St. Benedict’s Abbey

THE CHALLENGE

St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison, Kansas, has long been a cornerstone of the local Catholic community, offering spiritual guidance and support since its establishment. However, as the needs of the abbey have evolved, pressing challenges needed to be addressed to ensure its continued impact. The abbey required comprehensive renovations to modernize facilities, ongoing maintenance to preserve its heritage and a robust endowment to support its clergy. Without a strategic plan and financial support, these essential needs risked undermining the abbey’s mission and future.

THE VISION

To ensure Benedict Abbey’s sustainability and growth, a multi-faceted fundraising approach would include:

• Upgrading and modernizing key facilities to better serve the community and enhance the abbey’s environment.
• Implementing a proactive maintenance strategy to protect and sustain the abbey’s historic structures and ensure their longevity.
• Establishing a substantial endowment to provide ongoing financial support for the clergy, ensuring their well-being and the continuity of spiritual leadership.

THE SOLUTION

In collaboration with the Steier Group, Benedict Abbey launched a capital campaign designed to address these critical needs. The plan included a comprehensive campaign planning study to assess community strengths and fundraising potential. Leveraging well-established relationships with the monastic community, Steier Group managers equipped individuals to introduce the abbey’s mission and needs to a broader audience, including a vast network of their college community, through the Journey of Stability, Forward Together Capital Campaign.  The campaign successfully surpassed the Steier Group goal to fulfill the renovation, maintenance and endowment needs, reinforcing Benedict Abbey’s role as a vital spiritual and community asset for years to come.