I just couldn't resist!

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should
be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance
of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and
the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest
Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to
work, instead of living on public assistance."

- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 55 BC

Enjoying the success of a client.

Bishop Tobin of the Catholic Diocese of Providence RI, Jim Cunneen and Ray Coogan both of the Cunneen Company, enjoy a moment of celebration as the guests of Father Spina, pastor of St. Martha's in East Providence.

Bishop Tobin was congratulating Father Spina and the parishioners of St. Martha's on their recently completed $1 million capital campaign to conduct major renovations.

Seeing these projects completed is by far the most rewarding part of our jobs. Congratulations to Father Spina and the good people of St. Martha's.

My friends...

To members of the Cunneen family of clients:

“One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency” Arnold Glasgow

If you are receiving this newsletter you are a leader; a leader of a parish, finance council, development office, stewardship department or an entire diocese. Leadership in a faith based (Catholic)organization during these extraordinarily complicated times is difficult. Employees, parishioners, volunteers, peers, and colleagues look to you for guidance, instruction, comfort and inspiration. You are expected to have the right answer, to chart the proper course of action, and to assure those around you that everything will be fine.

“Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time." Oswald Chambers

Like you, I have this deliberate confidence. I have faith that God will show me the way that He will guide my hand and my actions.

In the coming months we will all be challenged to make difficult decisions about the organizations we lead. Raising money, increasing weekly giving, introducing electronic giving, conducting capital campaigns are not easy things to do when the economy is suffering or when your parishioners are feeling insecure about their jobs, homes and financial security.

However, as leaders we must lead! We must “recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency”. Now more than ever, Catholic parishes must address their regular, electronic, and capital giving. A weak economy does not correlate with a parish’s expenses or capital needs. The electric bill will not be reduced, fuel costs will remain high, the snow must be ploughed, the leak in the roof has to be repaired, and the insurance premiums must be paid. It isn’t easy but it is necessary.

Twenty-eight years of service to the Catholic Church assures us that parishioners will respond. In good times and bad, the generosity of the faithful never fails to meet the needs of our Church. Please know that The Cunneen Company remains committed to assisting your parish or diocese.

Our offertory enhancement, electronic giving and capital campaign programs are obtaining meaningful and lasting results. Offertory enhancement appeals conducted in September and October of this year have seen an average increase of 23%. It is comforting to witness the “deliberate confidence” of the tens of thousands of Catholics who supported their parishes over these difficult weeks. We are heartened by their response.

As always, thank you for your time, consideration and for granting us the privilege to serve your parish or diocese.

Sincerely,

John Cunneen

Good stewards have faith.

Bad Economic Times can provide a Healthy Perspective

“It is the heart that makes a man rich.
He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has.”
-Henry Ward Beecher

Whether or not we are in an official “recession,” there is now no denying that our country is experiencing an historic and catastrophic downturn in the economy. While it is the large banks and Wall Street firms that have received all the publicity and “bailouts”, it is in the individual family wallet and budget where we all are feeling the pinch of the tough economy more acutely than anywhere else. When difficulties are experienced and our safety is threatened, we find out if our religious beliefs are more than mere slogans or platitudes. Is it possible to find a silver lining in the economic rain cloud hanging over our heads?

If we are to find our way through these tough times, we must first understand the “motivation of crisis.” You know the old saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Well, bad economic times can create the pressure needed for us to finally review our financial stewardship and how faithful and disciplined we are in the way we use our personal financial resources. The economists tell us this particular crisis was brought on by unwise debt and mortgage lending. If we have personally overextended our family finances with too much debt, these times will be very tough for us indeed and we will have to make serious cutbacks in our expenses. But if we learn this painful lesson and begin to live within our family’s financial means, the future can hold great promise. When finances are flush and times are good, it is easy to be less disciplined in our spending and how we use our money. Yard sales are testimonies to how much “junk” most families have and could easily live without. When times are difficult, we are much more careful how we spend our money and we come much closer to limiting our purchases to useful necessities.

When we experience financial woes, we must remember Jesus’ teaching in Luke 12:13-34 that if we build our treasures here on earth, moth and rust can destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them. But treasures built in Heaven are safe from these dangers and will provide a safe and secure foundation upon which a life can be built that will endure the financial struggles that will inevitably occur. Further, Jesus promises that just as the birds of the air and the flowers are provided for by God, so too will He provide our basic and essential needs. To worry about these things, Jesus taught, is folly and doesn’t help the situation at all.

As times improve, and they eventually will, good stewards will remember the lessons learned and the more disciplined priorities of these lean times. We will keep our future expenditures under control and representative of the teachings of our Lord. These economic times will pass, although we don’t know how soon. But people of FAITH will make the most of the time to review and re-order their lives and stewardship, and will look back on 2008 as a great year when they rediscovered the power of their faith and trust in their Lord to provide their needs.

A Capital Campaign for needed improvements or additions can provide an excellent opportunity for your parishioners to step out in faith and make a Statement of Intention that will be a testament to their faith in the future and their trust in God to provide their needs

Article by: Ralph Salzgaber. Cunneen consultant, campaign director and author of Cunneen's Stewardship in Motion newsletter

Some good news!

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=6157679&page=1

This closely reflects what we are seeing in many of our programs. People still give! Parishes still need to ask! The work of the church and your non-profit must continue.

Just because the economy has slowed doesn't mean the electric bill is going to decrease or the insurance premiums will be reduced or the roof will automatically stop leaking. Just as your donors/parishioners must continue to meet their regular obligations so to must the parish or non-profit.

Now is the time for bold and confident leadership your parish, your non profit and the people your organization serves are counting on it.

More thoughts about fundaising in these difficult times...

A solid fundraising blog:

http://fundraisingcoach.com/2008/10/21/theres-nothing-compassionate-about-not-asking/

Here at the Cunneen Company we are in the midst of dozens of parish offertory enhancement programs. Fortunately for Cunneen and for our parish clients the pastors and parish leaders had the courage and confidence to move forward with their appeals. We are seeing an average increase in weekly giving at Catholic parishes across the country of around 23%! A 23% increase in giving at the height of the economic uncertainty.

If you ask, if you have been a good steward of your resources, a good communicator of your parish or organizations short, medium and long term funding goals, your supporters WILL give!

We have seen almost no decrease in gifts that come from income. These would be moderate capital campaign gifts, annual fund, weekly giving and offertory support. We have seen a weakening in our major and leadership gifts levels. These gifts traditionally come from assets or from "wealth". There is no question that even the most affluent of donors are feeling a lot less wealthy, less secure during these uncertain times. Needless to say gifts of appreciated securities (stock) have been a bit slow of late.

If you are considering a modest capital campaign (up to two times annual giving or offertory) or are focusing on your annual giving, weekly stewardship or offertory-it is still a good if not essential time for you to be conducting a professionally guided program.

Oh my....

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Watching this with the sound up is worth the three minutes-if you are not riveted by 1:07 - well... This video really struck me here late on a Wednesday evening.

I would like to thank my friends at the http://faithandaction.org . Thier site is worth a visit-thier work-is essential.

Harry's article sweeps the nation...

Harry Colin's outstanding article "Fighting Faith with Fear" - linked below - has swept the nation. We recently emailed the article to over 1,500 Catholic pastors, business managers, and lay leaders. The response has been great. The article appears to have struck a cord with many of us that care deeply about our faith, the church and the responsibility we have as Catholics to be good Stewards of our church.

A diocesan development director in the mid-west forwarded the article to DRE's, stewardship coordinators and pastors throughout his diocese.

A careful mix of hope, acceptance of our individual roles in this crisis, a willingness to embrace a more deliberate and responsible lifestyle and an acceptance that we must all lift each other up. That we must place our trust in God - is a message that we can all benefit from.

Thank you again to Harry for giving us all smoething to think about in your wonderful article.

Back to the basics!

Just a few quick thoughts regarding fundraising in these difficult times.

At a speech I gave recently to the Connecticut Council on Philanthropy I encouraged the audience to get back to the basics-to focus on doing the little things right, the blocking and tackling that leads to donor loyalty, major and even planned gifts.

In the parish setting the basics would be offertory. This is an important time to encourage your donors to make reasonable increases in weekly giving if they are able. It is also an important time to share with them the financial state of the parish, the number of regular supporters, the average weekly gift. Focus your parishioners attention on electronic giving, use of envelopes, monthly gifts and making up when they are unable to attend mass.

Next week I intend to post results from offertory enhancement appeals that the firm is running right now-in the heart of the economic crisis-you are going to be very pleased with the results. The generosity of the faithful is always a sight to behold!

If you are a school or other non profit now is the time to master your annual appeal. Analyze giving patterns, increase the frequency of your direct mail solicitations, focus on building donor loyalty, modest increases in annual giving and showing appreciation to your generous supporters.

An intense focus on your annual giving, donor loyalty programs, upgrading gifts, cultivating relationships and solidifying and perfecting your case for support will serve you well in the future when this economy turns around. And make no mistake about it this economy will turn around!

More coming-but hang in there folks! Your parishioners, your donors are not letting you down!

Reading this made me a better person!

A must read! Simple as that...

http://solinusonstewardship.blogspot.com/2008/10/fighting-fear-with-faith.html