Episodes

Published: September 15, 2019 Today, we finish our exciting three-part “Back to School” series with a terrific show on Catholic School leadership. Today our guest is veteran trainer Steven Virgadamo. Steven discusses the topic of recruiting, training and retaining leaders for Catholic Schools. Steven is an expert trainer of Catholic School Leaders. He is the Executive Director of the Curran Catholic School Leadership Academy and Associate Superintendent for the Archdiocese of New York. Today S...

Published: September 08, 2019 Today’s Show Data-driven communications plans will separate you from the competition. What are the benefits of a strong communications plan? What does a robust communications plan include? What does RPIE stand for, and how does it play into the communications plan? All these questions and much more will be discussed on today’s show. Today, Jim Friend talks with Jennifer Trefelner in the Diocese of Palm Beach. Jennifer brings over 16 years of Catholic education and...

Published: September 02, 2019 Catholic Education Experts Join Changing Our World‘s Brian Crimmins and Matt Russell, the Chief Advancement and Business Development Officer for the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) as we consider the future of Catholic education in the United States. This presentation was originally delivered as a webinar in April 2019. The conversation was a continuation of a discussion that was first explored during the inaugural NCEA Elizabeth Ann Seton Philanth...

Published: August 25, 2019 What’s the Secret? Parish Campaigns are a big undertaking, and creating the right plan to raise significant dollars is critical. Join Changing Our World‘s expert consultants as they tackle some of the more common questions about campaigns. How do you prepare for a campaign? Why is it important for a parish to conduct a Feasibility Study? What is the impact on parish offertory? What is the role of campaign volunteers?* How does it tie into Stewardship? How have the...

Published: August 18, 2019 About Today’s Show How does a diocese become “Catholic Strong?” Can you engage stakeholders in this effort? Can you continue the campaign through the PA Grand Jury Report? Did it help that the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl? We will discuss all of these questions and more on today’s show. Join Changing Our World‘s Shawn Trahan and Jim Friend as they travel to the Diocese of Camden. Shawn and Jim talk with Rev. Robert E. Hughes, Vicar General and Moderator of ...

Published: August 14, 2019 Advanced tactics for your Annual Fund Increasing the Annual Fund requires creativity, focus, and time out of the office. Engaging your donors in conversations about your school can create lasting relationships and leadership for your school’s Annual Giving program. Join Jim Friend for part two of his presentation to the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Green Bay. Jim discusses that making your Annual Fund soar requires a team approach, but Advancement Directors must...

Published: August 11, 2019 Questions that everyone asks… In Diocesan Campaigns, Parishes and dioceses must work together to create a partnership that speaks to parishioners in the pew. In the midst of today’s Church climate, Catholic fundraising continues to raise millions around the country. Today, our expert consultants cover these popular questions and more. What is the role of the Bishop? Why is a Feasibility Study important? How do you get parishes excited about the campaign? Can a dio...

Published: August 04, 2019 About the Workshop In this episode, Changing Our World’s, Jim Friend delivers a workshop to the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Jim begins by discussing the importance of telling your story as part of the Annual Fund. How we tell our story can have a huge impact on our donors. Jim continues the workshop by describing the essential components of creating a compelling Annual Fund and discussing how to increase annual gifts yearly. The Annual Fu...

Published: July 28, 2019 This week we focus on Catholic Stewardship and ways leaders can educate and engage the time, talent, and resources of the faithful. Our guest is David Baranowski, the Director of Stewardship Education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Dave is a 30-year marketing executive recruited by the Archdiocese over seven years ago to develop educational and marketing materials to support the stewardship efforts of their 182 parishes. In David’s words, “Our goal is to help more peo...

Published: July 21, 2019 Creating your case for support is a key element for any nonprofit organization seeking to raise funds for an annual appeal, capital campaign, major gifts program or any key initiative. Join Changing Our World Consultants Colleen Burdick, Kaitlin McTighe, Ray Witkowski, and our host, Jim Friend, for a discussion about the who, what and why of creating a compelling Case for Support. Hear real-life examples, the do’s and the don’ts, and about how engaging your donors in a ...

Published: July 14, 2019 Making an impact on a Diocesan Development program takes time and expertise. How can spending more time out of the office help build a development strategy? What relationships should Diocesan and parish development officers cultivate? How can technology assist in development? This week, Jim Friend is joined by Scott Whitaker from the Diocese of Austin to discuss these questions and much more. Additionally, Jim chats with Diana Curran, Senior Director for Changing Our W...

Published: July 07, 2019 Summer Development Planning is an important time of year. What can your organization do differently for the 2019-20 fiscal year to raise more funds and meet the needs of your mission? Today, Jim Friend talks with Vanessa Dickerson and Fred Roberts, two of Changing Our World’s expert consultants, who share their experiences and recommendations. Some of the topics covered in our conversation include: How to address the Church scandal from a development perspective, What...

Published: June 30, 2019 In this episode, Brian Crimmins (CEO of Changing Our World, Inc.) and Jim Friend travel to the Diocese of Rockville Centre. They meet with Bishop John Barres, Mark Ackermann, and retired business executive Larry Bossidy. The conversation begins with strategic planning and focuses on how Catholic business people are needed to share their gifts with the work of the Church. The discussion includes how the principles of Larry’s best-selling book, “Execution: The Discipline ...

Published: June 23, 2019 Kolbe Academy will open in the fall of 2019 as the nation’s first Catholic high school for students battling addiction. The Diocese of Allentown announced the opening of Kolbe Academy on September 7, 2018, at a press conference at St. Francis Center for Renewal, Monocacy Manor, Bethlehem. In this episode, Jim Friend interviews Bishop Alfred A. Schlert, Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, Dr. Brooke Tesche, Chancellor of Education, and John Petruzzelli, the principal of ...

Published: June 16, 2019 The 2019 Florida Stewardship Conference, which was held in May 2019 in Miami, was a tremendous success and as a result, we had the great opportunity to conduct a series of great interviews. Some of our guests included, but were not limited to Archbishop Wenski, Archbishop of Miami; Julianne Stanz, author and national speaker on Evangelization; and Fr. Leo Patalinghug, also known as the “cooking priest”. This week’s co-host is Anna Vallez, Senior Director at Changing Our...

Published: June 09, 2019 This week we visit the home of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at their national headquarters in St. Louis. For over 175 the Society has served millions of people on the front lines through its 4,400 local conferences. The society serves 800,000 members worldwide, known as Vincentians. Their goal is to grow in holiness by building a more just world through personal relationships and service to people. In one year, 100,000 U.S. members in 4,400 local communities provided...

Published: November 26, 2017 Today we focus on this idea of Catholic Social Entrepreneurship. A Social Entrepreneur uses the techniques of a start-up company to develop, fund, and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. Why not use those same techniques to tackle the issues of today’s Catholic Church? One great example of this concept is some of the work that is currently revitalizing Catholic education. We have to be open to the practices of the world in order to enga...

Published: November 19, 2017 The Parable of the Talents This week’s Gospel is the Parable of the Talents. The Master of the house gave his three servants talents to share and grow while he was away. We know the story and how it fundamentally serves to remind us of the basic theology of Stewardship. Everything we have is a gift from God, and we are called to serve each other and Him by sharing those gifts. We all want to receive the same praise that the wise servants received from their master ...

Published: September 24, 2017 A Brief Stewardship Reflection Today’s Podcast is a little different in that I reflect on humility and Stewardship. This episode is about the fact that our focus on sharing our time, talent, and treasure should be about the mission and not “Who Gets the Credit.” How many times in our lives have we felt as though we weren’t getting enough credit for something? It’s an aspect of our humanity that we all deal with, and sometimes it can come out during stressful times....

Published: September 19, 2017 The Archdiocese of Philadelphia signed a historic management agreement with the Faith in the Future Foundation in 2012. The contract granted oversight of 17 Catholic High Schools and four schools of Special Education. Archbishop Chaput’s bold move engaged the laity in this first of a kind partnership that captured the attention of the entire country. This episode visits Faith in the Future 5 years after the signing of the agreement. The podcast will offer an update...

Published: September 13, 2017 Today’s topic is forming Parish Stewardship Committees with our guest, Jim Kelley. We invited Jim because he is an expert on the subject of Stewardship. Jim discusses the focus of Stewardship in a parish and the profile of someone who would join the committee. Jim explains their roles and responsibilities along with the “five M’s” of building a network of resources. About Jim Kelley: Jim is the Director of Development in the Diocese of Charlotte and the Executive ...

Published: July 04, 2017 Join Jim Friend on the floor of the convention center for the 2017 Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando, Florida. Jim interviewed many participants of the gathering from all over the country. It was exciting to hear the hopes and expectations of those who traveled to this unprecedented event. Participants ranged from vendors, students, volunteers, and many experts. This episode is an interesting listen because of the varied perspectives and views of those intervie...

Published: June 11, 2017 This week we are joined by Michael Brough, Director of Strategic Engagement, for the Leadership Roundtable. The Leadership Roundtable promotes best practices and accountability in the Church. They bring expertise in management, finances, communications, and human resource development. They are also a strong supporter of incorporating the expertise of the laity in the Church. Michael and our Host, Jim Friend discuss the Roundtable’s work on many levels, including diocese...

Published: June 05, 2017 Our Host, Jim Friend, speaks with Msgr. J. Brian Bransfield, General Secretary of the USCCB, about the upcoming Convocation of Catholic Leaders, to be held July 1-4 in Orlando, Florida. This summer, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will be convening an unprecedented gathering of key leaders from dioceses and Catholic organizations from all across the country to assess the challenges and opportunities of our time, particularly in the context of the Church in the U...