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What Catholic Social Doctrine says about Fundraising

Three recommendations about how to fundraise from the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Make sure to get your free copy of ‘The 10 Commandment of Catholic Fundraising’. It’s a book that highlights the ten tasks you should do to keep you focused on your mission and hit your fundraising target, every time.
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You likely read a lot of books and articles about what the Church teaches, but have you ever read this vital document?

The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (softcover and digital copies available here)

Published in 2004 by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace at the request of John Paul II,  this document presents a “complete overview of the fundamental framework of the doctrinal corpus of Catholic social teaching.” 

I have scrubbed the document from cover to cover, and I found some helpful suggestions for… you guessed it! … Catholic Fundraisers.

With so much going on this summer, I thought these insights for the Pontifical Council will help you focus on finding more donors.

Check it out:

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Pope Benedict XVI, Hope, and How to Fundraise

Three recommendations on how to fundraise from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, Saved in Hope

I was reading Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical, Saved in Hope.

How does this connect with raising funds?

When we fundraise, we often use the word hope. “I hope this campaign works.” “I hope they say yes.” “I hope to find donors.”

On the surface, these phrases may seem reasonable to you. But there is an important takeaway when it comes to hope.

Pope Benedict tells us that hope, if not understood properly, can do more harm than good. This is especially true in fundraising, and he explains why. Check it out:

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Saint Joseph, a model Catholic fundraiser

Three characteristics a Catholic fundraiser should adopt from Saint Joseph

This week, I spent time learning about the life of Saint Joseph.

I came across an encyclical written by Pope Leo XIII about Joseph titled, QUAMQUAM PLURIES.

If my Latin is correct, this means, “However often,” right?

I couldn’t help spotting the connections between Saint Joseph’s life and the life of a fundraiser. At first glance, this may sound impossible; however, I think you will agree with my findings.

Check out this week’s fundraising ‘thought-piece’:

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Abraham Explains How to Fundraise

Three fundraising tips from Abraham and how he followed God

Make sure to get your free copy of ‘The 10 Commandment of Catholic Fundraising’. It’s a book that highlights the ten tasks you should do to keep you focused on your mission and hit your fundraising target, every time.
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Last week, I offered a group of Catholics the opportunity to “ask-me-anything”…

Someone (whom I had never met) asked if I would fundraise for them and earn a commission from the proceeds. You can probably guess my answer.

What most people miss is that fundraising isn’t just about donations and grants.

There’s something much more important.

And if you want to find donors to support your mission, then I suggest you learn from Abraham. He learned to build the Kingdom of God, and Abraham starting with NOTHING. A daunting task, yes, but he did it.

Check out this week’s lesson:

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Saint Bernardine of Siena’s Unconventional Fundraising Style

Three Recommendations from the biography, The Life of Saint Bernardine of Siena

Make sure to get your free copy of ‘The 10 Commandment of Catholic Fundraising’. It’s a book that highlights the ten tasks you should do to keep you focused on your mission and hit your fundraising target, every time.
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You have likely heard of Saint Bernardine of Siena, a 15th century Franciscan. Pope Pius II called him a second Paul.

I read through the Life of Saint Bernardine and discovered he had a strange approach to fundraising. Yes, he did fundraise, and, yes, he had his own style!

As any saint does, he challenges our perspectives. This time, Saint Bernardine made me rethink my views on how to ask.

Here is what I learned from him:

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Three Fundraising Tips from Saint Augustine

Fundraising Recommendations from St. Possidius's biography, Life of Saint Augustine

Make sure to get your free copy of ‘The 10 Commandment of Catholic Fundraising’. It’s a book that highlights the ten tasks you should do to keep you focused on your mission and hit your fundraising target, every time.
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There are many things to consider when fundraising.

Sometimes I’ll spend hours, even days, fine-tuning a letter to prospects or brainstorming ideas for campaigns.

That stuff is important.

But there’s a fine line between allowing yourself to get lost in the details versus moving your Catholic mission forward.

Enter Saint Augustine of Hippo.

He had LOADS of responsibilities, some included fundraising. He knew that it had to get done, but he also knew not to overthink it.

Today, I recommend you learn three ways Saint Augustine managed his fundraising which come from St. Possidius‘s biography, Life of Saint Augustine.

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How Saint John Vianney started his fundraising

Three practical fundraising tips from the life of Saint John Vianney

Good fundraising isn’t about shouting from the rooftops about why people should donate to your cause.

It starts with focusing on what matters most (God), keeping your eyes open, and inspiring your community to become more holy.

Take, for example, Saint John Vianney. He began his priestly ministry with a rundown parish, empty pews, and very few financial resources.

You could say he started with nothing…

This week’s article is all about how Saint John Vianney started – especially with fundraising – so you can change more lives and make an even greater impact. Check it out…

PS – the information about Saint John Vianney’s approach comes from the book, the Life of the Cure d’Ars by the Abbe Alfred Monnin. Translated from the French edition.