A booming Catholic population across the 54 counties it serves throughout eastern North Carolina led the Diocese of Raleigh to pursue a capital campaign planning study in early 2010. Graham-Pelton was pleased to conduct this detailed inquiry on behalf of the diocese.
With a population growth of 42 percent over the past decade to more than 200,000 parishioners and an even greater increase in the number of unregistered Catholics, the diocese wished to test the case for a new cathedral and surrounding campus, as well as the fulfillment of local needs for its 77 parishes. Over the course of three months, Graham-Pelton professionals—including several of our top executives—canvassed the 32,000 square miles that comprise the diocese and provided a voice in the planning to the diocese’s many varied constituents.
In all, our firm conducted 192 personal interviews with current and retired pastors, clergy, and other religious and lay leaders. Seventy-three of the 77 pastors were included in the survey. These face-to-face meetings took place in the parishes, homes and offices where the interviewees live and work in an effort to gain the kind of insight that can only be obtained through candid and detailed conversations. In addition, a mail survey was sent to 2,500 families, of which 801 responded. Their feedback was given the same careful consideration.
Based on our analysis of the case and our extensive experience planning and conducting capital campaigns for religious organizations, we recommended a campaign goal of $65-75 million. That amount supports the construction of key elements of a cathedral campus and addresses local parish priorities, allowing the diocese as a whole to improve its dedicated service to the pastoral and spiritual needs of its faith community.
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At Graham-Pelton, our commitment and proven methodology allow us to inspire our clients
to build a groundwork of understanding that engages the people they serve and helps them
deliver on their mission. We bring a thorough knowledge of tried, tested, and true fundraising
principles and combine them with the strengths of your organization to help you identify
your opportunities and achieve your potential.
We are proud to have played a part in this campaign, and our experience has taught us that every organization is different. To that point, we offer a flexible approach in order to provide the solution that's right for your organization. We can provide full-time fundraising management or part-time expert direction to guide your staff and volunteers. Whatever your needs, we focus on your long-term success and structure each project or campaign to maximize results.
Contact Graham-Pelton professionals today to learn how we can help you reach your goal.
