the Gospel, Jesus fed 5,000 with only five loaves and two fish. After the crowd was satisfied, there were 12 wicker baskets left over. God provides the abundance. In each episode of this podcast, we will explore, with pastoral leaders and development professionals, all the many ways God meets the spiritual and temporal needs of our parish communities, our Catholic schools and the diocesan church. And not only meets those needs but provides in abundance. The…

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Campaign connection brought St. Francis of Assisi community closer together

By Steier Tips

St. Francis of Assisi in Wichita, Kansas, is the founding parish of the Diocese of Wichita’s nationally renowned stewardship model. In the 1970’s, Msgr. Thomas McGread served as pastor at St. Francis of Assisi where he developed the stewardship model currently used by the Diocese of Wichita. As a result of Msgr. McGread’s groundbreaking work, families in the Diocese of Wichita today do not pay tuition for Catholic education and there is no diocesan annual appeal. Families, pastors, diocesan leadership and all the faithful are dedicated to tithing at such a level where tuition and annual appeals are not necessary….

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Francis Doyle

Church Fundraising in Canada with Francis Doyle

By podcast, Steier Tips

The Steier Group is proud to present our new podcast, Twelve Wicker Baskets with Christopher Beaudet. Subscribe now on your favorite podcast app. In the Gospel, Jesus fed 5,000 with only five loaves and two fish. After the crowd was satisfied, there were 12 wicker baskets left over. God provides the abundance. In each episode of this podcast, we will explore, with pastoral leaders and development professionals, all the many ways God meets the spiritual and temporal needs of our parish communities, our Catholic schools and the diocesan church. And not only meets those needs but provides in abundance. The…

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Embracing stewardship during Lent and Easter

By Steier Tips

We sometimes hear of a “stewardship parish.” Perhaps your church sees itself that way. Yet there is no one definition of a stewardship parish. You’ll find many descriptions. But the central theme is the belief that everything we have – whether time, talent or treasure – is a gift from God, and we are called to give back to God a portion of our gifts in gratitude. We give because we are grateful for what we have been given. Understanding this, embracing the joy of stewardship, is what creates in us a “need” to give. We give not first and…

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Henri Nouwen and Nathan Ball, right, kitchen at L'Arche Trosly-Breuil.

The Courage to Fundraise with Nathan Ball

By podcast, Steier Tips

The Steier Group is proud to debut our new podcast, Twelve Wicker Baskets with Christopher Beaudet. Subscribe now on your favorite podcast app. In the Gospel, Jesus fed 5,000 with only five loaves and two fish. After the crowd was satisfied, there were 12 wicker baskets left over. God provides the abundance. In each episode of this podcast, we will explore, with pastoral leaders and development professionals, all the many ways God meets the spiritual and temporal needs of our parish communities, our Catholic schools and the diocesan church. And not only meets those needs but provides in abundance. The…

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Use planned giving to ensure long-term nonprofit sustainability

By Steier Tips

Most nonprofit organizations have a life span. The goal is to extend that life span and mission beyond immediate needs. This can be accomplished through strong yearly giving, productive capital campaigns and endowments. But those aren’t the only options. A focus on planned gifts can set an organization up for sustained success and a brighter future. Bequests, planned gifts and estate gifts can be used to build up your endowment. They may also be donated as restricted funds (like buildings and maintenance, scholarships, operations or specific programs) or unrestricted funds to be used at the discretion of the organization’s leadership….

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