What does AWE stand for?

Q: What does AWE stand for?

Affirming, Welcoming, and Engaging — the three movements of the process, in that order. Affirming names what is already good and says so. Welcoming removes the barriers standing between a person and belonging. Engaging extends the personal invitation on purpose and to specific people. The order matters. A community that tries to engage people it has never affirmed will find very few takers.

What We Do
Consulting Services
Capital Campaigns & Feasibility Studies
The ISPD Financial Feasibility Study process helps build support for your campaign needs, followed by a robust implementation process.

Strategic Planning
Set a course for your school or parish’s future with one of ISPD’s Strategic Planning Processes.

Operational Vitality Assessments
ISPD Assessments thoroughly examine your school’s operational vitality and culture.

Diocesan Partnerships
Expert partnerships that strengthen advancement, enrollment, and leadership across every school in your diocese.

Coaching Programs
Development/Stewardship Coaching
One-on-one coaching on the meaning, value, and implementation of a vibrant Catholic school or parish development/stewardship effort.

Enrollment Management Coaching
Coaching sessions to understand how to invite, involve, and engage more families into the enrollment funnel.

Leadership Coaching
This coaching process helps administrators learn the critical role that operational vitality plays in Catholic schools and parishes.
Educational Opportunities
Professional Development Classes
ISPD offers online, for-credit courses through the Institute for Pastoral Initatives at the University of Dayton.

Additional Resources
ISPD Blog
ISPD Bookstore
Who We Serve
- Success Stories
Who We Are
- Why Choose ISPD
ISPD Compass
ISPD/UD Fall Classes
Contact Us

Affirming, Welcoming, and Engaging — the three movements of the process, in that order.

Affirming names what is already good and says so. Welcoming removes the barriers standing between a person and belonging. Engaging extends the personal invitation on purpose and to specific people.

The order matters. A community that tries to engage people it has never affirmed will find very few takers.

By Jason Crundwell|2026-08-22T21:27:45-05:00August 22nd, 2026|AWE Process|0 Comments

About the Author: Jason Crundwell

How Catholic Communities Grow with ISPD

Ten outcomes our partners achieve

Your Mission Stays at the Center.

Working exclusively with Catholic schools, parishes, and (arch)dioceses means you never have to retrofit secular fundraising to a Catholic community. Our associates bring 300+ years of combined experience in Catholic development and leadership.

Your Mission Drives Decisions.

Through consulting, coaching, and educating, we bring people, process, and ministry together to help build the Kingdom of God — and build the structures that make it operational in your budget, calendar, and staffing.

Belonging Leads to Believing.

We show you how to engage parishioners, parents, alumni, past parents, grandparents, and your entire community in the mission, so that when the invitation to consider a gift comes, it lands on a relationship already formed.

You Inherit 37+ Years of Lessons.

Hundreds of successful partnerships nationwide mean your community is never the test case. You begin where others finished as ISPD shares best practices from many.

You Hear What Your People Actually Think.

An outside voice surfaces what internal politics keeps buried. Our confidential interview and study processes give leadership an honest picture before major decisions — and before money is spent.

The Process Fits Your Calendar.

On-site, online, and hybrid delivery across Assessment, Strategic Planning, Enrollment Management, Feasibility Study, Capital Campaign, Annual Fund, and Total Stewardship.

Your Staff's Capacity Grows.

Our regional summits, workshops, presentations, and publications build skill that stays in your building long after the engagement ends. Coupled with the ISPD Compass (your AI Companion), your advancement efforts are set for many years.

Your Leaders Earn Academic Credit.

Through the University of Dayton’s Institute for Pastoral Initiatives, ISPD teaches for-credit courses each semester — professional formation your people can carry with them. Catholic school and parish development/advancement/enrollment management/stewardship course.

More of Every Dollar Stays in Ministry.

Our consulting processes, personalized coaching, online courses, summits, and conferences are priced for Catholic budgets, so results are not consumed by the cost of achieving them.

Your Community Raises its Own Expectations.

We encourage, motivate, and guide Catholic clients to move “beyond mediocrity” — a shift in expectation that outlives the initiative that prompted it.

Latest Posts from ISPD

The Warm Catholic Parish: What Happens After a New Family Walks In
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How to Welcome New Parishioners Walk into any parish for the first time, and you'll know within five minutes whether it's warm or cold.Not by the building or the choir. By whether anyone noticed you were there.Over decades of attending Mass at parishes across the country, ISPD's team has watched...

The Annual Fund’s First 30 Days: Setting the Table Before the Invitation
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Your Parents Aren’t Ignoring You. They’re Drowning.
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July 28, 2026
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2026 ISPD Circle of Catholic Champions
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37 Years of Catholic School and Parish Development: A Message from ISPD’s Founder
June 17, 2026
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Belonging Leads to Believing.

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About ISPD

Call Us (985) 250-9180

catholicdev@ispdconsulting.com

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