Advancing Our Church

Published: September 15, 2019

Today, we finish our exciting three-part “Back to School” series with a terrific show on Catholic School leadership. Today our guest is veteran trainer Steven Virgadamo. Steven discusses the topic of recruiting, training and retaining leaders for Catholic Schools. Steven is an expert trainer of Catholic School Leaders. He is the Executive Director of the Curran Catholic School Leadership Academy and Associate Superintendent for the Archdiocese of New York.

Today Steven talks about the mission of Curran Catholic School Leadership Academy. The Academy trains future Catholic school leaders in a comprehensive and cost-effective manner. Steven reflects on his own formation as a Catholic School leader and shares what is needed for a leader to be successful in today’s competitive market. Steve discusses the difference between a good Catholic school and a great one. We hope you’ll listen today to learn from Steve’s experience.

About Steven Virgadamo

Steven is a talented and passionate executive with significant breadth and depth of knowledge. He is well known for his expertise in school culture and educational administration. Steven frequently presents on enrollment management, strategic planning, leadership formation, and mission advancement. Steven was the recipient of the 2018 Monsignor John Meyers Presidential Award. Steven’s missionary zeal and leadership counsel have enabled Catholic schools with which he has worked to flourish. Please click here to visit Steven’s full bio with contact information.

Meet Sebastion Lury

We open today’s show by meeting Sebastion Lury, Director at Changing Our World. Sebastion currently serves the Diocese of Green Bay as the Director of Operations for the One by One Campaign. Today, Sebastion tells us about his career and his approach to diocesan campaigns in three different dioceses.

Sebastion joined Changing Our World in December 2015, where he was assigned to a campaign with the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Sebastion directed 14 parishes to complete the campaign successfully. In August 2018, Sebastion joined the team in the Diocese of Albany. In Albany, he served as a campaign director for the Re-Igniting Our Faith campaign. Sebastion improved the office’s performance by implementing a uniform tracking system while working with 23 parishes.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: September 08, 2019

Data-driven communications plans will separate you from the competition. What are the benefits of a strong communications plan? What does a robust communications plan include? What does RPIE stand for, and how does it play into the communications plan? All these questions and much more will be discussed on today’s show.

Today, Jim Friend talks with Jennifer Trefelner in the Diocese of Palm Beach. Jennifer brings over 16 years of Catholic education and Communications experience to this topic. Jennifer will discuss with us the four factors in choosing a Catholic School, the important pillars of your communications plan, and where to begin with your marketing plan.

If you would like to download a template communications plan or learn more, feel free to reach out to Jennifer at [email protected]

Mrs. Jennifer M. Trefelner, APR, CPRC, is the Director of Communications, Marketing & Social Media for the Diocese of Palm Beach. In this role Jennifer coordinates communications for the Bishop as well as all marketing and social media efforts for the diocese. Jennifer has been with the Diocese of Palm Beach for the past 16 years. Prior to this position, Jennifer served as the Director of Institutional Advancement at John Carroll High School in Fort Pierce, Florida and as the Online Communications Consultant for the Office of Catholic Schools.  Jennifer possesses an Accreditation in Public Relations and is a Certified Public Relations Counselor.

Today’s show is part of our three-part series on Catholic Education. Join us next week as we’re joined by Steven Virgadamo in the Archdiocese of New York. Our topic next week is School Leadership. Please like and subscribe!

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: September 02, 2019

Join Changing Our World‘s Brian Crimmins and Matt Russell, the Chief Advancement and Business Development Officer for the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) as we consider the future of Catholic education in the United States. This presentation was originally delivered as a webinar in April 2019. The conversation was a continuation of a discussion that was first explored during the inaugural NCEA Elizabeth Ann Seton Philanthropy Symposium in Washington, D.C., in the fall of 2018.

The discussion today will describe how leaders nationwide are paving the way for the future of Catholic Education. These transformative leaders are showing us the way forward, not in words but in action. These pioneers are collaborating to find solutions to our Catholic schools’ most urgent challenges. To view the full webinar, please visit Changing Our World’s website. You can also download the full NCEA Report.

Matt Russell started his career with NCEA in August 2012 as the associate director of secondary schools. Just a few months later, NCEA promoted Matt to director in December 2012. Matt took over the role of director of institutional development in 2014. Before starting his career with NCEA, Matt served as the director of scholarships and secondary programs for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He also has served as a principal, head of school, and teacher. He holds a Master of Science in educational administration from St. Johns University and a Bachelor of Arts from George Washington University.

If you would like to hear more podcasts about Catholic Education, visit our Catholic Education in the top right hand corner of this page for a complete listing of our shows.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: August 25, 2019

Parish Campaigns are a big undertaking, and creating the right plan to raise significant dollars is critical. Join Changing Our World‘s expert consultants as they tackle some of the more common questions about campaigns.

Thomas Farrell, Senior Managing Director: Tom Farrell’s tenure with our firm began in 2010. Over the past four decades, Tom’s work has focused primarily in the area of Catholic philanthropy. Since 1985 Tom has directed or given oversight to approximately 1,000 individual parish fundraising initiatives and to three dozen major diocesan development programs. These endeavors have taken place in a combined 100 archdioceses and dioceses and across 35 different states. Tom has also provided counsel on several Catholic education campaigns as well as appeals to other religious organizations.

Anna Vallez, Senior Director: Anna represents our faith-based division on the West Coast and in the mid-West. She joined the firm in November 2012 and continues to build on her successful 25-year career in nonprofit leadership, developing fundraising capacity and strategies, and implementation of Capital Campaigns. She brings extensive experience in the nonprofit sector. She provides bilingual services and brings expertise working with culturally diverse communities for Changing Our World clients.

Yasmine Hicks, Director: Yasmine joined our firm as an intern in 2016. She has worked on several campaigns, including parish campaigns, raising millions for faith-based organizations. Yasmine is a graduate of the Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. John’s University.

We’re here to help

Changing Our World is successfully working with Catholic Parishes around the county to raise millions of dollars for local needs. These efforts are coupled with the fact that our process is tailored to meet the needs of the organizations we serve. Learn how your parish could begin to develop a plan to address your needs.

Looking for more information about Parish Campaigns? Please contact Jim Friend for more information. 

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: August 18, 2019

How does a diocese become “Catholic Strong?” Can you engage stakeholders in this effort? Can you continue the campaign through the PA Grand Jury Report? Did it help that the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl? We will discuss all of these questions and more on today’s show.

Join Changing Our World‘s Shawn Trahan and Jim Friend as they travel to the Diocese of Camden. Shawn and Jim talk with Rev. Robert E. Hughes, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, and Mariann Gilbride, Director of the Development for the Diocese of Camden. Together with diocesan partners, Shawn directed the campaign that led the team to success. Fr. Hughes and Mariann share their stories of success and new opportunities.

In August 2017, the Diocese of Camden embarked upon the “Catholic Strong” Diocesan Capital Campaign. The campaign for Catholics in South Jersey successfully secured pledges totaling over $40 million. Gifts primarily benefited local parishes. Furthermore, 70% of the funds raised will support parish needs, and 30% will be allocated to various diocesan ministries. Bishop Sullivan’s focus has been to actively engage the laity and clergy. By doing so, it will promote the well-being of the parishes and the diocese. 

This episode continues our discussion on successful diocesan capital campaigns. Are you looking for more information about Diocesan Campaigns? If you have any questions about today’s show, please contact Jim Friend. Additionally, check out “Getting Ready for a Diocesan Campaign.” so that you can learn more about what is needed for a successful campaign.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: August 14, 2019

Increasing the Annual Fund requires creativity, focus, and time out of the office. Engaging your donors in conversations about your school can create lasting relationships and leadership for your school’s Annual Giving program. Join Jim Friend for part two of his presentation to the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Green Bay. Jim discusses that making your Annual Fund soar requires a team approach, but Advancement Directors must have a plan in place to engage the Head of School, staff and volunteers to make this a reality. Although this workshop is focused on Catholic Schools, many of the concepts discussed can be applied to any nonprofit setting.

The Faith in the Future Foundation was created with a unique mission to impact Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The Foundation recruited Jim Friend as its first Chief Development Officer in 2014. Jim led the growth of high school fundraising from $13.1 million to $25.1 million over five years. Simultaneously, he built a development program from the ground up. In his last year, he raised over $5 million for a total impact of nearly $31 million for the schools.  

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: August 11, 2019

In Diocesan Campaigns, Parishes and dioceses must work together to create a partnership that speaks to parishioners in the pew. In the midst of today’s Church climate, Catholic fundraising continues to raise millions around the country. Today, our expert consultants cover these popular questions and more.

Furthermore, our conversation also delves into how understanding the culture of a parish and having flexibility creates an atmosphere of success for a campaign. We cover some of the dos and don’ts a diocese should consider when developing a capital campaign. We also discuss how a campaign consultant can help a pastor recruit volunteers for the campaign. Lastly, hear about how one diocese successfully dealt with the launch of the PA Grand Jury Report in the middle of a diocesan campaign.

Despite the current climate in our Church, Changing Our World is successfully working with Catholic Dioceses around the county to raise millions of dollars for local needs. These efforts are coupled with the fact that our process is building capacity in the organizations we serve. Learn how your diocese could begin to develop a plan to address your needs.

Join Changing Our World’s expert consultants, Thomas Farrell, Anna Vallez, Shawn Trahan, and your host, Jim Friend, for this thought-provoking discussion. Click on the links of our consultants to learn more about their expertise.

Looking for more information about Diocesan Campaigns? Please contact Jim Friend for more information. Next week, learn how the Diocese of Camden created a pathway to success and raised over $40 Million in the middle of the PA Diocesan Grand Jury announcement.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: August 04, 2019

About the Workshop

In this episode, Changing Our World’s, Jim Friend delivers a workshop to the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Jim begins by discussing the importance of telling your story as part of the Annual Fund. How we tell our story can have a huge impact on our donors. 

Jim continues the workshop by describing the essential components of creating a compelling Annual Fund and discussing how to increase annual gifts yearly. The Annual Fund is the heart of any development program. Getting donors in the habit of annual giving to your Catholic School creates a solid foundation. This can lead to future major gifts or planned giving programs.  Additionally, Jim covers these topics:

In part two of this podcast, we will discuss some advanced tactics for increasing your annual fund results. Part two of this workshop will be released very soon. Please subscribe to our podcast to receive regular updates about new episodes.

A little about Jim’s Catholic School Experience.

Five years ago, Jim was recruited by the Faith in the Future Foundation as its first Chief Development Officer. In 2012, the Faith in the Future Foundation was created with a unique mission to assume operational responsibility for its 17 high schools and four schools of special education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. At Faith in the Future, Jim led the growth of high school fundraising from $13.1 million to $25.1 million. Simultaneously, he built a development program from the ground up. In his last year, he raised over $5 million for a total impact of nearly $31 million for the schools. 

Feel free to contact Jim Friend with any questions or for more information about this presentation.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: July 28, 2019

This week we focus on Catholic Stewardship and ways leaders can educate and engage the time, talent, and resources of the faithful. Our guest is David Baranowski, the Director of Stewardship Education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Dave is a 30-year marketing executive recruited by the Archdiocese over seven years ago to develop educational and marketing materials to support the stewardship efforts of their 182 parishes. In David’s words, “Our goal is to help more people get to Heaven.”

David Baranowski is a frequent speaker at the International Catholic Stewardship Conference. During our interview, David shares his unique conversion experience, which sparked his career change. In 2007, Baranowski attended a retreat where the director encouraged participants to listen to God’s guidance — something he said he hadn’t earnestly done before. The experience convinced him to deepen his faith and focus on Christ.

While praying about God’s gifts in his life, “this wave of gratitude rushed over me,” Baranowski said. “It was at that moment that I decided that I wanted to get to heaven, and I want to take as many people with me as possible. My priorities had to change. I had to put God first in everything I did, and I had to put complete trust in God.”

This episode focuses on how we look at parish Stewardship and how we should consider challenging some of the traditional ways in which we describe it for others. For example, instead of referring to “time, talent and treasure,” Dave uses the terms “prayer, participation and generosity.”  Dave hopes to use more accessible language that parishioners can understand. If you have any questions for Dave, please feel free to contact his office by clicking here.

We hope you find this discussion beneficial. We encourage you to like, share and comment on this episode, and we hope it will inspire your parish Stewardship Committees to advance the mission of our Church in the coming program year.

If you have any other questions about Catholic Stewardship, we encourage you to contact Jim Friend.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: July 21, 2019

Creating your case for support is a key element for any nonprofit organization seeking to raise funds for an annual appeal, capital campaign, major gifts program or any key initiative. Join Changing Our World Consultants Colleen Burdick, Kaitlin McTighe, Ray Witkowski, and our host, Jim Friend, for a discussion about the who, what and why of creating a compelling Case for Support. Hear real-life examples, the do’s and the don’ts, and about how engaging your donors in a conversation about your case will rally further support.

Reviewing and refining your Case for support each year is an important exercise. Our consultants also consider how you should look at your Case as a living document. It is an opportunity to show your donor’s progress and to use that progress to leverage giving. Involving your donors in the development of your Case for Support shows them that they have input on your mission and that they can help you make a difference.

What to contribute to the conversation? Leave a comment below.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.