True to his entrepreneurial style and business background, Robert T. Healey, Healey Founder and Trustee, shared a favorite Andrew Carnegie quote.
“Take away my people, but leave my factories, and soon grass will grow on the factory floors. Take away my factories, but leave my people, and soon we will have a new and better factory.” — Andrew Carnegie
Robert T. Healey Sr., Founder, being welcomed to the stage by Gregory Geruson, Vice President, Healey Education Foundation
While the night focused on measureable achievements, Bob reminded the audience that none of the numbers would have happened without them. “You are the cause people,” he said. “All of you are the ones making Catholic schools work.”
The School Advancement Grants for Excellence (SAGE) recognize and incentivize outstanding work by CSDP schools in advancing their schools’ missions, including achievement in enrollment management and fundraising. At the event, Christine Healey, President, Healey Education Foundation, also named the first four recipients of the Certified Methodology Expert (CME) credential. “These are the schools that have demonstrated a mastery of the five key areas of the Advancement Methodology — what I think of as ‘our secret sauce.’” she said.
2013 Commendations
The CME Credential, for demonstrating mastery of the five key areas of the CSDP Advancement Methodology: governance, enrollment management, development, communications and operations
– Guardian Angels Regional School (Gibbstown and Paulsboro, NJ)
– John Paul II Regional School (Stratford, NJ)
– St. Mary School (Williamstown, NJ)
– St. Vincent de Paul School (Mays Landing, NJ)
The SAGE Grants ($7,500)
– Highest increase in actual number of students (K-8): St. Peter School (Merchantville, NJ), 20 students
– Highest percentage growth in enrollment (K-8): Our Lady of Mount Carmel Regional School (Berlin, NJ), 8.48%
– The most dollars raised through the Annual Fund: St. Mary School (Vineland, NJ), $92,000 raised
– The highest percentage growth in the Annual Fund: Our Lady of Hope Regional School (Blackwood, NJ), 102%
The SAGE Competitive Grant of $20,000
St. Katherine of Siena Grade School (Philadelphia, PA) was named recipient of the SAGE Competitive Grant of $20,000 based on its comprehensive proposal for how the school would use the grant to significantly strengthen its advancement efforts. “This is a school ready to take its advancement effort to the next level,” Christine said. “Its proposal was not only visionary and detailed just as any grant proposal should be, but it demonstrated a real understanding of the CSDP Methodology.”
The winner was selected through an impartial review process from among 17 schools that submitted proposals. Healey leaders were joined by two outside reviewers: Deb Estes is the Chair and President of the Specialty Family Foundation working to ensure the long-term sustainability of nine inner-city Los Angeles Catholic grammar schools and also serves on the Board of Directors for Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities. Mark Lieberman, a successful entrepreneur in Allentown, PA, served as co-chair of the Bishop’s Commission on Catholic Schools, charged with addressing declining school enrollment in the Diocese of Allentown.
The winning proposal highlighted the school’s solid foundation: enrollment growth of 11% in just one year, the successful opening of two Pre-K classes in 2012-13, formation of a 21-member Board of Specified Jurisdiction, contact initiated with more than 5,000 alumni and introduction of an Annual Fund. The new St. Katherine of Siena website is one example of its progress.
As part of the school’s proposal, Erin McShea, Advancement Director, provided an action plan and budget for upgrading marketing materials, implementing data management systems and creating an advancement team. These three complementary goals together aim for “a level of professionalism once seen only in higher education institutions, thus allowing for even more deliberate action, informed decision making and top-quality public relations that accurately represent the mission of our school and the education we provide.”