CATHOLIC CHARITIES – PHOENIX

In 2017, Catholic Charities in Phoenix set an ambitious goal for their No Longer Homeless Campaign for veterans. They sought to raise $7.5 million for a new site for MANA House (Marines, Army, Navy and Air Force), a transitional housing facility for men, and St. Bernadette’s Place, transitional housing and support services for women veterans.

Vice President of Philanthropy Tami Bohannon, left, and Tony Siebers, board member and co-chairman of the No Longer Homeless Campaign, tour the residence for homeless women veterans recently acquired by Catholic Charities Community Services of Phoenix.

As with most capital campaigns, Catholic Charities hit a few snags along the way, but were able to pivot with the help of Greater Mission. Tami Bohannon, Vice President of Philanthropy at Catholic Charities, tells the story:

“We started with the MANA House project, but lost the lease on the former building, so we had to go back to the drawing board and find a new building. The details of this 76-bed transitional shelter were monumental, as it serves 200 homeless men each year. The project consumed a lot of my time and staff resources. By the late fall of 2019, it was evident to all that we needed outside help — so I called Greater Mission. I knew we needed to jump-start the second part of our campaign: finishing MANA House and acquiring a house for the women veterans. But, simply put, we were stuck and frankly a bit overwhelmed.”

In early 2020, Greater Mission was hired to assist Catholic Charities with getting “un-stuck” and closing the $3 million funding gap on their No Longer Homeless campaign. Initial steps included rewriting the Case for Support, clarifying naming opportunities, and helping the development staff become “laser-focused” on major donor prospects.

As of Spring 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Catholic Charities has been able to acquire a building for the women veterans, and continues major gift meetings and grants activity. “We have pressed the re-start button,” says Tami. “With God’s help and Greater Mission’s focus on both the strategic and tactical steps we are working on together, we know achieving the goal is in our sights.”