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Fundraising and development best practices

Fundraising trends to watch this year

By Steier Tips

It’s a new year, and while the basic formula for fundraising may seem the same, in many ways the landscape for organizations that rely on generous donations is new terrain. Though the latest news for inflation is more hopeful, there is still some uncertainty about whether that will hold steady or if it is a short relief. New technology is also something fundraisers will need to know more about as new capital campaigns are considered by many organizations. These factors and others contribute to fundraising trends in 2024: Establishing donor trust: Between inflation and greater pressure for charitable organizations to…

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How to maximize your grant writing potential

By Steier Tips

When you launch a capital campaign and you’re faced with the work that goes into such an effort, it’s easy to dream that some billionaire or foundation will swoop in and award you a massive grant that will fully fund all of your projects and initiatives. Unfortunately, that’s almost certainly not going to happen. Never say never, but you can’t rely on a guardian angel to save the day. You need to put in the work to establish your goals, recruit your volunteers and leaders, and figure out how much to ask and from whom – and then actually make…

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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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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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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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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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Successful capital campaign led to bolstered annual fund for Paulist Fathers

By Steier Tips

Are you concerned that a capital campaign will negatively impact your organization’s annual giving program? Contrary to this common belief, the evidence is clear that capital campaigns have a positive effect on overall annual giving. Here are a few reasons why a capital campaign will increase your yearly support: Increased donor engagement. Capital campaigns involve engagement from donors in many ways. Whether it’s participating in a study, serving on a campaign team, making a financial commitment, or attending events and celebrating milestones, this increased engagement builds stronger relationships with donors and benefactors, which leads to increased ongoing support. New donor…

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Fellowship Development, a Division of the Steier Group

Fellowship Development, a Division of the Steier Group, launches

By Steier Tips

Fellowship Development, a Division of the Steier Group, launched on Monday, April 17, 2023. This new division is focused on meeting the campaign fundraising needs of Christian churches and schools. Fellowship Development will provide on-site, full-service capital campaign services to Christian organizations. With a team of experienced fundraising professionals, this new division will help churches and schools achieve their fundraising goals and fulfill their mission. The team’s expertise in fundraising, capital campaigns, strategic planning and stewardship will enable Christian organizations to maximize their resources and make a significant impact in their communities. “We are excited to launch Fellowship Development and…

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How to write a strong case for fundraising support

By Steier Tips

Every successful capital campaign needs a strong case for support. But writing the perfect case statement can seem daunting, especially if your task isn’t an obviously big draw like building a new church or adding a school wing. A case statement is the core communication for a successful capital campaign. It is an organization’s prime opportunity to toot its horn about successes and positive impacts. It is also an open door to demonstrate the need for the organization and explain its current plan to strengthen its mission-based work. Capital improvements, increased funding, new programs and enhanced services all deserve donor…

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God’s Generosity is Astounding with Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus

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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