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Daniel Conway is President and CEO of Mission Advancement Services for O'Meara, Ferguson, Whelan, and Conway, Inc. Dan has been writing on stewardship themes for twenty years. Dan’s reflections on stewardship are available in several publications. For more information, call toll-free 888-544-8674 or consult the O'Meara Ferguson website.

Copyright © 2009 Daniel Conway. Permission is given to copy and distribute this periodical for use in religious or educational settings provided that proper attribution is given to the author. This publication may not be sold or distributed to the general public without the express permission of the author.

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Stewardship in Jamaica

During the beginning of Holy Week 2009, I was privileged to visit St. Patrick's Foundation in Kingston, Jamaica. The Foundation is a non-profit human and community development organization established more than 25 years ago in some of Jamaica's poorest communities. St. Patrick's Foundation is an expression of stewardship in action, a testimony to the miracles that can occur when people share their time, talent and treasure for the benefit of others!

I was welcomed warmly by Monsignor Richard Albert, Founder/Director, and by Mr. Fabian Brown, Managing Director. I had the opportunity to see first-hand the four centers operated by the Foundation and to meet with many dedicated staff and clients from diverse backgrounds, ages and experience levels. I also met with several board members who shared with me their personal commitment and support for the work of St. Patrick's Foundation. Finally, I enjoyed the gracious hospitality of His Grace, the Most Reverend Donald James Reece, Archbishop of Kingston, who emphasized the importance of St. Patrick's Foundation to the overall mission and ministries of the Archdiocese.

The purpose of my visit was to offer some observations and recommendations on the fundraising potential of St. Patrick's foundation - especially in light of the global economic crisis that has had a negative effect on donations to the Foundation - from both local and international sources. The following observations are based on my observations and conversations while in Jamaica, but they also represent foundational principles and "best practices" in stewardship and development for Catholic organizations.

Successful mission advancement programs for Catholic organizations require three fundamental things:

• Leadership and Vision
• Excellent communications and engaged constituencies
• A disciplined fundraising organization and a comprehensive development plan

These three fundamental principles must be integrated into the life of the Church and be reflective of her distinctive, sacramental character (her divine mission). They must also take into account the ways in which a particular Catholic organization is different from other philanthropic organizations - in its history, its geography, its cultural and ethnic diversity, its religious charisma and Catholic identity, and in the services it provides to people in need.

St. Patrick's Foundation is an excellent case in point. Started in 1982 by Monsignor Richard Albert as a community development initiative, the Foundation carries out diverse, distinctive ministries within some of Jamaica's poorest communities. The centers operated by St. Patrick's Foundation in West Kingston are truly the "hands of Christ" reaching out to the poor, the sick, the elderly and the disadvantaged children who are Jamaica's future. These vital centers of hope are much more than just social service agencies, although they provide urgently-needed services to educate, train, heal and support the children, youth and older adults who come to them for loving care and assistance in Jesus' name.

St. Patrick's Foundation exists because of the strong leadership and vision of its Founder/Director, Monsignor Richard Albert. The Foundation also benefits from talented and respected volunteers - in Jamaica and in the international community - who serve as advocates for the organization and the communities it serves so well. In response to the challenging economic times faced by all non-profit organizations, the Board of the St. Patrick's Foundation is not giving in to despair. It is renewing its commitment to serve the poor in Jamaica in spite of the increasing challenges at home and abroad. In addition, St. Patrick's Foundation is considering establishing advocacy groups in Jamaica and in other countries who can help spread the word about the Foundation and assist in developing support for its ministry to people in Jamaica's neediest communities.

The story of St. Patrick's Foundation is exciting and engaging. It literally "tells itself" once people can see, and experience, the miracles that occur in each of the four centers on a daily basis. The challenge is to help people in Jamaica and in the international community "see for themselves" the difference that St. Patrick's Foundation is making in the lives of children and youth, the abandoned elderly, the sick, and the poor and neglected people of West Kingston's inner city communities.

To maintain momentum and keep people engaged, the St. Patrick's Foundation is committed to telling its story using a variety of formats and a diverse range of media, for example personal visits, special events, a newsletter, radio and television, internet, etc. Engagement and participation are the keys to ongoing financial support. The more people understand, endorse and want to participate in the work of St. Patrick's Foundation, the more the supportive constituencies surrounding the Foundation can multiply and grow. Telling the story, making the case, and building strong relationships are essential features of a successful mission advancement program!

Fundraising activities for St. Patrick's Foundation have been remarkably successful considering the many other responsibilities and challenges facing Monsignor Albert as Founder/Director and Mr. Brown as Managing Director. The success experienced to date is a tribute to the great work of the Foundation's four centers and to the leadership and vision of Monsignor Albert, who has been teaching stewardship as a way of life since he arrived in Jamaica more than 30 years ago. To meet current and future challenges, however, it is time for St. Patrick's Foundation to develop a more systematic and structured approach to its overall development activities.

Professional fundraising efforts ordinarily include a three-pronged approach: 1) Annual Giving to support the ongoing programs and operations of the organizations, 2) Major Gifts to support capital projects or special needs (e.g., computer equipment or medical supplies), and 3) Planned Giving to build endowment funds to help guarantee the organization's stability, especially in uncertain economic times. It is important to note that no single individual - no matter how talented or experienced - can be expected to perform all the tasks that will be needed to implement successfully a comprehensive development plan. The role of the Development Director is to manage the process. That means that he or she is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the Foundation's board, staff and volunteers to a) set direction for the future, b) communicate the vision and build strong relationships, and c) invite engaged constituencies to make substantial gifts of time, talent and treasure to the work of St. Patrick's Foundation.

As a result of my visit to Jamaica last week, it is clear that St. Patrick's Foundation is in an excellent position to establish a comprehensive Development program. All of the essential elements are present. What's needed now is a disciplined, structured approach to the various functions and tasks that make great things happen in "resource mobilization" for the success of the organization's mission. That in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11)

Please pray for Monsignor Albert and for all the board members, staff and clients of St. Patrick's Foundation. For more information, or to make a gift in support of this important work, please contact Monsignor by e-mail or through his mailing address in Florida:

Monsignor Richard Albert
Founder/Director
St. Patrick’s Foundation
221 S STATE RD 7
MB #3816
FT LAUDERDALE, FL 33317
Email: stcathvicar@islandnetjm.com
www.stpatricksfoundation.org