Mission & Rationale
Mission
The Catholic School Development Program invests in the sustainability and growth of Catholic schools. We provide pro bono consulting services to individual schools and diocesan leadership in a unique model of advancement that is focused on board governance, enrollment management, development, constituent relations, and communications.
For years colleges, universities, and independent schools have recognized the need for proactive mission driven fundraising, sophisticated communications, hands-on enrollment management, and engaged governance. Catholic elementary schools, though, long have lacked the resources for these critical efforts. Yet they are needed now more than ever, as enrollment declines and tuition increases threaten the future of Catholic education and, by extension, of the Church.
Committed to Children
The old ways don’t work. A new paradigm is needed, one that is sustainable and dynamic and allows for schools to build their own infrastructure for long-term success.
That’s where the Catholic School Development Program comes in. We are committed solely to children; we exist to provide resources and skills to help schools fund their many needs, focus on excellence in education, and build community among their supporters, thus giving students the best elementary education possible. We do this because of our fundamental belief in the value and benefits of a Catholic education—for them, for society, and for the Church.
Governance, Development, Communications, Enrollment Management
By emphasizing values alongside academic rigor, Catholic elementary schools serve not only the Catholic Church but also society. They fill the pipeline for Catholic secondary schools, colleges, and universities, instill lifelong loyalty to the Church, and provide students with the education and standards to be productive, principled citizens.
The time has come to give these valuable institutions a hand. With Catholic schools facing more challenges than ever before, the Catholic School Development Program was formed to provide a wide range of pro bono services that allow schools to take charge of their future and extend the numerous benefits of a Catholic education to as many children as possible.
From development and governance to communication and admissions, Catholic schools are at a critical crossroads. Yet these issues are not insurmountable—in fact, they represent a tremendous opportunity to reinvigorate Catholic education and make it stronger than ever. We are a unique, strategic-minded part of that effort. As our current work in the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, demonstrates, by working from the bottom up—in the schools—and the top down—with diocesan leadership—we can effect positive change and help Catholic elementary schools regain their footing and thrive anew.
