Twelve Wicker Baskets

Lino Rulli, aka “The Catholic Guy” on Sirius XM Radio, came into a greater appreciation of his Catholic faith in college after experiencing a tragedy that prompted life’s big questions. A communications undergraduate major with a graduate theology degree, Rulli later discovered an opportunity to start a tv show at a local parish, which later was syndicated across the US and won Emmy awards. His br...

In this episode, Ian Rangel describes the history, mission, and impact of The Papal Foundation , the only charitable organization in the United States exclusively dedicated to fulfilling the requests of the Holy Father for the needs of the Church. The foundation aims at providing the resources to address capital, humanitarian and vocational needs throughout the developing world or, as Ian puts it,...

Bishop Andrew Cozzens is the Bishop of the Diocese of Crookston and currently Chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, in virtue of which he is tasked by the bishops to spearhead the three-year National Eucharistic Revival. In this very theological episode, Bishop Cozzens explores how Christ’s gift of himself in the incarnation is perpetuated in his gift of self in the E...

In this episode, Twelve Wicker Baskets shifts from the philanthropic focus of supporting the Church’s mission to the perspective of those who generate the resources for that support through entrepreneurial business ventures. David Niccolini, a husband, father, and innovating founder of four successful companies, shares his career journey from the perspective of faith, noting that entrepreneurial w...

Matt Vuorela became Chief Executive Officer of the Steier Group in August 2023. In this episode, Matt shares his perspective that many of the discouraging trends we see in the Catholic Church in the United States today are actually opportunities to be bold and creative. From his seat at the head of the firm, he also speaks to other trends in the fundraising/development sector that point to some ve...

In this episode, Jamie Crane describes the impact someone can have when stewardship is understood, embraced and lived as part of one’s Christian discipleship. Looking to Bishop James Golka, Bishop of Colorado Springs, as a prime example of someone endowed with a stewardship heart, Jamie recounts the ways his pastoral leadership has impacted the life of the diocese and each parish community therein...

With both of his grandfathers as Nazarene ministers, Mark Petersen grew up knowing the gospel and the work of ministry. He also grew up inspired by the example of his parents who determined to freeze the assets from their business upon reaching a certain point of success, dedicating any future growth from the business to a philanthropic foundation they established to support noble causes and make...

John Cannon’s unique background in business, finance, political science, monasticism, philosophy, theology and spirituality has equipped him well for launching SENT Ventures. In this episode, John speaks to how God has redirected the course of his life more than once, moving from a business and political career to several years as a Carmelite monk, to establishing SENT as an entrepreneur. From an...

The mission to teach is at the very heart of the Church; a mission she received from the Lord himself: “Go, therefore, and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19). At Hayden Catholic High School, where Shelly Buhler serves as President, fulfilling that divine mission is something integrated intentionally into everything they do. Flowing from the school’s strategic planning process and an evaluation of...

As the great-granddaughter of John and Helena Raskob, and a lifelong member of the Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities, Kerry grew up involved in philanthropic support of the ministries and good works of the Catholic Church throughout the world. It wasn’t until Father Bob Beloin, Catholic chaplain at Yale University, invited her to lead a capital campaign in support of the St. Thomas More Ca...

In this episode, Meg Hunter-Kilmer, author of Pray for Us: 75 Saints Who Sinned, Suffered and Struggled On Their Way to Holiness , shares how she left her position as a high school theology teacher and set off to be an itinerant speaker, witnessing to the love of God, inspiring deeper faith, and sharing the universal attainability of sanctity by demonstrating how the saints in every age cooperated...

In this first anniversary episode, a clip from each guest of the past year is woven together to provide a montage of collective wisdom, reflecting on the themes of God’s abundant and astounding generosity, personal relationship as the foundation for fundraising, the connection of discipleship and stewardship, to name a few. Follow us on social media: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram To co...

In this episode, Mother Mary Clare, Mother Superior and foundress of the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus, along with Sister Annunciata, share how God has proven to be astoundingly generous to each of them in their own vocational journey, but also in the life of their community. Relying upon divine providence for all their material needs (the sisters have no income beyond free-will offerings), the...

Father Jarrod was introduced to the stewardship as a way of life from childhood, calling it “the context for my Catholic formation.” Stewardship “became the lens through which we understood how to be a disciple of Jesus Christ,” recognizing that everything we have is a gift we have received. And once we recognize the giftedness we each possess, then we start recognizing the response. The stewardsh...

Quentin Schesnuik grew up in the rural prairies of Saskatchewan and, after graduating from university, began his career in banking. After moving to Toronto for work, he helped an inner-city charity establish a planned giving program to assist the poor. Listening to their stories, he discovered their great wisdom about what matters most in life. Encountering the Lord powerfully in the sacrament of...

Renée Underwood has often asked, “After you’re gone, who will replace your giving to the church?” She’s quick to provide the answer: “You will!” In this episode, Renée shares her perspective of faith in engaging donors about remembering the Church in their estate plans. She understands these encounters with donors to be a graced and spiritual moment in which the fundraiser must listen to donors’ s...

Ashley Linville looks at his life in gratitude for how God has opened doors and led him on new pathways. His strong Baptist faith has helped him prayerfully discern “the still, small voice” of God, and to respond with trust to opportunities that sometimes came as a surprise. Though stressful, stepping forward in faith leads to the tell-tale sign of God’s presence: peace. Ashley presides over fundr...

During his early career in banking, Bill Maloney decided to step out of accounting and take the Dale Carnegie Class on Human Relations, which led him to push through his introversion and make strategic recommendations to bank management and colleagues. This opened the door to development, which Bill emphasizes is premised on strong personal relationships.  Bill has learned that while approaching m...

At more than 83,000 square miles, the Diocese of Boise is vast, comprising the entire state of Idaho. As a largely rural diocese (the 2020 census indicated an overall population of under 2 million inhabitants), the diocese is a beneficiary of support from the USCCB’s Catholic Home Missions Fund and the Extension Society. Bishop Peter Christensen, the Bishop of the Diocese of Boise, says he doesn’t...

The Sunday collection may appear to be a disruptive intrusion into celebrating spiritual mysteries, but Father Darrin Gurr sees the offertory as “a very sacred moment,” since it is “the very first act of the celebration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist … and it’s essential because ultimately it gives meaning to the celebration of the Eucharist. Until the gifts are gathered up and offered, the good...

Creator of The Great Adventure Bible study series , host of the weekly podcast , The Jeff Cavins Show , and co-host of The Bible in A Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins is a well-known Catholic evangelist, author and biblical scholar. In this episode, Jeff discusses his latest book , The Activated Disciple: Taking Your Faith to the Next Level . An activated disciple is someone who, ha...

Discipleship, stewardship and evangelization all center around relationship, and specifically relationship with God and neighbor. In this episode, guest Dave Baranowski recounts his own spiritual journey and notes that an encounter with Jesus and hearing the call to discipleship changes everything in one’s life. For those who have had an authentic encounter with the Lord, the practice of the faith...

With guest Francis Doyle of the Diocese of Hamilton, this episode addresses the philanthropic landscape of the Catholic Church in Canada, addressing cultural, societal and ecclesial challenges to fundraising. Challenges include a decline in Mass attendance, depopulation of rural areas, the tendency of large institutions in Canada to rely upon public funding, a social etiquette that makes asking fo...

This inaugural episode explores the thought of Henri Nouwen on the human journey from “the house of fear to the house of love” and how Nouwen’s spirituality of fundraising is therefore less about fundraising per se and more about recognizing each engagement with benefactors as a graced interpersonal encounter. Nathan Ball discusses the importance of shifting our mindset and the way we talk about f...

Twelve Wicker Baskets with Christopher Beaudet, presented by the Steier Group, premieres on Feb. 23, 2022. Listen to a sneak peek of the podcast now and subscribe to hear the full conversation later this month. Follow us on social media: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram Contact the show at twb@steiergroup.com. Follow us on social media: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram To contact...