Paulist Fathers

In 2019, the Steier Group partnered with the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle (the Paulist Fathers), the first religious community of Catholic priests established in North America. The Paulists’ ministry is found in media and the arts, in parishes and downtown centers, and on college campuses. In 2017, the Paulists began raising funds to construct a new seminary building in Washington, D.C., care for senior Paulists, address deferred maintenance at Paulist-owned properties and invest in outreach ministries. After raising just shy of $9 million in lead gifts, the Paulists hired the Steier Group to conduct a campaign planning study to gauge support for a national capital campaign. Following a successful study, preparations began for Hope for the Future: A Comprehensive Campaign for the Paulist Fathers. Despite the various challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the effort raised an additional $21.3 million in pledges and gifts, leaving the Paulists with over $30 million in total commitments. Ten Paulist parishes, downtown centers and campus ministry centers conducted local campaigns for the broader effort, using customized plans for each community. In total, the campaign received gifts from over 2,700 donors spanning 38 states and four countries. Thanks to their generosity, the Paulist House of Mission and Studies will open in the summer of 2022, while outreach ministries like the Paulist Press and Busted Halo are already benefiting from campaign support.