How St. Anthony Shrine recruited several key positions to strengthen their internal infrastructure and impact

St. Anthony Shrine (the Shrine) is a center for Roman Catholic ministry in Boston, MA, directed by the Franciscan friars of Holy Name Province.

The doors of the Shrine boldly proclaim ‘All Are Welcome’, reminding all of the central focus of the Shrine’s ministry that has remained constant for over 70 years: providing a convenient and prayerful setting for people desiring to praise and worship. Inspired by the enduring legacy of St. Francis of Assisi, the friars and the lay people of the Shrine strive to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all people, by caring for our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need. In preaching, prayers, adult formation, and spiritual counseling, the Shrine fosters Christian discipleship “in the marketplace” by reaching out and welcoming people to deepen their relationship with God and with one another. In addition to the weekend and weekday Masses, the Shrine has over 20 outreach and evangelical ministries. In keeping with the Franciscan spirit of meeting the needs of all people, the Shrine has emerging programs that serve current needs of the community, including an outreach program working with both the Black Lives Matter movement and the Boston Police Department to combat racism.

The Opportunity

St. Anthony Shrine first engaged us in 2021 to partner in recruiting a Chief of Staff. This newly-created position would be critical in developing and implementing a more streamlined and comprehensive internal reporting system for the Shrine, as well as strengthening cross-department communication and improving efficiencies organization-wide. The Executive Director was seeking a Chief of Staff who could serve as an advisor, manager, strategic partner, problem solver, and adept project manager and systems thinker. We worked closely with organizational leadership to create alignment around the design and expectations for the position. The search concluded successfully with St. Anthony Shrine welcoming an experienced human services professional to the role.

With the new Chief of Staff now onboarded, we were able to pivot our attention to the Shrine’s development program. The Shrine was the beneficiary of a very generous and loyal donor base. Total philanthropic revenue was in the annual range of $4.5-$5 million through the support of more than 8,000 donors. However, while the organization had a well-established and highly successful direct mail program, they were seeking to expand and diversify their funding stream. To do this, they needed new staff members who could provide oversight and direction to their fundraising strategy. Together, we designed and recruited two additional positions: a Director of Development Marketing and Operations and an Associate Director of Development Marketing and Operations.

The Results of Our Partnership

Key to the successful completion of all three searches was…

• Our ability to work closely with the Shrine to accurately assess what they needed in these new roles and how that aligned with marketplace insights and trends.
  Securing buy-in from leadership regarding the design of the positions was critical to recruiting talented candidates with a deep understanding of the role and how to be successful in it.
• Sustaining and expanding the partnership with St. Anthony leadership, including the new Chief of Staff, to effectively recruit additional staff.
  Because of the clear communications and support provided throughout the recruitment process, the new Chief of Staff was ready for impact from day one. We continued the strong relationship we had built with leadership as we collaborated in expanding the development program with the hiring of new development staff.

Looking Forward

With a strengthened internal structure supporting greater efficiencies, St. Anthony Shrine is well prepared to reach new levels of philanthropic and mission success.