Make friends, then raise funds, foundation told

By Cathy Tilzey

“Fund raising is all about friend raising,” members of the board of trustees of the Foundation for the Diocese of Helena and their guests heard last weekend at a special gathering and workshop.

The speaker was Rich Fersch, the retired president and chief executive officer of Eddie Bauer sportswear who is now executive director of stewardship and development for the Archdiocese of Seattle.

“You can’t raise funds if you don’t have relations” with the people you are asking to donate their money, he explained Sept. 8 at St. Mary’s Church in Helena.

He said he realized, after many years in business, that “you’re successful because of the relationships you have, and your ability to (meld) your talent with someone else’s talent. If you can match your talents to someone else’s, that’s a good combination.”

When he became CEO of Eddie Bauer, he said, he felt that the company should give something to the community, and he encouraged employees to volunteer. He contributed time to the United Way of King County.

He and his wife, Patti, had volunteered separately for non-profit fundraisers before then. They co-chaired the United Way of King County campaign in 1999 and worked well together. He said he gained a new appreciation for her way of getting to know people before asking for donations.

When she toured agencies that applied for United Way funds, she passed on names of good prospects to her husband, she explained. Their children even became involved.

“It became a passion, and a conversion took place,” he said.

Another step in the conversion occurred Sept. 7, 2000, when Rick Fersch suffered a blood clot and stroke that could have disabled him. But the grace of God and the sacrament of the sick saved him.

At first, he explained, he didn’t want the “last rites,” as the sacrament used to be called. But a priest entered his hospital room anyway and administered it. “Forty-eight hours later, all my symptoms were gone,” he added.

As he recuperated and returned to work, the experience caused him to re-evaluate his life, and he considered devoting it to working for the Church. He and Patti discussed working together full time for non-profit organizations.

After Fersch retired from Eddie Bauer late in 2002, Archbishop Alexander Brunett of Seattle (Bishop of Helena in 1994-97) called and asked him to put his business and fund-raising skills to work for the archdiocese.

The archbishop was a good friend, so they agreed to try it for a year. They are still there.

Patti Fersch directs the Crozier Society, which the stewardship and development office started three years ago. It was formed to recognize major donors, mostly of planned giving, they explained.

Fersch also spoke at a workshop Saturday, explaining the importance of parish stewardship, which is the first priority of his office. Next on the list are the archdiocese’s annual Catholic appeal, planned giving, then the Crozier Society.

He gave the board members a list of key development principles, starting with “People give money to people who ask for it.” Others were:
– Give people a reason to give.
– An enthusiastic presentation gets an enthusiastic result.
– Make it as easy as possible for people to give once you have asked them.
– Stop asking only when you get an answer.

Published in The Montana Catholic, Vol. 22, No. 9, September 18, 2006.