St. Joseph Catholic Church is a small, vibrant 200 household parish located in the rural township of East Bristol, Wisconsin. Although the parish has a great nucleus of faith, the lack of modern, accessible facilities inhibited current members, new members, and visitors from actively participating in Masses, funerals, weddings and other social activities. Their campaign provided an opportunity to share in enhancing the accessibility and hospitality of their church.

Their building renovation project will provide improved accessibility, including an elevator, ADA compliant bathrooms on the same level of the main church floor, and a more appealing and energy efficient entryway, providing protection from the weather.

The fundraising campaign, to-date, has resulted in gifts & pledges exceeding $735,000. This is a tremendous response, equivalent to 7.5 times the annual regular giving of the parish. This generous response can be attributed to the close-knit relationships that exist among this rural faith community, their deep faith in God, and their deep desire to be welcoming to all. The positive response was also the result of the following key ingredients that are a necessary part of a successful fundraising campaign:

  • They took the time before the campaign to engage and listen to the parishioners about the proposed building plans, answering their questions, receiving their feedback, and confirming their support for the project.
  • They recruited a solid, enthusiastic Campaign Team that performed the tasks necessary to create an inspiring, prayerful campaign environment.
  • They succeeded in conducting many member-to-member “touch points” to inform, encourage, and inspire one another.

Congratulations to St. Joseph Catholic Church as they now prepare to break ground and begin their much-needed renovations!

Written by Fred Stoltz, Sr. Director
The James Company
Phone: (414) 690-3426
Email: fstoltz@jamescompany.com