Blog Posts, Articles & Announcements
- Written by Levi
- Category: Uncategorised
- Written by Levi
- Category: Uncategorised
MPS has been helping Catholic missionaries source and secure project funding for over 40 years.
In 1974, Mission Project Service was founded in New York City by Maryknoll missionary George Cotter, MM. Father Cotter believed that connecting missionaries in the “Third World” with individuals and agencies in the “First World” would help missionaries fund their projects.
The first MPS Funding Guide was published in 1982 in English, with subsequent editions in Spanish and French. Under Cotter updated versions of the MPS Funding Guide were periodically offered and MPS also began providing formal grant research and writing workshops to missionaries in their local setting. Cotter’s original co-founder Fr. Pierre Aubin, MSC moved “MPS” to upstate New York in 1995. In 2005 MPS was taken over by Bro. Marcel Sylvestre, FIC and the Brothers of Christian Instruction at Walsh University.
In 2013, MPS relocated to Oblate School of Theology (San Antonio) and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, where it is operated by the Missionary Oblate Partnership, a ministry of the US Province of Oblates.
During the past decade, the MPS Funding Guide has been sold and distributed in over 150 countries and workshops have been provided to missionary brothers and sisters and other religious on every continent.
- Written by Levi
- Category: Uncategorised
About our publications…
“Thank you most sincerely for your generosity, dedication and enthusiasm in doing this tremendous work. All the sisters really appreciated the workshop and the workshop materials.”
— Discussion at workshop in Bangalore, India.
“I wish I had this book five years ago, when I first spent countless hours scouring the Foundation Center's publications for US funders that would consider proposals from groups serving low-income, vulnerable populations in "human settlement" areas of Peru. Your directory is outstanding, a tremendous tool for community groups everywhere, and a "must have" for administrators, program planners and development officers in overseas projects. The chapters on selecting funders and tips on how to prepare a proposal are particularly useful.”
— Sister Joan D. Mahon, MSSW
“MPS Funding Guide is by far the most practical and user-friendly source of information for persons engaged in projects needing outside help to supplement local efforts at sustainable progress in education and other means of fostering genuine development”
— Br. Francis Blouin, FIC, Founder, Kisubi Brothers University Centre, Kisubi, Uganda
“If Arc-en-Ciel exists, it is because of your book, which allowed me to present the project. The first organizations to respond were located with the help of your book.”
— Mrs. Danielle Pénette, Director of Arc-en-Ciel, a home and treatment center for HIV-Aids affected children, Haiti
“I am writing to tell you how priceless your publication is for non-profit organizations like ours which work to improve the lives of impoverished people in Cameroon.”
— Honorine, Essengue Ad Lucem Foundation
“Your directory is almost a Bible overseas. Thanks so much for doing it.”
— Girard J. Kohler, CSSp
“Through the MPS Funding Guide, MPS is doing a valuable service to our missionaries and indigenous church personnel around the world, especially in less-industrialized countries.”
— Msgr. Karel Kasteel, Former Secretary General, Pontifical Council, COR UNUM, Vatican City
What they say about our workshops…
“MPS staff is generous in sharing their knowledge, experience and expertise. A million thanks! The group is enthusiastic to learn. The workshop is worthwhile and practical to everyone. Participants who are experts can even learn something new and they are eager to help others in their group.”
— Participant at Madang, Papua New Guinea
“It seems not too long ago that you helped us with the workshop at Pattaya. Please know that it has been helpful in our ministries. All three project proposals which I wrote got funding…”
— Sister Genoveva Dumay, RGS, Manilla, Philippines
“Thank you for allowing Casey Rogers and me to attend the grant-writing workshop in Quito, Ecuador. Casey and I both found it very worthwhile. Your methodology of how to develop, compose and present projects to funding agencies is very helpful: having participants bring real projects is practical; having them work in groups where they learn from each other creates a sense of mutuality, as is the mentoring you do in the small groups. The general sessions not only helped the participants to fine-tune their own projects, but enabled them to learn new ideas for potential projects and experience the group develop skills. Along with appreciating your methodology, I want to affirm the clarity of presentation, the modeling you do of Church women and men working together in mutuality, as well as your apparent passion for the work, appreciation of the ministries of sisters and infinite patience and good humor.”
— Sister Joyce Meyer, PBVM, Executive Director, Conrad N. Hilton Fund for Sisters
- Written by Levi
- Category: Uncategorised
Our staff includes a talented and dedicated group of professionals with experience and expertise in the areas of grant writing, project management, communications, training, leadership and financial development.
Arthur A. Pingolt, Jr
Executive Director
Artie’s background has been split almost equally between non-profit education and fundraising and the for-profit world of investment banking. His experience has included Jesuit and Christian Brother schools, capital campaign consulting, and most recently as President of the Missionary Oblate Partnership, an organization with US and international membership that includes Oblates, lay men and women, other mission congregations and US Church leadership. Prior to becoming president of the Partnership, Artie was Managing Director of Institutional Equities for US Bank Piper Jaffray and Senior Vice President of Investments, Vector-Prudential Securities.
His educational background includes an AB, Political Science & Philosophy, Creighton University, graduate studies in Theology, Creighton University, and a Law Degree, William Mitchell College of Law.
Father Lord Winner, CMF
Global Strategy and Content Consultant, Workshop Instructor
Father Lord Winner, CMF, a Claretian missionary and General Mission Procurator for his congregation, joined the Mission Project Service leadership team in 2016 as a strategic consultant and workshop instructor.
Fr. Winner has extensive experience in grant research, writing and training in the overall process of “project cycle management.” He has provided more than fifty ‘project management and fundraising trainings’ to missionaries throughout the world. The field of research for his Doctorate was 'Development Practice of Catholic Faith Based Organizations'. Fr Winner currently resides at the Claretian Generalate in Rome, Italy.
Jennifer Pingolt
Marketing and Communications Consultant
Jennifer has spent the greater part of her career in the “human relations” arena – and has served in various management positions within fortune 500 companies as well as start-up businesses. Over the last several years Jennifer has provided consulting services increasingly focused on strategy, social media and communications in the non-profit arena, servicing national and international organizations. Jennifer received a Masters’ in Vocational Education from the University of Minnesota and obtained her undergraduate degree in philosophy from Minnesota State.
Graciela Etchart, PhD.
Workshop Instructor
Graciela has a PhD in Sustainable Development from the University of Washington and an MBA-CPA from the University of the Republic of Uruguay. She has acted as a researcher in sustainable development and organizational management, as a professor of management, and as an auditor of development projects. Graciela is interested in organizational models that promote the sustainability of local development. Currently, Dr. Etchart is the director of the Office of Oblate Mission Sustainability of the Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate, Rome. She joined the Oblates as an Associate in 2001 and worked as the Partnership’s grant writer from 2008 until 2013.
Tom Drexler
Workshop Instructor
Currently the Executive Director of the Ignatian Spirituality Project, Tom has worked in Catholic ministry for the past 30 years. 20 of those years were spent in secondary and higher education and 10 as Executive Director of two separate Non-Profit Organizations. The latter drew on Tom’s abilities in non-profit organization and fundraising. One of the organizations, though based in Washington, DC, worked in 9 countries worldwide. In addition, Tom spent five years living and working in the Dominican Republic where he was part of a team that focused on a variety of community development projects, including construction of simple water systems, school houses, and basic sanitation projects.
Patricio M. Alvelo
Workshop Instructor
Patricio M. Alvelo has worked for the Catholic Church for more than 30 years. He holds a degree in Organization and Management of Civil Societies from UNSAM, Argentina. He also holds a Diploma in Resource Management from Procura A.C (Mexico) - Indiana University. He currently works as President at La Obra, a diocesan institution comprised of an elementary, a secondary and a vocational school. He is a member of the Diocesan Stewardship Council and the Board of Catholic Schools Office Directors in the dioceses. He is a teaching faculty in Resource Management and Fund Raising at UNSAM. He is a member of the CELAM’s team of experts in self-sustaining issues for the evangelizing work in Latin America. He has been content-writer of more than 200 workshops that he delivered solo or together with priests and lay people in different dioceses in Argentina and in many Latin American countries.
He was part of the leading team at Plan Compartir (National Bishop Conference in Argentina from 1999-2012). Plan Compartir was the first national Catholic Program training in Finance, Resource Management through Pastoral lenses. At Compartir, Patricio took care of fundraising and resource management to sustain the Plan’s day to day work and the many projects it carried out at national and international level. He fostered the creation, and later coordinated the Stewardship Network in the Catholic Church in Argentina.
Contributing Editorial Consultants:
Diane Conocchioli
Diane has resided and worked in Washington, D.C. since moving from her native Staten Island, New York in September, 1998. Diane’s areas of professional expertise include management of non-profit, faith-based organizations, including the Archdiocese of New York and The Catholic University of America. She specializes in finance and development, the annual audit and strategic planning. Diane has been a member of the Missionary Oblate Partnership since 2012, and serves as its grant-writer since 2013, as an independent consultant. At present, Diane also serves as co-Editor of the 9th Edition of the Agency Funding Guide and translator of the French version. Diane serves as a Lector and Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Diane’s academic background includes a BA from Fordham University in Politics and Economics as well as Graduate Studies at NYU’s School of Public Administration. In her leisure time, Diane enjoys her home, garden, cooking, dinner with friends, long walks, museums and is an avid fan of The Washington Nationals.
Melissa Keating
Bio coming soon...
- Written by Super User
- Category: Uncategorised
MPS is your key to connecting with prospective funders!
Catholic missionaries, their congregations and the people they serve are all increasing in number. As a result, project support is needed now more than ever before! MPS, through its Funding Guide, connects missionaries with funders to the short and long-term benefit of the people they serve.
- Written by Super User
- Category: Uncategorised
“First help them to become human. Then give them the hope of the gospel. Finally, help them to become Saints.”
- St. Eugene de Mazenod, OMI
- Written by Super User
- Category: Uncategorised
Get Your Projects Funded
Identifying grant makers to support your projects is a difficult task, but the MPS Funding Guide can simplify your search!
The MPS Funding Guide is an accurate and up-to-date directory of national and international agencies, foundations and organizations that fund pastoral and/or human development projects.
- Over 300 profiles of prospective funders including contact data, application process/key dates, previous grant history.
- Easy-to-use, searchable graphic Index to locate qualifying funders by country of origin, geographic areas served, and type of aid given so you can quickly target those funders who mostly closely align with the needs of your project.
- Bonus Guide to Grant Writing section with tips, tools and sample materials.
- Grant Writers Dictionary – essential terms both beginner and veteran grant writers needs to know.
New to grant writing or looking to enhance your skills?
MPS Online and In-Country Workshops and Training
MPS provides impactful, online and in-country workshops that help Catholic Missionaries achieve funding success. Our training curriculum includes three, four and five- day workshops on a range of topics such as grant writing, project cycle management and strategic planning. Customized training is also offered.