Ursuline Campus Schools, Louisville, KY

May 18, 2016

Ursuline Campus Schools is a unified system of five schools situated on 48 scenic acres in Louisville, Kentucky. Charlie Francesconi, President, used The Covenant Group’s expertise to “add professionalism and structure to our development office.”

Operating within the framework of five separate schools, the Ursuline Campus Schools’ development office had not been formally structured to provide maximum success. Mr. Francesconi stated, “We wanted Dr. Moisan’s help in rethinking our entire development function – from how we went about setting development goals to establishing proper roles for our development and administrative staff.”

Mr. Francesconi continued, “Len showed us how to organize our annual fundraising calendar – how to identify what should happen during each part of the year. He helped us increase board involvement in both the fundraising events and the annual campaign. One of the biggest changes we made was to abort several small fundraisers and pool our resources to more effectively execute several larger scale efforts. Dr. Moisan was instrumental in laying out the annual fundraising process and helping us communicate the importance of formalizing that process to our board members and constituents.”

The Covenant Group realizes that change can be unsettling. That is why when we make recommendations we supplement them with real-world advice on how to communicate these changes to your stakeholders and how to implement them in your organization.

“Using our existing staff, Dr. Moisan helped us more than double our annual giving over the course of just two years. If I could do it again, the only thing I would change about my experience with The Covenant Group is I would do it sooner!”

Results

Doubled annual giving in less than two years

Executed fewer, more successful fundraising campaigns

“I really support The Covenant Group’s strategic planning process because their approach encourages staff-based support with board buy-in, and I felt that was important given what we were trying to achieve. The outcome is an effective plan that builds consensus and provides a clear sense of direction.”
- Jennifer Scott, Director of Development - The Cabbage Patch Settlement House

“The Covenant Group is highly competent, very experienced and knowledgeable. They provided a broad perspective by equipping us with useful data…and best practices in the field. All in all, they are excellent.”
- Dan Jones, CEO - 21st Century Parks

“The campaign has truly been a miracle. People were committed from the beginning, but…even raising $650,000 seemed like a stretch. To nearly double that amount is incredible! When the plan they developed allows you to hit a goal like that, it builds such a sense of community. The momentum built by the campaign is spilling outside the walls of our church and benefiting others in the process.”
-Father John Hollowell - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church

“For those of us who don’t do this everyday, The Covenant Group instilled confidence in us. They helped us get through the fear and apprehension by providing us with a process, training and motivation. They taught us and helped us plan in a way that was for the better. We have built lasting relationships with donors and we will continue to steward these relationships long into the future.”
- Sue Finke, Director of Institutional Advancement - Covington Catholic High School

“No one anticipated we could raise this amount. Even the Archdiocese is surprised. The funds raised represent about 15 times our annual giving. But it’s not just the financial results. People stand around talking more than they did before the campaign. There is also a renewed and energized spirit among the parishioners. It’s the most exciting thing to happen in our parish in the last 100 years.”
- Gary Libs, Campaign Co-Chair - St. Mary of the Knobs Catholic Church

“The Covenant Group’s process involved a lot of people in our congregation doing small tasks … that built ownership. They took our vision and put it into a concrete plan. They helped us understand the importance of making our vision clear and laid out the steps to make the vision a reality. Their process built consensus and showed people how they could help. Their methods are based on a solid theological foundation that includes key documents, prayer support, and requisite training … all of which were invaluable.”
- Daniel Montgomery, Pastor - Sojourn Community Church

“Everything The Covenant Group did to help us…in the initial stages was helpful…the development of the case statement; our materials; the training of our Board members; strategies; all these steps laid the foundation for eventual success. They brought such a high level of professionalism, a wealth of experience and a strong track record of integrity and success… just being associated with The Covenant Group helped us.”
- Nancy Doctor, Development Director - Wellspring

“The structure The Covenant Group provided was excellent. It allowed our members to use their God-given talents to benefit the church community They helped us develop a plan and identify key leadership candidates to chair the effort, as well as engaging between 80 to 100 people to carry out the work of the campaign. It was truly a whole congregation effort and The Covenant Group helped facilitate that. They helped us reach our full potential as a congregation.”
- Ron Poisel, Pastor - Christ Lutheran Church

Ursuline Campus Schools, Louisville, KY

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