Dream Bigger: How One Small Catholic School Turned Everything Around
About this episode
The episode discusses how Parkersburg Catholic Schools transformed from facing decline to successfully raising funds for a campus project.
Host: John Mihalyo Guest: Tara Nelson, Advancement & Enrollment Director, Parkersburg Catholic Schools The Catholic School Leaders Podcast Episode Overview Three years ago, Parkersburg Catholic Schools was facing declining enrollment, financial uncertainty, and rumors in the community that the school might not survive. Today, they are raising $500,000 for a campus consolidation project backed by a 3-to-1 diocesan match of $1.5 million and they are ahead of schedule. In this episode, John sits down with Tara Nelson, the advancement and enrollment director who has been at the center of this transformation, to talk about how they rebuilt trust, grew their community, and created a culture where dreaming bigger became the expectation not the exception. Key Takeaways 1. Trust has to be rebuilt before dollars will follow. Families and donors won't invest in a school they aren't sure will still be open. Parkersburg Catholic started small — fixing the ice machine, securing new front doors and showed their community that when they said something would happen, it happened. 2. Parish partnerships have to be a two-way street. The school shows up at all five of their parishes every single…
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