Education

Kentucky School of Art, Louisville, KY

The Kentucky School of Art at Spalding University (KSA) started four years ago with a vision. Founder and Chancellor, Churchill Davenport, wanted to bring an innovative, first rate school dedicated to the visual arts to Louisville. Through partnership with Spalding University students have a unique opportunity to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities with a concentration in Art and now a Bachelor’s in Fine Art. Since its inception in 2009, enrollment at KSA has grown to more than 100 students today.

However, as a young, start-up organization, keeping a steady stream of operational capital can be a challenge. Meghan Greenwell, Director of Institutional Advancement, states: “We had an influx of capital at the beginning, but then we hit a lull. We needed a way to stabilize support and grow our donor base. We decided the best way to do that was through a capital campaign.” Before moving ahead with the campaign, KSA leaders sought the help of fundraising counsel to conduct a feasibility study. Meghan recalls, “We interviewed several firms. The Covenant Group really stood out. Len made us immediately comfortable. He had such a great attitude. We really believed that he wanted to partner with us in this journey. It was clear he understood higher education as well as our unique position.”

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by Len Moisan

Lincoln Christian College & Seminary, Lincoln, IL

For more than 55 years, Lincoln Christian College & Seminary has been preparing preachers for service in the world. According to President, Dr. Keith Ray, even though the faculty and staff are working with a new generation, the original mission has not changed. It is with great vision, energy and a passion for excellence that Dr. Ray leads Lincoln today. That vision led him to begin planning to renovate campus facilities and build some long needed new ones.

To achieve this vision, Dr. Ray has led Lincoln through a capital campaign that was successfully launched with counsel from The Covenant Group. We encouraged Lincoln to begin their campaign with a strong, clear call to leadership, and they have responded. “One of the most important things that Dr. Moisan and his team brought to us was a creative energy about the whole consulting role. I did not feel like we were a routine, boilerplate customer. Rather, I felt that Dr. Moisan really strove to understand our culture and provided a passion for excellence in every aspect of our relationship.”

by Len Moisan

Farm Credit Services, Louisville, KY

The Covenant Group’s agreement to facilitate training for Farm Credit Services began in 2001. When the company was just launching the Leadership College. This program was designed to offer the company’s exemplary performers the opportunity to hone their personal leadership skills and to reinforce the organization’s core values. They wanted to help employees find ways to internalize and live out the values in their everyday roles.

Marsha Thompson, Director of Leadership Development, commented, “We don’t want our company values just to be posted on the wall. We want them to be lived out daily through our employees.” She credits Dr. Moisan’s training on ethics and leadership and his facilitation skills as helping them do just that. “During Len’s session he helps employees discover their own core values and find ways to align them with the company’s values.” She continued, “He gets them thinking at a much deeper level by using activities geared toward introspection and self-evaluation.” Thompson remarked that Dr. Moisan’s passion for the subject matter is evident and it comes across through his presentation style. “He helps employees gain a better understanding of the benefits of ethical decision-making.”

At the end of every session of the Leadership College, Thompson asks participants to fill out evaluation forms. She suggested letting some of the attendees speak to the value of the sessions through their feedback: “My favorite session”, “I liked the stories and examples”, “Valuable and interesting discussion”, “A good session that everyone can learn from and apply to their everyday lives.”, “Len has a solid platform for his beliefs on leadership.”. These and others like them capture the essence of the value of the training as well as the passion and experience of the presenter.

When asked how the training has improved the organization, Thompson states that it is difficult to report the results numerically. However, she is quick to point out that employees have a greater awareness of a consistent standard with which to align their behavior. They also take more responsibility for ways their own ethical actions impact the bottom line.

Thompson characterizes Dr. Moisan as “always open to feedback”. “He is flexible, and willing to adjust his presentation to best meet the changing needs of our organization. It is not a canned presentation, but always evolving to remain fresh and relevant.” Thompson estimates that over the 13 years of the program’s existence, Dr. Moisan has trained well over 300 people. She would highly recommend him as a presenter to other organizations seeking leadership or ethics training. “His style is to challenge employees to think about how their actions impact every aspect of their lives… work and beyond. That makes for better informed and more engaged employees that strengthen the organization overall.”

by Len Moisan

“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