Diocesan capital campaigns are a big undertaking. They require time, energy and often years of planning. They require strong leadership, capable volunteers, competent staff and lots of coffee. Here are five questions to gauge if your diocese is ready to take the next step towards a diocesan-wide effort: Are these really needs? Do we have a pool of capable volunteers and possible donors? YES: Proceed to the next question. UNSURE: A campaign planning study will unlock that knowledge. Proceed to the next question. NO TO BOTH: You are not ready for a diocesan campaign. Can we present a compelling case?…
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Early this year, I challenged my team to take a critical look at our strategic plan and to share their most honest feedback about areas in need of growth. Our online presence and the overall Steier Group brand emerged as a topic of discussion over and over again. I must admit, the initial recommendations to revamp both our brand and website made me leery. But today, I can tell you with certainty that it was the right decision. Since 1997, we have grown from one to 50 employees with loyal clients stretching from coast to coast. And over the last…
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Former clients often have a confession: They never imagined conducting a capital campaign would take so much time and effort. These same clients originally wondered whether they could run their campaigns without outside counsel. I’m routinely asked why organizations should incur the cost of hiring an organization, such as the Steier Group, to run their campaigns. I typically answer their question with a few of my own: Does your organization have a staff member who can devote 100 percent of his or her time to the campaign for the next six months (or longer)? Our campaign managers typically devote up…
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Matthew Kelly, the internationally acclaimed Catholic speaker and best-selling author of “The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic” and “Rediscover Catholicism” has partnered with the Steier Group to design a nationwide fundraising campaign. Donations to the campaign will allow the Dynamic Catholic Institute to create new, world-class education resources aimed at re-engaging and re-energizing Catholics. These much-needed resources will be made available to parishes across the country for free. The idea for the project dates to 2009, when Matthew Kelly founded the Dynamic Catholic Institute and launched the most ambitious Catholic research project ever attempted. The organization interviewed more than…
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