Fundraising as essential to mission

By Sr. Bernadette Mota

In July 2019, I will officially move into the role of Director of Mission Advancement and Fundraising for the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco.

I currently am the Director of Young Adult Ministry in the mountains of Colorado Springs. Although it will be challenging for me to leave my present ministry, which I thoroughly enjoy, I am happy to start climbing new peaks as God’s instrument for the good of our broader mission.

In preparation for this new ministry, I took the Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising (ECRF) course. I first learned about the program by word of mouth from a Carmelite Sister that I met at a Catholic fundraising conference. I then researched about the opportunity as well as other fundraising programs available and was convinced that this was the best one out there for my needs and desires.

Being an ECRF scholarship recipient was a true gift because we are in the foundation stage of our fundraising endeavors. We have a rather small budget to work with for now and are grateful for every gift of divine providence. It also benefited my congregation in enabling the money that we saved to go towards our elderly sisters who are no longer able to bring in stipends.

As a consecrated religious, I am passionate for our charism of education and evangelization and I firmly believe that fundraising is essential to our mission. The program equipped me with exceptional tools and resources for the ministry of fundraising.

It was also a blessing to network with a variety of fundraisers and leaders from other faith-based organizations. Our instructors were extremely informative, engaging, and readily available. The intense days of the workshops passed by rather quickly because of their enthusiasm about the content.

Thanks to the ECRF, I now have a better understanding about nurturing generosity and the spirituality of fundraising.

Sr. Bernadette Mota entered religious life with the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco in 2005. She has joyfully served youth, young adults and families in parishes, schools, and universities in California, Texas, Arizona, Illinois and Colorado.