Advancing Our Church

Published: August 14, 2019 Advanced tactics for your Annual Fund 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...

Published: August 11, 2019 Questions that everyone asks… 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. What is the role of the Bishop? Why...

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 describi...

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 mat...

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, wh...

Published: July 14, 2019 Making an impact on a Diocesan Development program takes time and expertise. How can spending more time out of the office help build a development strategy? What relationships should Diocesan and parish development officers cultivate? How can technology assist in development? This week, Jim Friend is joined by Scott Whitaker from the  Diocese of Au...

Published: July 07, 2019 Summer Development Planning is an important time of year. What can your organization do differently for the 2019-20 fiscal year to raise more funds and meet the needs of your mission? Today,  Jim Friend  talks with Vanessa Dickerson and Fred Roberts , two of  Changing Our World’s  expert consultants, who share their experiences and recommendations. Some...

Published: June 30, 2019 In this episode,  Brian Crimmins  (CEO of  Changing Our World, Inc.)  and  Jim Friend  travel to the Diocese of Rockville Centre. They meet with  Bishop John Barres ,   Mark Ackermann , and retired business executive  Larry Bossidy .  The conversation begins with strategic planning and focuses on how Catholic business peopl...

Published: June 23, 2019 Kolbe Academy will open in the fall of 2019 as the nation’s first Catholic high school for students battling addiction. The Diocese of Allentown announced the opening of Kolbe Academy on September 7, 2018, at a press conference at St. Francis Center for Renewal, Monocacy Manor, Bethlehem. In this episode, Jim Friend interviews Bishop Alfred A. Schlert , Bishop of the Dioce...

Published: June 16, 2019 The 2019 Florida Stewardship Conference, which was held in May 2019 in Miami, was a tremendous success and as a result, we had the great opportunity to conduct a series of great interviews. Some of our guests included, but were not limited to  Archbishop Wenski , Archbishop of Miami;  Julianne Stanz , author and national speaker on Evangelization; and  Fr. L...

Published: June 09, 2019 This week we visit the home of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at their national headquarters in St. Louis. For over 175 the Society has served millions of people on the front lines through its 4,400 local conferences. The society serves 800,000 members worldwide, known as Vincentians. Their goal is to grow in holiness by building a more just world through personal relatio...

Published: November 26, 2017 Today we focus on this idea of Catholic Social Entrepreneurship. A Social Entrepreneur uses the techniques of a start-up company to develop, fund, and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. Why not use those same techniques to tackle the issues of today’s Catholic Church? One great example of this concept is some of the work that is currently...

Published: November 19, 2017 The Parable of the Talents This week’s Gospel is the Parable of the Talents.  The Master of the house gave his three servants talents to share and grow while he was away. We know the story and how it fundamentally serves to remind us of the basic theology of Stewardship.  Everything we have is a gift from God, and we are called to serve each other and Him by...

Published: September 24, 2017 A Brief Stewardship Reflection Today’s Podcast is a little different in that I reflect on humility and Stewardship.  This episode is about the fact that our focus on sharing our time, talent, and treasure should be about the mission and not “Who Gets the Credit.”  How many times in our lives have we felt as though we weren’t getting enough credit for somethi...

Published: September 19, 2017 The Archdiocese of Philadelphia signed a historic management agreement with the Faith in the Future Foundation in 2012. The contract granted oversight of 17 Catholic High Schools and four schools of Special Education.  Archbishop Chaput’s bold move engaged the laity in this first of a kind partnership that captured the attention of the entire count...

Published: September 13, 2017 Today’s topic is forming Parish Stewardship Committees with our guest, Jim Kelley .  We invited Jim because he is an expert on the subject of Stewardship. Jim discusses the focus of Stewardship in a parish and the profile of someone who would join the committee. Jim explains their roles and responsibilities along with the “five M’s” of building a network of resou...

Published: July 04, 2017 Join Jim Frien d on the floor of the convention center for the 2017 Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando, Florida.  Jim interviewed many participants of the gathering from all over the country.  It was exciting to hear the hopes and expectations of those who traveled to this unprecedented event. Participants ranged from vendors, students, volunteers, and ma...

Published: June 11, 2017 This week we are joined by Michael Brough , Director of Strategic Engagement, for the Leadership Roundtable .  The Leadership Roundtable promotes best practices and accountability in the Church. They bring expertise in management, finances, communications, and human resource development. They are also a strong supporter of incorporating the expertise of the laity in t...

Published: June 05, 2017 Our Host, Jim Frien d , speaks with Msgr. J. Brian Bransfield , General Secretary of the USCCB, about the upcoming Convocation of Catholic Leaders , to be held July 1-4 in Orlando, Florida. This summer, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will be convening an unprecedented gathering of key leaders from dioceses and Catholic organizations from all across...

Published: May 31, 2017 Let’s talk about Stewardship! Meet Jim Lanahan , Director of Development for the Diocese of Camden . Jim talks about implementing Stewardship and Development in a diocesan setting. He Lanahan brings a lifetime career to fundraising. He has served in the Diocese of Camden for the past 17 years. What is Stewardship? How do we relate to our donors, board members and paris...

Published: May 21, 2017 Interview with John Foster, Class of 2012 This week we continue our two-part episode of the 2011 merger that created Berks Catholic High School .  We interview John Foster , a 2012 graduate and member of the first senior class.  John was a Junior at Reading Central Catholic High School when he heard the news that his school would merge with Holy Name High School....

Published: May 16, 2017 Today’s story is about the successful formation of Berks Catholic High School  in Reading, Pennsylvania ( Diocese of Allentown ), a co-ed high school formed in 2011 through the merger of Reading Central Catholic and Holy Name high schools. Both of the former high schools had proud traditions and tremendous legacies. But the new school exceeded all expectatio...

Published: May 07, 2017 “The Priesthood is the Love of the Heart of Jesus.” This week, Jim F riend travels to Emmitsburg, Maryland, the home of the Seminary at Mount St. Mary’s University . Our latest episode features Msgr. Andrew Baker , the Rector of the Seminary and a Vice President of the University. The Diocese of Allentown ordained Msgr. Bakerto the priesthood in 1991. He has served in vario...

Published: April 30, 2017 Today’s interview takes place with Michael Ritz, ’71, President of the St. James Alumni Association . The story of the St. James High School Bulldogs did not end with the closing of the high school in 1993.  The school’s alumni association has continued to raise funds and make an impact in the community for almost 25 years. Michael reports that membership remain...

Published: April 23, 2017 Part Two of our interview at Nativity Parish. Join Jim Frien d as he visits Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland. In the interview with Fr. Michael White , Pastor and Brandon Hollern, Director of Finances, talk about their journey as a stewardship parish. During the interview, Fr. White shares how his view of stewardship has evolved over the years to what he sees...