Partner with the premier Catholic diocesan fundraising firm

Your mission is Christ’s mission … and ours!

The Church’s mission is that mandate given to her by Christ, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt 28:19-20). The duty to bear witness to the gospel is rooted in baptism for all the Christian faithful. In every age, the Church witnesses not to her own ends, but to Christ, the one who is the Alpha and Omega.

The Steier Group understands and partners with dioceses in fulfilling this mission. We assist you in addressing critical needs, making more conducive and fruitful the proclamation of the gospel. What is more, our campaigns focus explicitly on inviting the faithful to contribute not only their financial resources, but their spiritual ones as well. Prayer, both personal and liturgical, is at the heart of our work.

Organic unity of each diocese

Not only does the Steier Group understand and share the mission of the Church, we understand “the organic unity of each diocese” comprising a “living body” (cf. Christus Dominus, 23). We know that before chancery offices, deaneries, and diocesan boundaries, a diocese is first and foremost “a portion of the people of God” together with their bishop, a successor of the apostles. The work we do is inspired by this principle; to serve people, not institutions, who, with their shepherd, together form the mystical Body of Christ. We seek to foster this communio by inviting the Christian faithful of your diocese to exercise stewardship of their resources in living out authentic discipleship.

We understand diocesan challenges

Do you need to build more parish churches? Do your buildings require renovation and repair? Do you have debt that is impacting your ability to fulfill your mission? Do you need to strengthen or create an endowment?

Let the Steier Group help you embrace these opportunities.

With offices across the country, the Steier Group partners with dioceses to conduct campaign planning studies and manage capital campaigns. We bring a customized approach to
fundraising. With more than two decades of experience running successful campaigns, we can help you acquire the funds you need to:

• Fund seminarian formation and education
• Provide for priests’ pension plans and medical costs
• Create endowments for ministries
• Build new churches
• Restore sacred architecture
• Address debt
• Provide tuition to endow Catholic education
• Renovate chanceries, rectories, convents, ministry buildings
• Invest in your parishes

Built to help reach your fundraising goals

Customized campaigns: Many firms run cookie-cutter campaigns. The Steier Group will develop a campaign customized for your diocese. We will take the time to get to know your history, your mission and your community.

Top-quality campaign managers: Capital campaign firms often use independent contractors or inexperienced fundraisers. Not us. Well-trained, personable and professional, our campaign managers are full-time Steier Group employees assigned exclusively to your project. They understand church communities, the dynamics of urban and rural parochial settings, the pastoral and ministerial complexities of dioceses large and small, how to customize appeal strategies for Hispanic communities and other cultures, and how best to achieve fundraising success. The quality of our campaign managers and our personal conviction to build up the Body of Christ is what sets the Steier Group apart.

Team approach: Don’t settle for less. The Steier Group offers a full-service, project management approach. We assign a team to your campaign that includes at least one on-site campaign manager, a project supervisor, graphic designers, grant writers, planned giving attorneys, wealth research experts, and social media and communications specialists.

Your first step

The Steier Group recommends that all dioceses conduct a campaign planning study before launching a campaign. A study will lay the groundwork for successful fundraising by:

• Testing support for your proposed campaign goals.
• Educating donors about your challenges and goals through a comprehensive communications plan.
• Engaging your donors and leaders through face-to-face interviews and surveys.
• Conducting wealth research to identify your donors’ giving capacity.
• Recruiting campaign leaders and volunteers.
• Discovering hot button issues that could impact the success of your campaign.
• Seeking planned gift opportunities.
• Identifying foundation and corporate support.
• Forecasting how much you can raise in a campaign.

We make fundraising easier for your staff

Diocesan campaigns are complex, ambitious endeavors. They are a full-time job and may seem daunting. With the Steier Group, you will have peace of mind knowing a team of professionals is implementing every aspect of your campaign:

• Designing a comprehensive campaign strategy and timeline.
• Determining a wave structure for parish participation.
• Forming a clergy committee to discern the best campaign policies and procedures that
  fit your diocese.
• Creating and executing a detailed communications plan, incorporating diocesan media
  and communications.
• Creating all materials, including campaign booklet, FAQs and customized major gift proposals.
• Recruiting, training and managing volunteers both at the diocesan level and in each parish.
• Conducting donor research.
• Participating in major gift appeals.
• Assisting the diocesan bishop in key donor engagement.
• Identifying and researching charitable foundations.
• Writing grant proposals.
• Exploring support from vendors, local businesses or corporate matching gifts.
• Working with diocesan development and accounting offices to track pledges.
• Planning special events.
• Providing translation services.
• Producing a campaign video.
• Creating a plan to maximize pledge redemption.

Steier Group campaigns are about more than just the dollars raised

Stewardship: Placing the campaign in the context of discipleship makes donors’ support an act of stewardship. “I will not offer to God a sacrifice that costs me nothing,” said King David (2 Samuel 24:24). Giving from our need and not our want is an act of trust. And trust is proper to discipleship. This provides the entire effort with a greater sense of purpose.

Planned giving: A Steier Group capital campaign presents a great opportunity to find and inspire planned gifts that will deliver benefits for years to come. Through the planning study, we will identify supporters who have made or are interested in making a gift of their estate. Then, during the campaign, we will work with you to cultivate those gifts and promote
opportunities for others to follow suit.

Annual support: Our statistics show that Steier Group campaigns increase annual offertory giving in parishes as well as increased giving to diocesan
annual appeals.

Your community: A campaign will stir enthusiasm for the future of the diocese, as the faithful rally around the goals.