6 minute read
After Class
CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER MIKE FAZIO It’s Time to Pay it Forward
It didn’t take long for Mike Fazio to get on board with the Benedict’s way of doing things. Now in his eighth year as Chief Advancement Officer, he discusses the role of fundraiser-in-chief and the progress achieved on his watch.
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What did you know about St. Benedict’s Prep before becoming Chief Advancement Officer in 2014?
I knew St. Benedict’s was a strong Catholic school with a storied tradition. But frankly, there are a lot of schools out there with rigorous academic programs and special histories. I made a lot of assumptions. Little did I know I was walking into something completely different. At first, St. Benedict’s took a little bit of getting used to. Now, I can’t imagine a school run any other way.
Why is that?
We put the onus on the kids to figure things out. The students run the show and we work for them. My email box was filled this morning with messages from kids changing the schedule and notifying parents of different developments. That is a brilliant piece of the puzzle here. Can you imagine a public school trying this? I can’t even imagine most Catholic schools putting kids in charge this way. Even on the most ordinary of days, incredible things happen in the middle of Newark. We had Mass on the field outdoors recently, and there was work being done on the Verizon building adjacent to the Property. The Verizon guys stopped working and listened to the Mass, the music, and to Fr. Edwin. That doesn’t happen everywhere, but that kind of connectedness happens here all the time.
How do you view your role in terms of fostering the interconnectedness of the St. Benedict’s Prep community?
I feel my primary job as Chief Advancement Officer is to make sure that those Benedict’s traditions and formative experiences continue
Nearing the Finish Line
in perpetuity. When we travel around the country, what we hear the most from people is, ’What are the dates for The Trail this year? What’s happening with Freshman Overnight? How’s the counseling program going?’ It’s what I call the Benedict’s Difference. These experiences formed our graduates and I feel I have a duty to ensure it continues forever.
Speaking of forever, can you describe where Forever Benedict’s, the $100 million campaign, stands right now?
We are at the goal line thanks to the generosity of nearly 10,000 donors. We’ve secured well over $90 million so far. Forever Benedict’s is the biggest, most ambitious campaign in our history and, as a result, we’ve been able to keep the place going and expand the endowment so St. Benedict’s can be here always. That was the whole point when we envisioned this thing a few years ago, and by the grace of God, we’re close to hitting the mark. I can’t wait to celebrate the conclusion of the effort at our Annual Scholarship Gala in May – but we aren’t done yet.
What does $100 million mean to a school like St. Benedict’s?
It’s added a lot of stability to our finances. We offer more than $5 million in financial aid every year. And that number continues to grow, certainly with the addition of the Girls Prep Division and nearly 1,000 kids here.
The biggest thing Forever Benedict’s did was allow us to tell the story about why it’s so important to give back to the School. We’ve always had a strong track record of alumni giving, but over the last seven years, it’s climbed to the point where St. Benedict’s is by far the best in the state, and better than most colleges and universities in terms of alumni participation. Last year, we raised over $14 million, the most ever. That’s a testament to the alumni and donors who believe in this place and its mission.
Once the campaign concludes, what will St. Benedict’s need to move forward?
Continuing to grow the endowment is absolutely vital. We’ve made progress, but we need to get the endowment to the point where it provides enough each year so that the fundraising lift for operations isn’t as great. The physical plant is something we’re looking closely at as well. The girls have planted their flag here and are going to need additional space, and enrollment overall is growing. We’re bursting at the seams and have 100-year-old buildings that need to be considered. Facilities is a big piece of whatever comes next.
Fundraising at Benedict’s is never over. We need our current alumni and donors to continue, and we need alums who have not been supporting us to start doing so. Because every Gray Bee is a beneficiary of those that came before them. Every single one. Even if their parents paid full tuition, they were still getting help because what we charge for tuition doesn’t cover the full cost. It’s time to pay it forward.
The Benedict’s community really values events where they get to see one another in person. What does that look like going forward?
It depends on how COVID-19 looks as we head into 2022. We had a great event in Boston in October, held mostly outdoors, and I would say you’re going to be seeing a lot more of us this spring. We’ll be in the Midwest, Washington D.C., Atlanta and certainly Florida. I can’t wait.
So, you’ll be back on the road with Fr. Ed?
He and I talk almost every day about when we’re going to hit the road again. I learn a lot on these trips because he tells stories about the Benedict’s of yesterday, as well as today. It truly is a privilege and a blessing to get that bird’s eye view and travel with him. We share a lot of laughs. We also always get lost. But that’s usually my fault because we’re talking so much, I miss an exit.
Alumni are obviously the core foundation of support, but St. Benedict’s also gets unexpected gifts from complete strangers with stunning regularity. What do you make of that?
Fr. Ed would say it’s the Holy Spirit. He’s right, but I believe there’s more at play. Education – in particular the brand we offer here – is the cure for most of society’s issues. So, we work hard at telling our story. The more word spreads about what’s happening on MLK Boulevard, the luckier we seem to get. People see a school like ours and they don’t see color or religion or economic status. They just see kids and think, ’This is what education should be.’ At a time when a sense of community seems lost in our country, voilà!, there it is – right in the middle of Newark, New Jersey. When donors see the grit, the leadership and the accountability that is developed here, in addition to the academic side of things, they realize the country could use more Benedict’s kids.
Mike Fazio has served as Chief Advancement Officer since 2014. Prior to that he was the Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs at Saint Peter’s University. He holds a bachelor’s degree and MBA from Fordham University.
