The Petrus Development Show

Working in Catholic fundraising means your faith and your job are deeply intertwined, and that means it's sometimes surprisingly hard to clock out. When does prayer become work prep? How do you say no to your parishioner requests on your day off? Where does the professional ministry end and the personal faith life begin? In this episode, Andrew and Rhen draw on their years of experience in Catholi...

Andrew and Rhen return to tackle a question that every fundraiser wrestles with: is the traditional 9-to-5, 40-hour workweek realistic in this profession?  And if not, what should fundraisers do instead? Andrew offers practical guidance on how fundraisers can build both balance and effectiveness into their professional lives. The reality of fundraising often means stepping outside standard office...

Join Andrew and Rhen, two veteran fundraisers, as they have a fun chat about the advice they'd give themselves if they could turn back the clocks to when they first started fundraising.  They offer this advice to new fundraisers, just getting started in their careers, in hopes that it'll encourage and offer reassurance.   Core themes during their chat include the importance of bold, specific asks...

It's time to talk books! 📚  In this episode of the Petrus Development Show, Andrew and Rhen swap their usual fundraising advice for something a little more relaxed:  their all-time favorite non-fiction reads.  This episode offers a summer reading list from two people who've actually put these books to work — in their professional lives and in their personal lives. From effective business and mark...

Rhen is back on the Petrus Development Show with an exciting guest along for the ride. Meet Jenni Reamer, Petrus coursewriter and fundraising educator, who joins Rhen for a candid, thoughtful conversation about one of the most daunting challenges in the nonprofit world: building a fundraising program from scratch. Drawing from her firsthand experience launching a fundraising program for a college...

Welcome back!  In our previous episode, we explored why every organization needs a fundraising leadership committee (and how to form one!), but now it's time to answer the question that really matters: What do you actually do with one?  Matt joins Rhen again this week to dig into the nuts and bolts of ongoing committee management. Building your leadership committee is just the beginning. The real...

What makes a great leadership committee — and who should be on it? In this week's episode, Rhen sits down with special guest Matt Bond to unpack one of the more beneficial, yet confusing, structures in fundraising. Whether it's called an advisory committee, a fundraising committee, or a capital campaign committee, don't get hung up on the name — the function is what matters.  Rhen and Matt dig int...

Every capital campaign hits rough patches — but what separates the ones that succeed from the ones that stall out for good? In this episode, Andrew and Rhen dig into that very question. Andrew draws on his experience to identify the telltale signs that a campaign is in trouble, explore why momentum fades, and offer a practical roadmap for leaders ready to course-correct. It's an honest, encouragin...

In this episode of the Petrus Development Show, Rhen sits down with Andrew for a practical and motivating conversation about how to finish your fiscal year strong — or, if your year is just beginning, how to start it with real intention.  As summer approaches, it's the perfect time to pause and take stock: Are you hitting your professional goals? How are your lead measures tracking? This episode i...

Andrew and Rhen are back with another practical, how-to episode — and this time, they're hitting the road. That's right, fundraisers travel. A lot. And since most of that travel revolves around meeting donors face-to-face, knowing how to plan well can make the difference between a productive trip and a exhausting one.  In this episode, Andrew and Rhen share their recommendations for planning strat...

Welcome back to the Petrus Development Show! In this episode, Andrew and Rhen share their experiences with AI for fundraisers, highlighting practical tools and strategies to transform your development office.  Are you new to using AI in your work? Perfect—this is your starting point. Andrew and Rhen reveal their favorite tools and offer examples of how they're using AI to save time and boost resul...

Happy 2026! Are you looking to strengthen your fundraising this year? Andrew and Rhen are back with a practical episode on metrics and goal setting that goes beyond typical New Year's resolutions.  In this episode, they break down the key metrics fundraisers should track to build a stronger program—including the important difference between lead measures (what predicts success) and lag measures (w...

December is crunch time for nonprofits.  With a third of annual giving happening in the final weeks of the year, your development office can't afford to relax (yet!) for the holidays. Join Andrew and Rhen as they share three strategic moves to maximize your year-end fundraising.  While the strategies they discuss are simple and inexpensive, they will require some time and thoughtfulness. Don't wai...

Andrew and Rhen close out their capital campaign series by tackling a question many nonprofits don't think about until it's too late: What happens after you hit your goal?    Please take note - the work isn't over!  Yes, take time to celebrate (pop that champagne!), but the real opportunity lies in what you do next. This is your chance to transform one-time campaign donors into loyal, long-term su...

The moment you've been waiting for is finally here—let's dive into the heart of capital campaigns! In this episode, Andrew and Rhen discuss the details of campaign execution, breaking down the two critical campaign phases: the silent phase and the public phase.  While the two phases are equally important, they serve different strategic purposes.   To highlight these differences, Andrew takes you o...

Welcome back for part 2 of our 4-part series on all things capital campaigns!  Last week, Andrew and Rhen explored feasibility studies.  This week, they're tackling the critical preparation phase—that crucial period between your feasibility study and your first campaign ask.   As Andrew emphasizes throughout this episode, the preparation phase is about winning the game on paper.  This is when your...

Join Andrew and Rhen as they kick off an 4-part series that walks you through every stage of capital campaigns—from those critical first steps of the feasibility study to the post-campaign transition back to your annual fund. Whether you're considering a campaign or just curious about the process, this series has everything you need to make informed decisions for your organization.  Show Notes: Be...

Join Andrew as he reflects on how Catholic Social Teaching (CST), rooted in Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical  Rerum Novarum , fundamentally transforms his approach to fundraising.  Andrew shares a bit of the history of CST from  Rerum Novarum  to the present, and he explores how the CST values of human dignity, justice over charity, and solidarity over transactional relationships affect his work as...

It seems obvious that communities should help their members in need, but —but is it really? The reasons behind our philanthropic impulses have shifted dramatically throughout American history, and they're shaped by the social ideals and influential figures of each era.  Why (and how) do we care for those who struggle?   What makes American philanthropy unique compared to other countries? How did w...

It's back-to-school season, which means development teams are mapping out their fundraising calendars—and facing the same ol' dilemma. Do you throw a glitzy gala for 500 people, or host intimate wine tastings in board members' living rooms?  Big events look impressive on paper (and in those Instagram posts). But, here's what most organizations don't calculate: the hidden costs of staff burnout, vo...

This week, Andrew and Rhen are stepping away from the usual fundraising how-tos to explore something deeper: the real difference between charity and philanthropy.  Turns out, these terms aren't interchangeable after all. While we often use them as synonyms, Andrew explains why that's actually doing our ministries a disservice. Each approach represents a fundamentally different way of creating impa...

Andrew and Rhen are back on the Petrus Development Show to tackle the nitty-gritty campaign questions that keep development professionals up at night—the ones that often get pushed aside until they become urgent problems.  What You'll Discover in this Episode: The Naming Game: When and how should your campaign offer naming opportunities?  Annual Fund Flexibility: Can you really stretch annual givi...

In this week's episode of the Petrus Development Show, Rhen chats with Josh Weimer, Petrus's summer intern.  We invite you to spend 20 minutes getting to know Josh and his role with Petrus.  As our youngest Petrus employee, Josh offers unique insight into generational differences in fundraising, and he shares the things that have surprised him most about his introduction to Catholic fundraising at...

Fundraising professionals often ask Petrus about the nuances of soliciting donations. Join Andrew and Rhen as they tackle two of the most frequently asked questions that every development professional faces:  How many donor visits should happen before making the ask? There's no magic number, but timing and relationship-building are crucial. Andrew breaks down the factors that determine when you're...

Have you ever wondered how Petrus views its role as a fundraising coach?  Or, why Petrus offers services the way we do?  If so, this episode is for you!  Andrew and Rhen take a look at all the ways fundraising consulting services can be offered, and they share details on Petrus's educational and service philosophy.  Petrus is a "teach to fish" consulting firm.  Listen in to learn what "teach to fi...