This month marks Tim Gwiazdowski’s third year with the Greater Mission team.
Tim has over 10 years of development experience, beginning his career at the Diocese of Providence and serving as a campaign director during the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Diocese of Cleveland campaigns. Most recently, he has worked at Care New England health system where he was the Annual Fund Director for two community hospitals.
While serving in various philanthropic capacities, he has provided oversight and leadership in volunteer recruitment, board management, donor research, event planning, direct mail as well as analytics.
Tim is a proud graduate of St. Bonaventure University and currently resides in Warwick, Rhode Island.
Below is a Q&A with Tim to share more about him and his work with Greater Mission.
Q: Would you tell us a little about yourself and your life these days?
A: These days my life really revolves around the Learn to Lead schools’ campaign in Richmond, Virginia. When I am not in Virginia, I enjoy spending time with my friends and families on the weekend.
Q: What led you to a career in the mission-driven world?
A: I believe it was Gandhi who said, “be the agent of change that you want to see in the world.” Our work focuses on building stronger organizations who are focused on meeting the spiritual, educational, and social needs of the communities.
Q: What is the most rewarding thing about your work?
A: Working with the staff, volunteers, and pastors on various projects to better their local community. Whether it is a new school, parish, or renovation, our work is focused on building for the future.
Q: What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned while working with Greater Mission?
A: How unique each project is. We often raise money for projects that are fairly similar, but each parish or school has its own set of challenges that need to be addressed during the course of a campaign. It makes the work interesting and keeps you on your toes.
Q: What have you found that clients are most surprised by when they begin working with Greater Mission?
A: Jokingly, how much we travel. I think local staff members are often surprised how many clients we serve and that we are not all locally based.
On a more serious note, they are often impressed at the types of gifts they receive during the course of campaigns. Oftentimes we will hear, “I do not think anyone at our parish can give that much or I do not think we can raise that goal, it is way too much.” People are often surprised at the level of generosity within their community and how our work inspires faithful generosity.
Q: What would you say to someone whose organization could benefit from Greater Mission’s services?
A: I believe that Greater Mission is uniquely positioned to serve most Catholic agencies regardless of their size. Our staff has literally hundreds of years of Catholic fundraising experience across the nation. If you are thinking of a capital campaign or looking for assistance with your development operation, I always encourage people to give us a call and we can have a conversation about the specific needs of your organization.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
A: I would just like to wish everyone a Happy New Year on behalf of the Greater Mission team.
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