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Life After Your Diocesan Newspaper
In the old days, dioceses would write, edit, print, and mail a weekly newspaper to every Catholic household in the diocese. Those days are gone. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because new technologies allow dioceses to reach more people and communicate more effectively at a fraction of the cost.
In fact, diocesan leaders across the country are seizing this opportunity to modernize the way they communicate, evangelize, and support their parishes.
(Omaha, Nebraska – May 16, 2024) – Prenger Solutions Group (PSG), the parent company of Catholic Social Media (CSM), announces the acquisition of Parish Content, further solidifying its position as the leading ...
(St. Paul, Minnesota – December 12, 2023) – Prenger Solutions Group is proud to announce the ordination of John Rogers, Vice President of Parish Services at Prenger Solutions Group and Director of Catholic Social ...
This past week, I was going through various Catholic content online, and I was struck by some interesting realizations. Many were willing to talk about praying for the dead, but they refused to say the word ...
We get this question a lot - "The church down the street has its own hashtag. It seems to be everywhere. Should we be doing the same?"
In short...yes! Like a parish mission statement, logo, website address, or ...
The story goes that the young man was sky-diving for the first time. He was quite nervous about the entire thing, but he had heard good things about the company he was diving with and their track-record. As he sat ...
Behind every church there is a story. I'm not talking about THE STORY, which hopefully is the reason behind every church, but I'm talking the local story about the location and the people. Whether it's the story of ...
After the busyness of Holy Week, it can be difficult to muster to enthusiasm to analyze your Easter collection. But there is a lot to be learned from spending ten minutes with the summary of the offertory from ...
When you're launching a new church, it's normal to want to spread awareness about it quickly, and there are a variety of ways to get the word out to people. That's actually good news because the variety of ways to ...
Mardi Gras and Lent are fast approaching, and Ash Wednesday kicks things off. Father gets to rub ashes on your forehead and offer the words calling you to repentance. The ashes symbolize repentance, mortality and ...
I have the pleasure of knowing a priest who is the king of empowering his parishioners to improve the local Church. He doesn't do it through particularly excellent preaching (though he's good!), and he's not the ...
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Want a custom presentation of these findings? Contact Nic Prenger to schedule a live presentation of these findings to your clergy, parish staff or diocesan leadership team. Then, ...
We have all had that moment - you have a pile of paper documents in front of you and you want to scan them, turn them into a PDF, and move on with your life. Thankfully, in the age of smartphone technology, this is ...
If there's one strange benefit to the coronavirus pandemic, it has caused us all to slow down a bit. Many parishioners are still out of work, spending more time at home, or just rethinking their weekly schedule in ...
We live in the age of Web 2.0, an Internet culture dominated by two things: social media and apps. However, apps don't always play nicely with each other. But you can force them to through the use of...you guessed ...
The phrase "discernment of spirits" refers to what St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, calls "the motions of the soul." These motions are felt by all of us - thoughts, images, feelings, desires, and ...
Some years ago, it was popular to create role-based email addresses at companies and non-profits, addresses like info[at]yourparishname.org or admin[at]yourparishname.org. However, since these sorts of addresses ...
We've been living in a new era of ministry - the coronavirus epoch - since early March of this year. Maybe you're still energized, learning new skills, and re-shaping your ministry in amazing ways. But maybe you're ...
If you've ever needed to remove a background from a photo but didn't quite know the best way to do it, we'd suggest a free online tool that our team uses all the time: Photo Scissors. All you have to do is upload ...
By now, most of us are familiar with the study that shows that the greatest single factor in a children's practice of the faith as an adult is whether or not their father practiced Catholicism. In certain corners ...
Having an Instagram profile that matches your parish can do wonders for your church. Instagram is more popular know than it ever has been and has over one billion registered users with around half of them estimated ...
Finding time to take a vacation can be hard for just about anyone, but social media managers, especially social media managers or office staff for local parishes, may struggle more than most. Many people in these ...
Since the coronavirus pandemic hit America in February 2020, almost every parish in the country has livestreamed or pre-recorded Masses. Several months into our "new normal," the question is coming up more and ...
Each parish is called to be the People of God, enfleshed in a particular geographic location. And just as we are called to prayer, we are called to works of charity. No doubt your parish partners with one or more ...
As a parish, we are concerned with human persons, and yet so often we have tasks on our to-do list that keep us away from people. Since summer can be a little slower for most parishes, now is the perfect time to ...
Christmas represents an incredible opportunity to minister to "Creasters," those nominal Catholics that only attend Mass during Christmas and Easter. But there is no "one size fits all" ministry answer to how to ...
You've heard it time and time again from your parishioners: "Where can I find a good spiritual director so I can grow in my prayer?" And the answer is the same at almost every parish - there just aren't enough ...
We are sending more emails than ever, and billions of messages crisscross the globe each day. For every legitimate message that needs to get somewhere, there's probably 3-4 that are scams, viruses, or unwanted ...
Months into the coronavirus pandemic, it's clear how much damage has been done across the globe. The consequences are physical, emotional, spiritual, and economic. In light of all of this, many people are ...
A few weeks ago, this parish report, delivered via YouTube from a pastor in Oklahoma, caught our team's attention. It's a textbook case of what publishing parish reports should be:
It opens with an attitude of ...
Even several months into the pandemic, some of us can abuse Facebook. After all, it's not a communications tool like Flocknote, Constant Contact, or Mailchimp. It's a social media platform, and as we hear in Oz, ...
A few days ago we shared advice on how and where to update your Christmas Mass times (see here). But did you know there are a growing number of third-party Internet sites that advertise the Mass and confession ...
Advent is almost upon us , which means it's time to publish your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass times...everywhere. This is important because many nominal Catholics start searching for Mass times to help ...
We have all found ourselves frustrated at some point about a web page not loading as fast as we would like. In our world speed matters. Your parishioners shouldn’t have to wait to find the information they are ...
This article by freelance writer Christina Capecchi got my attention a few weeks ago. The lessons Cappechi teaches are universal, but they apply in particular to ministry in the Church. They are about honest ...
Our director, John, recently had an interesting conversation with a Catholic Social Media subscriber in Nebraska. Her question was this: How can our parish return to old posts or initiatives and provide updates in ...
You have learned a lot about how parishioners engage with the parish over the last several months. Social distancing has allowed you to contact loyal parishioners in new ways. It has also (hopefully) provided you ...
Your eyes have likely glazed over at the number of "free offers" you're receiving right now. The pandemic's effect on the worldwide economy has led to thousands of businesses peddling all kinds of products and ...
Is a return to normalcy coming soon? Even while social distancing continues around the world, it's time to begin thinking about the first normal day back at the parish, perhaps once a vaccine is available. No doubt ...
The coronavirus pandemic is continuing to do harm to our society in a myriad of ways, but there are some reasons to be hopeful. The crisis is causing parishes around the world to adapt and continue their ministry. ...
What can continue at the parish? In short, most events and meetings on a parish calendar can continue this autumn. We just need to continue to be creative in how we go about these. Here are a few ideas if you're ...
I love fall – the foliage, football, and (bon)fires. By the first of October, I hope that I’ve already sat around multiple bonfires, stuffed myself and my kids with s’mores and successfully picked all the hay out ...
Google Trends is an incredible resource - an up-to-the-minute look at what people are typing into the most popular search engine in the world. And you can stay on top of things with Google Trends at the parish. One ...
In the face of global pandemic, the day-to-day work of a parish employee may seem pointless. After all, what can one person or one church do in the face of so much suffering. The answer? Prayer. The act of ...
Smartphones have forever changed the way we live, and more than 90% of people in North America are now carrying around what are essentially ultra-compact, Internet-connected computers. It's also impacting the way ...
Are you struggling to save time and reach more people? Maybe your parish social media isn't as engaging as you wish it could be. Representing Catholic churches both small and large, we all understand the issue to ...
With “shelter at home” orders issued around the country this last spring, many parishes are continuing livestream Masses, prayers, reflections, and other events. Pastors, staff, and volunteers are being very ...
As social distancing and shelter in place orders began to take effect across North America this past spring, our analytics team took a look at traffic on parish Facebook pages. The week over week numbers from March ...
If this past spring you were scrambling to move your ministries online for the foreseeable future, there are dozens of tools available. But one tool, in particular, is a godsend for the way you're already ...
With public Masses suspended across the United States, this past spring charitable contributions were in freefall at many parishes. The churches that are thriving right now did triage quickly in the spring, using ...
If some or all of your parish staff need to continue or restart working from home this fall, you might be scrambling to figure out what needs to be done. Here's a quick checklist to the basics of working from ...
As we move into month six of the coronavirus pandemic, some parishes are wondering, "Should we just direct people to the daily Mass on EWTN and shut down our livestream?" Other parishes have made the decision to ...
I've written in this space before about how every Catholic thinks every other Catholic is an expert at prayer when in truth, most of us have never been taught how to pray. The same goes for devotions such as the ...
Originally posted on Today Creative.
With the sudden onset of limiting of any sort of public meeting of 50 or more people due to Coronavirus many churches are looking to continue serving their church and local ...
If you're watching the news about the further spread of coronavirus and wondering, "What are some ways we can be prepared this time around?" remember that the most overlooked items are the lines of communication. ...
High school teachers, college professors, and even fitness program instructors have started implementing post-course surveys. The moment a class is over, students are asked to complete a short assessment of the ...
Even as I typed the headline, I thought I might lose a few readers. Let’s face it, money is a difficult thing to discuss, and whether you’re talking money matters with family, staff, or parishioners, it usually ...
Keeping your organization’s contact information current and clean is a never-ending process. We’ve talked about it before in this space (remember Email Hippo?), and we’ll continue to talk about it because it’s so ...
People receive around 100 emails per day, a mind-bending mix of work-related communications, solicitations from different organizations, personal bills and spam. The average person is constantly sifting through the ...
Ever wonder about that new family two pews down from you? They have been attending Mass regularly, but you never see them stay for coffee and donuts. I wonder where they are from. Why did they join our parish? Are ...
According to Statista, there will be a projected 2.14 billion online shoppers by 2021. With these kinds of numbers, it's safe to say that many of your parishioners shop online. Amazon has created an incentive to ...
It is no secret that the largest transfer of wealth in human history is starting to take place between Baby Boomers and Millennials. Over the next 30 years, an estimated $68 trillion will be transferred between the ...
In the past, I've touched on the importance of bullet points and numbered lists. But even more effective than good writing is a good visual! Our brains can process and retain information through visual means more ...
Statista estimates that there are about 244.5 million email users in the country. These statistics underline the invaluable nature of email as a mass communication tool. As a parish, you can leverage the email ...
As a kid, I was always really excited for the part of Mass when Mom and Dad gave me money to put in the collection basket. I do not know why exactly, but my guess is that it had to do with being able to move around ...
Do you find it challenging to keep up with the activity on your parish Facebook page? Has your parish Twitter page stopped tweeting? Does your Instagram seem more like a telegram? Thankfully, there are some social ...
Social media is one of the most effective ways to expand your parish outreach programs. With over 2.6 billion active users, Facebook is the most dominant and ideal social media platform for parishes who need to ...
As a parish employee, you likely know about the Liturgy of the Hours and maybe pray this universal prayer of the Catholic Church yourself. But is your parish a "school of prayer" where the Liturgy of the Hours is ...
Do you like the way that website you're browsing looks? There's a decent chance some portion of it is run through Wordpress, the design and hosting service that makes up the structure of roughly 75 million active ...
Two and a half years ago, Billy Baker's article in Boston Globe magazine about middle-aged men and the loneliness they face touched a nerve in American culture. In plain English, Baker summed up what researchers ...
The dream scenario for any parish is that when people type its name into Google, the parish website is the first result. The nightmare is the reverse - despite your best attempts, you can't seem to get your church ...
If you're looking to make your parish more family-friendly, the next best thing is not free parenting classes or Dave Ramsey money management classes. It's committing to child care. That's it.
The number one ...
Every now and again, someone will wander onto your parish's Facebook page, disparaging the Church or people of faith more generally. Luckily you can mute them, but if you're looking for an easier way to intercept ...
How many times has a parishioner or visitor asked you to pray for them or someone they love? I bet you get prayer requests on a weekly, if not daily basis. What's the most common response to a prayer request? "I'll ...
Ever spotted one of those "Birthday Fundraisers" on Facebook? You know, your friend Helen says she'd like people to donate $250 to the local animal shelter in honor of her big day. Have you ever thought of doing ...
With 2019 almost in the books and 2020 around the corner, it's likely you have some positions you are thinking of posting. You should plan to make 2020 the year of great hiring. How do you do that? By operating ...
Do you ever walk out of a meeting and find yourself thinking, “Did we actually accomplish anything in there?” Meetings can be a point of contention in any workplace – what are we meeting about? Why are we meeting ...
Facebook is always adding new types of posts that can help you increase your reach and engagement. One type that you may have not used before is the slideshow. Simply upload a few photos, choose your transition ...
Not all fundraising activities are created equal. All parish and school fundraising opportunities are unique and while your leaders likely have a firm grasp on how they differ, it’s important to let your ...
Parish clergy and staff are often on the frontlines, dealing with mental health issues, and we know it can be a challenge. After all, you provide spiritual care, not necessarily psychological care - though the two ...
Magazine subscriptions. Chocolate sales. Caramel corn delivery services. We've all participated in these sorts of gimmicky fundraising schemes, hawked by companies that claim their particular product will raise ...
Did you know the first email was sent 48 years ago? Every year we work with dozens of parishes that appear to be holding on to some of their original and, in many instances, outdated, unprofessional, though ...
You're getting bombarded with new programs every week - ministry programs that claim to lead hundreds into RCIA, pack the pews, invigorate the young people in your church and so on. It's a sign of the times. We all ...
Every year we are drawing closer to the moment when every man, woman, and child has an internet-enabled device on them at all times. Love it or hate it, that's the way the culture is going. All of this begs the ...
The CSM team often works with pastors and staff that say, “We wish parishioners would increase their financial support." The response that we offer, though simple, often comes as a surprise to many. We ask in ...
Your pastor is busy. Your committee chairs have day jobs. Your volunteers are being pulled in a million different directions and the only difference between you hosting a successful parish event and overseeing a ...
For years I sat on the finance committee of St. Leo’s parish in Omaha, Nebraska. And, unlike many parish meetings that I’ve attended over the years, these meetings always started on time. What was the secret? ...
We use emails for everything. We use email to ask questions, to delegate tasks, to confirm plans and to provide information to people who need it. If parish staff are the engine that runs a parish, emails are the ...
On the Feast of the Epiphany, 2001, Pope Saint John Paul II published "Novo Millenio Ineunte," or "At the Dawn of the New Millenium," his strategy for the Church in 2001 and beyond. (See here for the full text.) As ...
Ever since Pope Saint John Paul II coined the phrase, the Church has been laser-focused on the New Evangelization. He promised this would bring about a new springtime for the Body of Christ. And there are a lot of ...
There is an entire universe of priests who are active on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. In addition to their own local duties, they minister to people online, evangelizing, catechizing, and ...
Today I’m going to share some information about a great free tool out there that we use all the time in our office. It’s called Distill and here’s how it works. It lets you get website alerts - whenever a ...
Many clergy, theologians, and lay ministers have been thinking about the Church's response to loneliness. Study after study has shown that there's an epidemic of loneliness in modern life. Life in Christ is the ...
If you've ever wondered why your parish's website isn't getting better search engine results, take a look at your use of internal links. An internal link is a link from one page on your parish’s website to another ...
Many Christians - Catholics and Protestants alike - think they are bad at prayer and are embarrassed about it. And generations of Catholic catechesis and education has assumed that everyone knows how to pray and ...
We all have old email addresses we're not proud of. Sure, there was a time when emailing your friends from "hockeydude83@aol.com" was perfectly acceptable. But there comes a time when we all bid farewell to our ...
Catholicism isn't necessarily known for its rousing homilies (at least in this day and age), but we are blessed with numerous gifted preachers in our Church. One resource that highlights many of these deacons, ...
If you or someone else in the parish office is doing graphic design, you know that matching colors can be extremely difficult. Luckily, there's a free tool you can use to match colors whenever you're working with ...
December 31 is just nine short months away, and with it will come year-end giving decisions for many of your parishioners. In addition to reminding them of the tax benefits and various ways they can support the ...
Facebook Live is a powerful tool that parishes and schools can use to share live video from events, ceremonies, and speakers. One major benefit to using Facebook Live is that Facebook will track which people watch ...
There are just so many saints. Everyone has their patrons, their favorites, and the ones they don't understand. There's an easy way to systematically introduce parishioners to lesser-known saints or saints with a ...
St. Simon Sylites is one of the strangest saints we have. He lived on top of a pillar in the middle of a city for decades so he could be "in the world, but not of the world." He basically had it all - all the joys ...
We are living in a time where community bonds are growing weaker, with churches and membership-based organizations losing members at an alarming rate. But Christ has called us to be a Church, a visible community of ...
It's a website admin's worst nightmare: old broken links that frustrate your site's visitors, but that you don't know about. Every day, people are making judgments about your parish community based on your website, ...
At CSM we are always encouraging our clients to optimize technology. Part of the optimization we recommend to our clients is having an easy-to-use, donor-centric way to allow your parishioners and supporters to ...
Every Catholic has experienced the Sunday to Monday gap. You hear a soul-stirring homily on Sunday that edifies and challenges you, and then Monday morning rolls around and you go back to your normal life. So, what ...
By now, most Catholic churches have staked out their territory online and claimed a catchy web address and Facebook username (for example, "SaintMaryDallas" for a church in Texas). But don’t stop at your website ...
This era of big data can be overwhelming, but surveys and polls can help your parish in its evangelization efforts. One of the best religious research organizations in America is the Barna Group, which regularly ...
In a previous post, I discussed the 8:1 communications rule - share eight pieces of good news for every one request you make of your parishioners. But this alone won't fix all your communications problems. Another ...
For centuries religious institutions were some of the most trusted organizations in most cultures. But in the modern era, suspicion of all authority figures and public institutions is on the rise. The "Me Too" era ...
Earlier this month I mentioned that 95% of your website visitors are just looking for Mass times. The same is true for people who search for your church on Facebook. Are you publishing Mass times on Facebook? The ...
Have you heard the latest - Bishop Barron meets Jordan Peterson? In the last few years, Canadian psychologist Jordan B. Peterson has risen to fame, particularly among young men in the United States and Canada, for ...
What are 95% of the visitors to your parish website looking for? Mass times. That's it. This was brought home to our staff this week when we spotted this Tweet by Catholic evangelist Meg Hunter-Kilmer (see below). ...
Facebook followers are often your most faithful parishioners. They not only fill the pews each week, but they are also looking to stay connected outside of Mass. Facebook contains information about these ...
We are all guilty of visiting YouTube to check out a video a friend said we simply "had to see." Perhaps you watched a music video from your childhood, viewed the newest movie trailer, or got your fix of adorable ...
In 2018, St. Mary's Press shocked the Church in North America when it published its research project, Going, Going Gone: Dynamics of Disaffiliation in Young Catholics. The report showed that most young Catholics ...
The Sunday bulletin has been a staple of Catholic life in North America for more than 75 years. But as almost all areas of life become digital, a paper bulletin may soon become a thing of the past (and maybe you're ...
The Book of Blessings, used in almost every Catholic church since the 1980s, is full of ritual blessings for everything from rosaries to fishing gear (seriously, there's a blessing for fishing gear in there). As ...
Even though it's deep winter, no doubt your calendar is already filling up with all the parish activities you're planning for next year. At the same time, certain areas of the country could be headed for lockdowns, ...
When our team conducted a national research project focused on giving trends in Catholic parishes, we asked parishes how many registered households had an email address on file with the parish. Churches that had ...
As the church in North America continues to change, many parishes are moving from organizations focused on maintaining the status quo to communities focused on missionary discipleship. One of the easiest ways to ...
There are only a small number of events in your life that are so meaningful and powerful that the memories stay with you forever. For me, those memories include my wedding day, the days that my three children were ...
A year after the clergy abuse crisis came to light again, news reports continue to come out that can disturb and frighten Catholics. If you, your pastor, or a parishioner are seeking healthy, healing ways to ...
If you’re having a hard time keeping track of all the daily, weekly and monthly tasks required to keep your parish running smoothly, try using one of the many great software programs designed to help people stay ...
Hopefully it's easy for new parishioners to register at your parish. What happens after a new household registers is just as important as the registration itself. An increasing number of parishes in North America ...
By now, most parishes have transitioned to online forms for event sign-ups, registrations, ticket sales and donations. If your parish is still using paper forms, it's time to start moving over to user friendly ...
Saint James writes in his epistle that "the fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful" (Jsa 5:13). We have all seen the power of prayer at work in our parish communities. This is the reason that the ...
Ever had trouble scheduling meetings at your parish? Scheduling parish council meetings, ministry activities or special event planning meetings can be a huge drain on your time and energy. It seems impossible at ...
Last month we included a post about the number of people entering the Catholic Church in the United States and around the world. That information came from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), ...
Are you using Facebook Business Manager? Most parishes manage their Facebook page from the personal account of a pastor, staff member, or volunteer. And that's not a bad way to go. But if more than one person is ...
Your parish website is likely a simple, concise variation of your church name and/or city, and therefore it is easy for you to direct parishioners and visitors to your main page. But how easy is it for you to guide ...
When it comes to standing out on social media, video is king. The next time you are promoting a special event at your parish, consider going beyond the standard text or graphic design post and use a personal video ...
In recent years, Facebook has added a "vanity URL" or "username" feature to all Pages, including your parish page. This is a unique set of characters preceded by the @ symbol that can be used to make your parish ...
Do you know about the "General Social Survey" and religion? In the April edition of First Things, Mark L. Movsesian writes that the rise of the "nones," also known as "spiritual but not religious," in America isn't ...
First impressions and profile pictures are funny things. We all know by now that first impressions matter just as much online as they do in person, so making sure your parish's Facebook page looks good is extremely ...
Have you ever experienced headaches while selling tickets to parish events? Most parishes have 5-10 annual events for which they need to sell tickets. Such events might include your Cana Dinner, men's retreat ...
One of the most popular types of writing to come out of the Internet age is the listicle, which is a numbered list with enough content to qualify as an article. These range from high-quality top 25 lists to ...
Ever wondered how the Facebook newsfeed works? As of 2019, it takes into account millions of factors when determining what appears in your parishioners' feeds. But the three most important factors are still 1) ...
Maybe you take prayer requests at your Catholic parish, but have you ever considered taking prayer requests online? In our work with we promote clean, simple online giving forms. Today, consider adding just one ...
Facebook categorizes all organization pages into different groups. However, if your parish's Facebook page was set up years ago, you might not be in any categories! Parish Facebook categories matter. They help in ...
There are dozens of ways you can connect to your parishioners these days. These include e-newsletters, emails, direct mail, and social media. And don't forget that tried and true communications workhorse, the ...
We are all called to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. However, we are often at a loss as to how we can do that well. Enter Every Knee Shall Bow (EKSB), a new podcast from Ascension Press. Every Knee Shall Bow ...
It's an age-old question: fundraising letters or emails? If you’re responsible for your church's annual stewardship drive, you’re probably wondering whether this is the year you should move from regular mail and ...
Parish entry point giving is a topic rarely discussed in Catholic churches. This week, take a few minutes to review your parish's online gift portal. When someone makes a first-time gift online, is the "Amount of ...
Do you know social media's 80/20 rule? It's the same as the 80/20 rule in other areas of Catholic parish life. If you review your parish finances, it's highly likely that 80 percent of your offertory comes from 20 ...
When's the last time you took a moment to count your blessings at the parish? We've all heard it before: an "attitude of gratitude" can make all the difference in someone's life. But how do you practice gratitude ...
Know your social media genres! It can be a challenge to manage multiple social media accounts. If your Catholic parish is active on other social media platforms, such as Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat, consider ...
With everything going on at your Catholic parish, it can be easy to forget that thanking parishioners well is one of them most important tasks. One of our CSM employees once asked a major donor at a local church: ...
Our team is always looking at ways to make giving to the local parish more convenient. For most people, that means making a sustaining monthly gift online. But these online givers still need to be included in the ...
You can achieve inbox zero easily - a mythical state when you have NO emails in your inbox. Email is a blessing and a curse. It allows instant communication with anyone in your parish, but at the same time, it's ...
You’re working hard to expand your parish’s social media presence; the easiest way is to teach your followers to choose see first in Facebook. When someone decides to “follow” your page, they are presented with a ...
Whether you’re planning a change in the Mass schedule or gauging interest in a new program, you can use online surveys at the parish to learn what your people are thinking, build consensus, and take action:
Here's ...
If you’re administering your Catholic parish Facebook page, spend a little time each week using Insights. Just log into Facebook, click on your page, and then use the “Insights” link at the top:
Then, using ...
Sherry Weddel, director of the Catherine of Siena Institute, took the ministry world by storm with her revolutionary book, Forming Intentional Disciples. The book has sold over 150,000 copies since 2012.
One of ...
How is your parish celebrating baptisms? Outside of the sacrament itself, there are lots of ways to commemorate a new life claimed in Christ. Here are just a few thoughts:
Start a program where each newly ...
If you thought finding an anniversary gift for your spouse was hard, try celebrating clergy anniversaries. To help them celebrate the important moments in their lives, here are a few tips:
Research the dates ...
Your parishioners’ time is precious, and you want to make it easy for them to give; the number one way to do this is to improve your parish's online giving form.
This week, evaluate your online giving form:
...
Catholic Social Media's research shows that nonprofits should be striving for a good communications-to-request ratio, otherwise known as the 8:1 communications rule. To put it another way, your parish should be ...
Recently Prenger Solutions Group conducted a Catholic parish survey assessing the giving practices and social media usage in Catholic churches. Here’s just one fact from that survey: parishes with 1+ Facebook ...
Nic Prenger founded PSG in 2018 to help Catholic dioceses, churches and schools adapt and thrive in the new world of digital fundraising.
Having spent the previous 12 years leading one of the largest Catholic fundraising firms in the nation, Nic has seen first-hand how quickly donor habits are changing as the world moves online. Tried-and-true fundraising strategies are becoming less effective, while new, digital tools allow dioceses to find and connect with donors in ways that were previously unimaginable.
Over the past decade Nic has raised more than $300 million for Catholic organizations and served as trusted counsel to many of the country’s premier Catholic development programs.
As CEO of Prenger Solutions Group, Nic leads a team of experts who provide digital fundraising solutions to Catholic dioceses, schools and parishes. Clients choose to partner with PSG in order to design and implement next-generation fundraising programs that include online giving, email marketing, donor software, data analytics, social media, website design and landing page optimization.
A native of Carroll, Iowa, Nic is a graduate of Creighton University in Omaha and the University of Iowa Law School. A former board member for the Magis Catholic Teacher Corps, Nic served on the National Catholic Educational Association’s national advisory council for leadership development. He also serves on the stewardship committee for Christ the King Parish in Omaha, where he belongs along with his wife, Holly, and their three children.
Nic’s leadership experience includes working for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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John Rogers, M.A.
John Rogers joined PSG in 2019 and works with church and diocesan clients to improve their digital giving and communications practices.
Prior to joining PSG, John served as director of advancement for the Anselm House Christian study center at the University of Minnesota. Before that, John worked as a development consultant, serving Catholic churches, schools, and dioceses in Minnesota, Colorado, and California. John's professional passion is uniting the principles of Christian stewardship with modern technology in order to help churches minister more effectively.
John lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife, Sara, and their four children, where John is a deacon candidate. In his free time, John and Sara manage Catholic Miscarriage Support, a website and independent ministry that supports women and families suffering from unexpected pregnancy loss. His written work has been published in Dappled Things, Catholic Yearbook, and through the Minnesota Catholic Conference website. John is active in his church as a minister to the homebound and is a member of Teams of Our Lady, an international marriage apostolate.
John holds a BA in English/Language Arts from St. John's University (Minn.) and an MA in Catholic Studies from the University of St. Thomas (Minn.).
Andy Schroeder, MBA
Andy Schroeder joined PSG after spending more than ten years fundraising for higher education and Catholic organizations.
Andy has planned and implemented both capital and planned giving campaigns and has extensive experience in major gift fundraising, strategic planning and creative problem solving.
A self-proclaimed “data geek,” Andy has presented webinars and spoken at national conferences on how to leverage data and analytics to achieve success in fundraising. Andy is recognized as a Blackbaud Champion and he brings that knowledge and insight to bear for PSG clients who utilize Raiser’s Edge software.
Residing in Dubuque, Iowa, Andy is a graduate of Clarke University (Iowa) and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication as well as a Master of Business Administration degree from the institution. He serves on the board of directors at several nonprofits including Dupaco Community Credit Union and Carnegie Stout Public Library Foundation. He also serves on the Development Committee of Holy Spirit Parish in Dubuque, where he is a member alongside his wife and two children.
Ashley Winans, MPA
Ashley joined PSG in 2020 to lead strategy and implementation for schools, dioceses and parishes.
Ashley has spent the last sixteen years in the nonprofit sector focusing on strategic planning, capital campaign, major gift and annual fundraising, special events and marketing.
As an Omaha native, Ashley has a master's degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Communications from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She established tenure in the non-profit sector working for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands, Boys Town, Creighton University and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Her most recent achievement was leading a $25 million capital campaign to provide new Clubs for after-school programming for local youth.
Ashley, her husband, Robert, and their two children are members of St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church. In their free time they enjoy international travel.
Rob Simms
Rob Simms is Vice President at PSG where he works with diocesan and school clients to design modern, effective fundraising programs.
Prior to joining PSG, Rob led capital campaigns for Catholic dioceses and churches and served on the management team of one of the largest Catholic fundraising firms in the nation.
Rob has raised more than $100 million and led diocesan campaigns for the Archdiocese of Omaha and the Diocese of Knoxville. The latter campaign raised more than $44 million from just 51 parishes in a young, mission diocese in order to fund the construction of a new cathedral and other priorities.
Rob has a communications background and worked in media relations at Creighton University for more than a decade before answering the call to work with nonprofits. A proud native of St. Louis, Mo., Rob is a graduate of Truman State University (Mo.). While working on his communications degree at Truman State, he earned four varsity letters as a pitcher on the baseball team. In fact, Rob's name can be found in the NCAA record book - only because the NCAA tracks statistics like earned runs allowed in a game.
Rob and his wife have twin daughters and a son. When he’s not helping nonprofits, he can be found volunteering at his church in West Omaha, coaching his son’s little league baseball team, and broadcasting various Creighton athletics events.
Andrew Menke
Andrew Menke joined PSG with more than five years of professional experience in fundraising for Christian organizations.
In his roles as a campaign manager and development director, Andrew managed planning studies, capital campaigns and stewardship programs for 15 different schools, parishes, and dioceses, helping raise more than $50 million for various needs.
Andrew graduated from the University of St. Thomas (Minn.), where he entered the Catholic Studies program, and studied business at the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship. Andrew also participated in his college’s theater program, taking lead roles in several major productions.
Andrew lives in the Twin Cities with his wife, Theresa, and two daughters, where they are parishioners at St. Peter’s Church in Mendota. He serves as a visiting companion for Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly in Minneapolis.
Sarah Aligo, M.S.E.
Sarah Aligo was recruited to join PSG in 2020 to provide digital fundraising solutions for Catholic dioceses, schools, and parishes.
With nearly 20 years of experience in higher education and nonprofit fundraising, Sarah has spent her career focusing on annual and major gift fundraising, direct mail, online giving campaigns, grants, marketing, board fundraising, special events, and volunteers.
The Kansas City area native earned a master’s degree in education, with an emphasis in higher education administration, from the University of Kansas, and a bachelor’s degree in communication, with a minor in public relations, from Emporia State University (Kan.). Before joining PSG, she raised private support for the University of Kansas, Oklahoma State University, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. She is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and Rotary International.
Residing in DeWitt, Mich., Sarah, her husband, Scott, and their two children are members of the Catholic Community of St. Jude. They are avid football fans, spending their free time on the practice field and Saturdays cheering on their University of Kansas Jayhawks, where her husband is the Director of Scouting for the football team.
Stacy Cope
Stacy provides high-level database services and solutions to PSG clients. She is happiest when helping organizations make the best use of software solutions to make their work easier and more effective.
Stacy has significant diocesan fundraising experience, having started her fundraising career coordinating the annual appeal for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
Over the years her fundraising and database skills have also benefited Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas; Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha, and the CUES Schools in inner-city Omaha, where Stacy served as database administrator and led complex data conversions.
After growing up in Kearney, Nebraska, Stacy attended Benedictine College where she earned a B.A. in Theology and Music and was a Presidential Scholar.
Stacy and her husband Brendan live in Omaha with their two children. They are members of Immaculate Conception parish. In her spare time, Stacy enjoys making jellies and kolaches to share with friends and family.
Mitch Fisher
Mitch Fisher joined PSG in 2021 and works with parishes to improve their use of social media.
Before joining PSG, Mitch was a content creator at Class Intercom where he worked with schools and students creating content for social media. Prior to that, he served as a support intern at Hudl where he assisted high school and college coaches with a wide array of digital products.
In 2017, Mitch accepted the #Digital4Good Award at Twitter Headquarters for his efforts to promote positivity on social media. Mitch's passion lies at the intersection of social media content and the Church, and he volunteers with his local parish helping them with social media and livestreaming.
Mitch is the son of Greg and Angie Fisher and is the oldest of four siblings. He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska where he enjoys running, playing sand volleyball, eating ice cream, trying local craft beers, and singing in the church choir.
Mitch attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he was president of the Phi Kappa Theta Catholic fraternity. He graduated with a degree in Journalism.
Leslie Ulrich, MBA
Leslie joined PSG in 2021 with nearly ten years of fundraising experience. She has served as a front-line fundraiser in higher education and served dozens of Catholic organizations.
Prior to joining PSG, Leslie conducted feasibility studies and capital campaigns for nonprofit organizations across the country, helping to raise more than $10 million. Leslie’s ability to build relationships has proven invaluable in her fundraising career.
Leslie holds two degrees from Creighton University in Omaha: a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration.
Leslie lives in Wichita, Kansas and is an active parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church. She and her husband, Luke welcomed their first son in 2020. They spend their free time outdoors as much as possible, whether it’s at the park with their dog, at the lake or just doing yardwork.
Lauren Ballew
Lauren provides Raiser’s Edge consulting and database administration services to PSG clients.
She was recruited to join PSG because of her passion for helping Catholic nonprofits succeed, and her 15 years of experience with Raiser’s Edge software.
Lauren graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Psychology. She volunteered as a Catholic missionary after graduation and has worked with NET Ministries, the Seminaries of Saint Paul, and The Church of St. Joseph in West St. Paul.
After almost 20 years in Minnesota, Lauren returned to Texas, where she now lives near her parents and sister. She enjoys watching Aggie Football, Broadway theatre, traveling the US and abroad, and volunteering.
Austen Brown
Austen provides Raiser’s Edge consulting and database administration services to PSG clients.
Austen has worked as a Database Administrator within the non-profit sector for nearly a decade. She has extensive experience working within databases to reduce redundancy, create consistency, and find sustainable solutions that stand the test of time. She was recently recognized as one of Blackbaud’s “50 Most Engaged Customer Advocates” and is a sought-after speaker on all things Blackbaud. She has been a featured speaker at Blackbaud’s Annual Conference on the Mainstage and has joined a Blackbaud RE NXT Geek Out webinar to inspire fellow citizen developers to create custom automations through Microsoft’s Power Platform.
After growing up in Charlottesville, Virginia, Austen attended St. Lawrence University where she earned a B.A. in Music and History. Austen and her husband live in North Carolina. In her spare time, Austen enjoys solving complex Sudoku puzzles, creating art, playing music, and spending time outdoors.
Katie McCurdy
Katie provides Raiser’s Edge consulting and database administration services to PSG clients.
Katie comes to PSG with over 10 years of non-profit advancement experience. Her most recent position was Director of Advancement Operations and Special Events at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, her alma mater. In this position Katie oversaw the school’s Raiser’s Edge database ensuring accurate constituent and gift records, processing reports, segmented appeal lists and maintaining lifetime giving records for proper recognition. She also managed and executed all stewardship and fundraising events which consistently netted over goal.
Prior to Santa Margarita, Katie worked at St. Joseph Hospital Foundation as a Development Assistant - Special Events and Annual Giving and as a Media Research Analyst at SmithGeiger, LLC.
Katie graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor in Science in Communication, Public Relations. She lives in Mission Viejo, California where she enjoys running, reading, ballet performances and spending time with her friends and family.
Andrew Bridger
Andrew Bridger joined PSG in 2022 and is responsible for the development and execution of a comprehensive marketing philosophy, business strategy and direction of the brand. He oversees the organization’s digital & traditional marketing, event planning, public relations and community outreach programs.
Prior to joining PSG, Andrew spent 10 years working at Gallup with a focus on growing the CliftonStrengths brand through strategic marketing efforts and product development. With a passion for marketing, Andrew’s greatest strengths are his creativity, drive and leadership. He thrives on challenges, particularly ones that require action immediately.
Residing in Omaha, NE, Andrew has his bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Human Resource Management from the University of Nebraska Omaha where he was also the captain of the Men’s Basketball Team and Male Athlete of the Year in 2010.
Andrew, his wife, Cara, and their four children are members at Relevant Community Church. In his free time, he enjoys playing and watching sports, working out and spending time with his kids.
Angie Addison
Angie joined PSG in 2022 to lead efforts in standardizing development lifecycle practices to increase the speed, efficiency, and value of products and services delivered to PSG’s customers.
Prior to joining PSG, Angie was a Team Lead at Blackbaud on the Education Management platform where she was the Product Manager on several applications and managed other product staff. She was featured and presented on the main stage at Blackbaud annual conference in 2021. Prior to Blackbaud, she was Partner at a start-up that secured a spot in a regional incubation program and was featured in New Hampshire Business Magazine’s annual top entrepreneurs’ issue.
Angie has twenty-five years of experience in systems development and product roles in non-profit, healthcare, and education. She has a BS in Business Management with a concentration in Healthcare Administration from Granite State College and holds LEAN, Scrum Master, Product Manager III, and Project Management certifications.
A New Hampshire native, Angie lived and worked in Boston for many years before moving to the Sunapee, New Hampshire region where she now raises her two boys. When not at soccer or baseball they enjoy traveling and spending time with friends and family.