GSB Fundraising / www.gsbfundraising.com
Have you ever wondered how to inspire generosity in your church? If so, you’re not alone! Through a new partnership with the Southwestern Minnesota Synod, we are excited to help you and your congregation do just that.
We have a simple philosophy—changing congregational culture from a mindset of scarcity (we can’t afford to do that!) to one of abundance (what if…) allows you to fully live into God’s mission for your congregation. We don’t focus on raising money to meet the budget, but rather invite people to generously support ongoing ministry that is changing lives for the better. We then celebrate that generosity by thanking donors and sharing the impact of their gifts.
We will enthusiastically serve as the Southwestern Minnesota Synod’s stewardship resource. We will provide a quarterly newsletter that will allow you to see stewardship through a new lens. Through your synod, congregational leaders will have the opportunity to reach out to us with stewardship questions. In 2023 we will launch Stewardship for All Seasons, a comprehensive process that seeks significant change in congregation giving, looking to grow it by 10-15%. In the summer of 2023, we will start a congregational cohort of Building a Culture of Generosity, an excellent first step for any congregation.
GSB Fundraising was founded in 1976 to strengthen charitable causes to change the world through generosity. We work with ELCA congregations throughout the country and are thrilled to work with you and your congregation.
GSB Consultants:
Rev. Peter Reuss
Pete exudes a passion for God’s work in the world, trusting the Spirit to guide the church and ministry organizations to live into God’s future. Through the death of his mother as an 8-year-old and the death of his wife in 2015, Peter remains convinced that nothing, even death, can stand in God’s way. If God has a vision for the church, God will raise up the leaders and the funds to make it happen. All things are possible.
An ELCA Pastor, Pete serves God by guiding congregations, synods, and other ministries to discern God’s vision and encourage the generosity to make that vision a reality. He has led hundreds of congregations across the country to grow in generosity. Some in the Western North Dakota Synod know Pete through his work in the synod over the past couple years.
Pete’s experience includes ten years in synodical leadership in his twenty-five years of ordained ministry. His congregational experience includes rural ministry at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Benson, Illinois (population 45) and Mission Development / New Start ministry at Peace Lutheran Church in Eyota, Minnesota. In his time in Eyota, the congregation grew from $40,000 in annual giving to the capacity to build a first church structure.
He lives in Rochester, Minnesota with his wife Danielle, who serves as a hospice social worker at Mayo Clinic. His son Ben works towards a master’s degree at Michigan Technological University, studying Environmental Engineering.
Paul N. Marsh CFRE
As a consultant, Paul walks step by step with nonprofit organizations and churches to engage generous and enthusiastic donors in support of their missions to change the world for the better.
A passionate advocate for social change through generosity, Paul Marsh has been a nonprofit executive and fundraiser throughout his entire career spanning three decades. Whether working in colleges and universities, social service organizations, international relief agencies or even as a volunteer firefighter, Paul has championed generosity through philanthropy and volunteerism.
Paul joined GSB Fundraising in 2009 and has served clients throughout the United States, guiding them through capital campaigns, stewardship appeals, board development and strategic planning. A prolific speaker at conferences across the country, recently he has been a featured speaker at the Western Nonprofit Summit in Vail, Colorado, the Ignite Conference in Minneapolis, and the Faith and Fundraising Conference in Milwaukee. In 2019 he was a contributor to Giving Magazine, published by the Ecumenical Stewardship Center. Paul earned the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation in 2000.
Paul’s wife of 30 years, Rebecca, serves as principal of Yale Elementary School in Aurora, Colorado. Their son Connor, 24, is director of bands at Longs Peak Middle School in Longmont, Colorado, and their daughter Kelly, 21, is a broadcast journalism major at Metro State University in Denver.
