So, we wrapped up Lent last week…

… which means wrapping up Lenten fundraising appeals.

I completed many appeals these past weeks for lay apostolates, religious communities, parishes, and schools.

And as always, there were lots of lessons learned.

Today, I will focus on whether or not you should apply for secular grants. I discuss the pros and cons and what to consider when looking for funding from grants.

Should Catholics apply for grants (specifically secular grants)

Think you cannot get excited about asking for donations?

That’s what many people are telling me lately (and that thought can be paralyzing!) until they realized that major success often starts by looking at fundraising from a different perspective.

Looking back, I can see that’s how things unfolded in many other apostolates, too.

If you’re starting out or at a crossroads, and you need some help getting excited, I have some excellent advice for you. Check it out:

I recently had dinner with a famous Catholic personality, and we discussed an interesting topic that evening.

We discussed the ‘art’ of building a sustainable Catholic apostolate.

It got me thinking about the roadblocks for most people.

What do you think is your BIGGEST roadblock?

I’m guessing it’s FEAR of asking.

The fear of asking for donations is a HUGE challenge. So, I thought to share my thoughts on how you can overcome your fears of asking. Check it out:

I enjoy fundraising for Catholic apostolates, and I also enjoy helping Catholics run their apostolates. But I think your fundraising should serve your mission, not the other way around.

Take for example capital campaigns.

Running a capital campaign can be very important; however, a campaign can overwhelm the apostolate’s mission and focus.

And if you’ve been reading everything that I send you, I’m all about focusing on the mission WHILE achieving fundraising success – especially with capital campaigns.

Check out how I always start my capital campaigns to make sure they (1) are successful and (2) serve the mission:

If you’re starting to fundraise, here’s a critical thing you need to remember:

You may feel guilty when asking for donations.

It’s okay to feel this. I felt guilty at first, but feelings don’t equal facts. Would you agree? You are asking because your mission can do so much more with some financial support.

So how do you overcome that guilty feeling?

Well, that is what this week’s lesson is all about. Check it out: