This June 2010, ISPD will complete our 21st year as a national Catholic Development consulting company. By many standards, I guess we could say that we are now “adults” in the business world. If nothing else, I do believe that it qualifies us to offer a perspective that is valuable — what works and what does not work. Thus far, it has been a great journey through the ’90′s and the first ten years of the 21st century. We have met so many wonderful Catholic leaders, friends, and folks who make this ministry so rewarding. And yet, like all Catholic parishes and schools throughout the country, we need to stay on top of things; we need to be on the cutting edge; we need to offer quality and customer service that is second to none. We need to continue to offer the benefits that answer the questions: Why should we invest in ISPD? What return will we get back on our investment dollar?

Consulting is not the easiest business in which to operate today. The present economy; the “hit” that many Catholic parishes, schools and dioceses have taken and are taking from lack of enrollment; the decreases in Sunday collections; the lack of return on endowment investments; the small number of parish families who actually become involved in the life of their home parish; the number of financial leaders not having the resources they had 3-4 years ago; the new strategies that have to be deployed to make a capital campaign work — all of these point to challenges for everyone across the board. They all impact the bottom line and the amount of resources a parish and/or school has available. Fortunately, ISPD – having been alive and well for 21 years – has developed answers to address these challenges.

• Monthly newsletter on Catholic Development and Total Stewardship (back issues on website – 4,524 subscribers)
• Monthly newsletter on Enrollment Mangement (back issues on website – 4,305 subscribers)
• ISPD Position Papers on website stating the philosophy of Catholic Development
• Free Viewable CD: “Ripples in the Pond”
• Free Viewable DVDs: Seven 15 minute videos on Catholic Development and Stewardship topics (annual fund, stewardship, capitak campaigns, strategic planning, etc.)
• Enrollment Management library
• ISPD on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ispdpeople

ISPD Resources at Little Cost

• ISPD Webinars: $39.00 which includes a one hour Power Point presentation and a copy of the Power Point e-mailed within one week of the webinar
• NCEA/ISPD Webcasts: $20.00 – $40.00 pending on if a NCEA boards & councils member
• ISPD sponsored Workshops: $75.00 per person for a 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM workshop and this includes lunch and presentation materials

Obviously, while the above resources are available, we believe we offer the very best in on-site consulting where our partnership philosophy is all about “teaching you how to fish” rather than just “giving you fish.” Having taught in Catholic schools for over twenty years, I am proud that we titled this company Institute of School and Parish Development (Institute: an association organized to promote, educate, advance and lay the groundwork). We believe we have been doing that for 21 years and look forward to many, many more – working in partnership with you.

Bernard DuMond Named Vice-President of ISPD
It is with a great deal of pride that we announce that Bernard DuMond has been named Vice-President of the Institute of School and Parish Development. Bernard has been with ISPD for seventeen years, serving as our senior assoicate for the past ten. He has traveled extensively throughout the country having working with Catholic parishes, schools and dioceses from the west coast to the east coast. Bernard is one of the leading workshop presenters in the country, speaking often at the NCEA Convention, ISPD workshops, diocesan workshops, and on-site workshops. He has consulted in every process that ISPD offers and brings a great deal of expertise to the table in the areas of capital campaigns, strategic planning, diocesan planning, and implementation of long-range plans. Bernard will be launching a new division of ISPD this coming school year entitled “Resources and Revenue.” We congratulate our new vice-president!

Lessons Learned in Catholic Development
Over the many years we have been involved in Catholic Parish and School Development, there have been a lot of lessons that have been learned. This pencil mark on the door frame of our history allows me to the opportunity to share some of these lessons.

1. People really do want to become involved in the life of our Catholic parishes and schools, but they do need the personal invitation before they take that first step.
2. Raising money is not the “end” result of a Catholic Development effort; it is simply a step in the process of building that strong connection between the “steward” who shares the gifts and that Catholic institution.
3. The people engagement efforts of a parish and/or a school cannot be a “smokescreen” for money. Eventually, most people will see right through it.
4. The two greatest challenges we face in Catholic Development are: a. Opening up the roadways, avenues and vehicles to invite and involve people; and b. Constantly educating our boards, councils, staff, faculty, and Catholic institution leaders on what development is really all about. Most do not understand.
5. Development efforts should not be judged solely on the amount of money raised but on the amount of meaningfully engaged people there are in the life of your Catholic school or parish. And, this amount of people should grow by 10% – 15% every year.
6. A Catholic institution will generate as many resources as it deserves to generate, and what it deserves to generate will be in direct relationship to the quality of its people, programs, processes, planning and leadership.
7. Most Catholic Development efforts succeed because two major elements are always present: a. Outstanding leadership that is effective and engaged; and b. Attitudes that are always positive and affirming.
8. Development is like a vegetable or fruit garden. Great care and concern need to be taken in selecting and planting the seeds of what we wish to grow. The ground must be tilled and cultivated and fertilized and prepared for planting. Constant attention needs to be paid in making sure those seeds grow into plants and that they are watered and nourished and not allowed to be taken over by weeds. Each fruit or vegetable has a great deal to offer to the other ones on the vine if allowed to grow properly. When harvest time is here, whatever gifts that plant has to offer should be seen as only a step in the process of a long term relationship where that plant’s seeds can be used over and over again to bring more gifts for the future.
9. The word “gift” can mean many things in Catholic Development. Granted, it can mean money, but there are many who are willing to share Gifts of Prayer, Involvement, Expertise, Wisdom, Resources, Time and Talent. Money is one of many gifts, not the only one.
10. A Development Core Team of 15-18 people who work closely with the development officer(s) will greatly advance the Catholic Development efforts of any institution.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 at 6:01 pm and is filed under Development Directions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.