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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.

Dec 04 2023

Campaign planning studies are vital for successful campaigns

By Steier Tips

A well-run campaign planning study is the launching pad for a successful capital campaign. Many organizations question the reasoning and value behind a planning or feasibility study. At the Steier Group, we almost always advocate for conducting this important exercise before jumping into fundraising. The goal of a study is to interview or survey as many of your potential donors as possible during the study. The feedback you receive sets the table for a successful campaign. The insights shared by your supporters allows an organization to customize a plan that will be most successful for your community. Here are five…

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Nov 29 2023

Faithful Entrepreneurship: Co-Creating with God

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 21st…

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Oct 25 2023

Trends in the Church: Bad News or Opportunities? with Matt Vuorela

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 20th…

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Sep 27 2023

The Impact of a Stewardship Heart with Jamie Crane

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 19th…

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Sep 15 2023

Lessons from Twelve Wicker Baskets

By Steier Tips, Steier Wire

Launched in February 2022, Twelve Wicker Baskets, the Steier Group’s podcast, broadly explores all the many ways God meets the spiritual and temporal needs of parishes, Catholic schools, dioceses and beyond. The idea for the podcast arose when firm management began to reflect on 25 years of service and how to engage the depth and breadth of knowledge that has accumulated over many different capital campaigns for Catholic dioceses, churches, schools and organizations. “We wanted to connect the work of the development professional and the pastoral leader with the deep roots of stewardship in the Catholic tradition, and it’s become…

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Sep 08 2023

Creating a comprehensive development plan with moments, movements and missions

By Steier Tips

“Our big fundraiser for the year is _____________.” I hear this a lot when speaking with smaller organizations about their fundraising and development strategy. This response tells me a few things about the organization: They do not have an informed development plan. Because of that, they invest their time in all the wrong places. Their donors are not as engaged as they could be. The organization is nowhere near its fundraising potential. But, it is not all doom and gloom. Here’s what else I hear: Their donor engagement funnel is very top-heavy. In other words, there is a lot of…

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Sep 01 2023

Team Catholic: Dream big, then do the work

By Steier Tips, Steier Wire

Team Catholic. It is a simple idea. Every member of the community working in unity to support the Catholic Church. But, in the Steier Group’s work across North America, we’ve found that’s often not the case. You may recognize some of these issues: A pastor unwilling to participate in a diocesan campaign. A development director focused on the bishop’s annual appeal but not parish offertory. A school principal ignoring the value of its supportive parish. Some of this is human nature. We focus on what’s right in front of us. Seeing the bigger picture isn’t always possible. But working together…

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Aug 30 2023
The Pilgrimage of Philanthropy with Mark Petersen

The Pilgrimage of Philanthropy with Mark Petersen

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 18th…

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Aug 15 2023

Steier Group promotes Matt Vuorela to CEO

By News, Steier Tips

After five years serving as the firm’s president, the Steier Group has promoted Matt Vuorela to Chief Executive Officer. “This is an acknowledgement of the work that Matt is already doing,” Steier said. “He’s serving the Steier Group in such an important capacity. I think it is only right to acknowledge the tremendous work he is doing in leading the firm.” Steier will continue his duties as the founder of the Steier Group. Now with the new title of Chairman of the Board. “I’m all in for the Steier Group,” Vuorela said. “I’m excited to keep growing the work that…

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Aug 10 2023
Saint Lawrence Distributing the Treasures of the Church by Bernardo Strozzi. Public Domain image

Saint Lawrence

By Steier Tips

After Pope Sixtus II was captured and executed, the prefect of Rome demanded that Lawrence turn over the riches of the Catholic Church. Lawrence asked for three days and, in that time, he quickly distributed as much of the church’s wealth to the poor as he could. The prefect was so angry that he had given away the riches that he tortured Lawrence over a gridiron on top of hot coals. Although he is the patron saint of archivists and librarians, this act by Lawrence is a blessed example of Catholic stewardship and philanthropy. Mark Petersen, CEO of Stronger Philanthropy,…

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