Catholic Tech Table

Petrus Development
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The Catholic Tech Table looks into how we can use AI in Catholic organizations to make our administrative processes more efficient and free up resources to do more of the actual ministry work.

  1. 1d ago

    AI Fundraising Build Pt. 6: What Is RAG, and Why Does It Matter?

    Why does Pete give different answers from a general-purpose AI tool, and how does it know what information to use?In this episode, we explain RAG, or retrieval-augmented generation, in practical language. We discuss why this matters for accuracy, consistency, organizational voice, and Catholic guardrails. You’ll also learn how organizations can use their own case for support, appeals, reports, and other documents as reference material.Most importantly, we explain why RAG does not make AI a replacement for a fundraiser. The goal is simple: let AI handle more of the work that keeps fundraisers at their desks so you can spend more time doing the human work of fundraising.

  2. 4d ago

    AI Fundraising Build Pt. 5: Building a Case for Support with AI

    How do you turn scattered facts, program details, and personal stories into a compelling case for support? In this episode, we use Pete AI to begin creating a case for support for St. Jude Catholic Leadership Center. You’ll see how AI can help identify gaps, structure information, surface stronger language, and create a useful first draft. You’ll also see why the fundraiser still needs to provide accurate information, edit for voice, verify details, and make final decisions. A case for support is the source document behind nearly every effective fundraising communication. This episode shows how AI can help you build one faster and more thoughtfully.

  3. Oct 2

    AI Fundraising Build Pt. 4: AI with Catholic Guardrails

    What is Pete AI, and why should Catholic fundraisers trust it to support their work?In this discussion episode, we explain how Pete was created and what makes it different from a general-purpose AI tool. Pete combines the capabilities of a large language model with Catholic guardrails and more than 20 years of Petrus fundraising experience.We discuss how Pete uses the knowledge and experience built into it, how it is designed to remain grounded in Catholic teaching, and how it can learn about an individual organization’s mission, history, and fundraising needs.We also address what Pete is not. It is not a fundraiser, a decision-maker, or a replacement for human relationships. Its purpose is to help Catholic fundraisers work more efficiently so they can spend more time with donors, leaders, and the people their ministries serve.Understanding the tool’s strengths and limitations is essential before relying on it.

  4. Sep 29

    AI Fundraising Build Pt. 3: Assessing Your Fundraising Program

    Before you build a fundraising program, do you know what you already have and what is missing?In this episode, we begin building St. Jude Catholic Leadership Center’s annual giving program by using Pete AI to assess its current development infrastructure. We provide Pete with background information about the organization and ask it to identify existing assets, missing components, and the most logical order for moving forward.The assessment helps distinguish between what St. Jude already has, such as a strong mission, effective programs, and community goodwill, and what it lacks, including a formal case for support, consistent donor communications, reliable data systems, planning, stewardship, and clear fundraising goals.You’ll see how AI can serve as a diagnostic tool that helps a fundraiser understand the current landscape, identify priorities, and determine where to begin.A strong fundraising program starts with an honest assessment.

  5. Sep 25

    AI Fundraising Build Pt. 2: Using AI Without Losing the Human Touch

    Can Catholic fundraisers use AI responsibly, or does relying on technology compromise the human work of fundraising?In this discussion episode, we explore what responsible AI use can look like for Catholic fundraisers. We consider the difference between “robot work” and human work, including how AI can help with research, planning, administration, and communication while giving fundraisers more time for donor relationships.We also discuss what should remain firmly in human hands: discernment, judgment, accountability, personal connection, and the work of inviting someone into generosity.Using examples from fundraising practice and Catholic teaching, we examine the question of where AI belongs in a development program and where it should never take over.The fundraiser is the architect. AI is the contractor. Join us as we establish the principles that will guide the rest of St. Jude’s fundraising build.

    AI Fundraising Build Pt. 2: Using AI Without Losing the Human Touch

  6. Sep 22

    AI Fundraising Build Pt. 1: Teaching AI to Think Like a Fundraiser

    What difference does a good prompt make when you use AI for fundraising? In this first episode of the Catholic Tech Table’s fundraising build series, we introduce St. Jude Catholic Leadership Center, a fictional Catholic nonprofit with strong programs, a decade of goodwill, and no formal development program. Over the course of the series, we’ll use AI to help build St. Jude’s annual giving program from the ground up. We begin with a simple demonstration: using a thin prompt and a detailed prompt to turn the same information into newsletter copy. The results show why context, audience, tone, purpose, and constraints matter. You’ll learn how to move beyond generic AI output and begin collaborating with AI to create clearer, more donor-centered, impact-driven fundraising communication. Follow along as we build St. Jude’s fundraising program one step at a time.

    AI Fundraising Build Pt. 1: Teaching AI to Think Like a Fundraiser

  7. Aug 12

    Pete AI live demonstration

    Meet Pete, the new AI assistant for Catholic fundraisers from Petrus Development. This demo shows the capabilities and the Catholic guardrails built into Pete.#catholic #fundraising #ai

  8. Aug 5

    Live Q&A: Virtual Summit on AI in Catholic Fundraising

    The closing session of the Virtual Summit on AI in Fundraising, where Andrew Robison, Sarah Rose, Matt Bond, and Rhen Hoehn answered live questions from attendees, including:→ How do you respond to employees who refuse to use AI?→ Are data centers and AI harmful to the environment?→ Will offloading tedious tasks to AI cause burnout by leaving staff only with emotionally taxing work?→ Is there a way to encourage AI adoption without undermining the dignity of workers doing replaceable tasks?

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About

The Catholic Tech Table looks into how we can use AI in Catholic organizations to make our administrative processes more efficient and free up resources to do more of the actual ministry work.

Information

  • Creator
    Petrus Development
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Petrus Development
  • Show Website
    Catholic Tech Table