Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women. Lk 1:28

Do you know someone who would be interested in receiving the Weekly Digest? Subscribe HERE.

Highlights from CCUSA

CCUSA's O'Grady Leadership Institutes

Save the dates for CCUSA’s 2020 O’Grady Leadership Institutes, scheduled for May 11-15 at the beautiful Bethany Center near Tampa. The Advanced Leadership Institute (2.0) is for diocesan directors and other senior Catholic Charities leaders; the Leadership Institute (1.0) is for emerging leaders, administrators, and program directors. Space is limited! Registration will open in January, but interested persons may contact Scott Hurd to preregister and benefit from instructors such as CCUSA’s president Sr. Donna Markham and Harvard’s Rev. Bryan Hehir. As one recent participant observed, “The entire week was one of the best I’ve ever spent.”

Daily Advent reflections from CCUSA

Once again, CCUSA is offering reflections on each day's Mass readings during Advent. The reflections are authored by Catholic Charities employees and other social concerns ministers and will arrive by email first thing each morning. Sign up here to receive them.

Nine weeks and counting!

We are in the home stretch! Enter the CCUSA Innovation Challenge here. Five agencies who have submitted their application by December 31 will be chosen at random to win $50 to spend on donuts, bagels and coffee for their team. Don't delay! Apply today! 

Submit agency stories to the CCUSA storybank

When you share with us a story about your work and the people you serve in your local community, we can then share your stories not only with a national audience but also the lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Our government affairs team goes to the Hill often, and they are able to represent the Catholic Charities ministry more persuasively when they can share local stories that demonstrate the success and efficacy of programs and services. So please share your stories about food programs, affordable housing, family reunification, integrated health, social enterprises, and everything you do! Stories that involve the federal funding you receive are needed especially. We want everyone to know about the great work you are doing! Submit your stories here. 

Register now for the 2020 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering

Catholic Charities USA is a significant supporter of the annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “Bearing Witness: Life and Justice for All” is this year’s theme, scheduled for January 25-28 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. This Gathering will bring together those working on issues impacting life and human dignity across the spectrum such as the death penalty, human trafficking, restorative justice, and issues impacting families like migration, violence, and poverty. Connect with current and emerging leaders, engage in dynamic and thought provoking plenary presentations, briefings, and workshops, and raise your voice in advocacy with members of Congress. To register or for more information visit here; act now for special initiatives for diverse leaders and young leaders.  

Catholic Charities Retreat Opportunity with Fr. Bob Dufford, SJ

Catholic Charities USA is delighted to announce a retreat with one of the best-loved modern Catholic composers: Fr. Bob Dufford, SJ, writer of popular hymns such as “Be Not Afraid,” “All the Ends of the Earth,” “Sing to the Mountains,” and “Every Valley.” As a member of the Saint Louis Jesuits, Fr. Bob is a four-time Grammy nominee for compositions such as “Here I am, Lord,” and “Earthen Vessels.”  This retreat is open to all Catholic Charities staff and board members. Spouses are welcome to register in a shared room. The registration fee is $350 for individuals and $225 for spouses, and is inclusive of all meals and a modern room with an ensuite bath. It will be held from January 28-30, 2020, at the Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center in Marriottsville, Maryland (near Baltimore). Visit this link to register or for more information.

Save the Date! Join us in Cleveland for the 2020 Annual Gathering for “Innovation Now”

When: October 27-30, 2020 Where: Hilton Cleveland. Plan ahead, mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details! Still need convincing? See what your colleagues said about the 2019 Annual Gathering:

• “Workshops/topics and presentations were great – wonderful diversity.”
• “Learning from sister agencies – getting ideas that we could bring back to our agency.”
• “Connections I made, people I met, bonding with colleagues.” 

Questions? Send an email here.

Events and Webinars

Succession planning: Build

Most of us think about executive transition when we hear the term “Succession Planning”. It is that but so much more! Join us for a webinar, sponsored by the Management & Administration Section, as we explore how to prepare staff at all levels to fill essential roles in your organization. We will also reflect on how the transition of the executive director of a Catholic Charities agency merits special consideration. December 11, 2019 at 3:00 PM EST. Register now!

COA's launch of 2020 Edition of Standards

COA has announced enhancements to its accreditation standards and process with its 2020 Edition. The goal of the changes is to increase the impact of accreditation by focusing COA’s standards and processes on those practices and activities that will have the greatest effect on the people and communities COA-accredited organizations serve, while ensuring that our mission-driven organizations are equipped to meet changing operating environments and the evolving needs of their clients.Learn more at an upcoming webinar on December 16th at 2 PM Eastern. Register here.

Build Your Fundraising Plan Now!

Get the fundraising plan off your to-do list and into action with this four-week course that walks you through every step needed to create an effective and comprehensive fundraising strategy. You’ll learn how to assess where you are, look ahead to see where you want to be, create a comprehensive fundraising plan, and then receive an entire toolkit of sample materials and resources to help you execute on that plan.  Length of Course: Five weeks. Type of Course: Self-paced (during a five-week course run); Instructor-led. Dates: January 13 - February 9, 2020. Price: $325 (Alliance partners and CNPs receive a 20% discount. Use code: NONPROFITPARTNER). Register and learn more here.

Effective Staff Supervision  

Effective staff management is a powerful tool that should be added to every supervisor's toolbelt – and the Effective Staff Supervision course will do just that. This 8-week course begins by introducing you to the art and science behind effective supervision. The course will dive into more tactical issues such as effective hiring, monitoring and feedback strategies. It will also push you to flex your leadership capacity, understanding your unique style and how to use your strengths to build a cohesive, high-performing team. By the end of the eight weeks, you will have the strategies and knowledge needed to be a highly effective manager. Length of Course: Eight weeks. Type of Course: Self-paced (during eight-week course run); Instructor-led. Dates: January 27 - March 22, 2020. Price: $600 (Alliance partners and CNPs receive a 20% discount. Use code: NONPROFITPARTNER). Register and learn more here. 

Essential Communication Skills for Nonprofit Leaders

Effective communications is, without question, the most critical determinant of leadership success (especially for those in the nonprofit sector). This is how we develop and sustain key relationships that allow us to achieve a common purpose. But what makes a leader an effective communicator? In this three-week course, you will learn time-tested communications strategies that have helped thousands of executives become highly-successful leaders. Length of Course: Three weeks. Type of Course: Self-paced (during a three-week course run); Instructor-led. Dates: January 27- February 16, 2020. (Alliance partners and CNPs receive a 20% discount. Use code: NONPROFITPARTNER). Register and learn more here.  

Designing Nonprofit Programs for Long-term Sustainability

You will leave this course with knowledge of:

• Needs assessments, asset identification and other research findings that identify authentic community need;
• Mission-driven program design and outcomes (designing programs for impact);
• How to adequately allocate and advocate for resources (staffing, space, funding, etc.);
• The basics of effective program design, including program logistics; program marketing, paid and volunteer staffing, volunteer roles and evaluation; and
• Designing Inclusive programming.

In addition, you will have the opportunity to develop a logic model for a nonprofit organization.Length of Course: 5-weeks, Type of course: Self-paced (during five-week course run); Instructor-lead, Course access: Learner may access the course for up to 90 days, Dates: February 10, 2020 - March 16, 2020. Alliance partners and CNPs receive a 20% discount. Use code: NONPROFITPARTNER). Register and learn more here.

Grant Opportunities and Resources

Management & Administration Benchmarking Project Inventory

Since 2015, Catholic Charities of St. Louis has conducted several benchmarking projects in conjunction with the Taylor Community Consulting Program (TCCP) of the Olin School of Business at Washington University, CCUSA, and other Catholic Charities agencies. These benchmarking projects focus on programming and administrative services prevalent across the Catholic Charities network with the ultimate goal of providing measurable results and developing a protocol for additional benchmarking opportunities. View an inventory of past benchmarking projects in the ‘Resource Center’ of the CCUSA Members’ Portal or by viewing either the Management and Administration or the Research and Evaluation section pages: Click here.

Employment Opportunities

Catholic Charities job opportunities now listed on CCUSA website

Anyone can view the job opportunities by clicking on the "Careers" tag on the footer of the CCUSA webpage. To post a job opportunity, one must be a member and have access to the members' portal in order to fill out the submission form (click on "Careers" tag on members only portal homepage). If you have any questions about the new job opportunities submission form, please contact David Werning or Lily Stewart. Please click here to access job opportunities.

CCUSA Photo Gallery

Did you know that one of the benefits CCUSA provides to member agencies is access to a professional photo gallery? Visit our Flickr photo pages to explore our albums and photos. If you would like a high-resolution version for your agency's use, please email CCUSA with photo number.