New Director of Advancement Waving the Flag for OLSH

By Jessica Cerchiaro

When he’s not meeting with prospective OLSH donors, attending special events, or immersing himself in OLSH life, new Director of Advancement Ben Becze can often be found making music. An accomplished trumpet player, Ben is a member of three local jazz orchestras. In fact, he originally studied music in college before making his career in fundraising. “When people talk about making music, they typically use the verb ‘play’ rather than ‘work’,” Ben remarked. “It’s a lot of hard work and practice, but when it goes well, it gives others joy, and that’s what makes it such a positive outlet for me.” In his six months so far at OLSH, he has demonstrated how he follows that same philosophy in his profession. “It’s my job to help people realize their passion and invest in that passion; basically I help to connect donors who are passionate about OLSH and its mission with opportunities to make an impact,” he explained. “As a fundraiser, it’s exciting to work in a school because you can see the outcomes of fundraising on a daily basis through the students, the faculty, and the programs offered.”

Ben was attracted to OLSH because of its size and the wide variety of ways the school impacts students – the arts, academics, athletics, leadership, service – all with a foundation in faith. Originally from Beaver County, he had heard of OLSH before, but he didn’t really know about OLSH. After being hired, friends and other acquaintances with connections to OLSH kept popping up. “It’s interesting because OLSH’s reach is far, but it’s still like a best kept secret,” he commented.

“That’s part of what makes OLSH special.” As the chief fundraiser for the school, Ben describes an important part of his role as “waving the flag for OLSH”, helping people to know more about the school, from what it offers students now to what it has been for alumni, and helping them to understand the great value in making an investment in OLSH. “Future OLSH students should be able to expect the same, or better, experience as that which current students enjoy today,” he said. “I need to make sure teachers have the resources they need to make an OLSH education second to none. We have the talented teachers; we need to be able to give them the tools they need to excel and that will help our students to flourish.”

Advancement efforts aren’t just for adding new programs and resources to the school. Besides needing to fundraise to fill the gap between the actual cost to educate a student at OLSH and the amount charged in tuition and fees, it has always been the objective of the school and the Felician Sisters to make it possible for any student from any background to have the opportunity to receive an OLSH education. “That’s why,” Ben shared, “We’ve set a goal for 2018-2019 to raise 100% of the funds needed for financial aid, which is nearly $1 million.” While that might sound like a lofty goal, it’s one that Ben is confident can be achieved.

Now that he has six months under his belt, Ben has had the opportunity to really get to know OLSH. He came into an office where there was great positive momentum but still many untapped opportunities, and he looks forward to bringing his experience and expertise to the school. His 16-year career has spanned almost every aspect of fundraising from major gifts officer to alumni relations to director at organizations large and small, including United Way of South Western PA, Grove City College, Geneva College, and, most recently, the Oncology Nursing Society Foundation. In 2016, he earned the prestigious title of Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) after completing coursework and an exam demonstrating his knowledge of ethics, best practice, and board and volunteer management.

In his short time at OLSH, Ben has already begun meeting parents, students, donors, and alumni; he has participated in events and activities to help him to better understand the rich history and culture of OLSH; and he has set impressive goals for the next fiscal year. But there is still much work to be done. “I want to meet as many OLSH alumni as possible,” Ben shared, “and I want to ask them for their support in any way they can.” Meeting with and gaining the support of this important group is just one piece of the process, but an essential step in sustaining the great outcomes of investing in OLSH – the education and transformation of future generations of students to be outstanding leaders and contributors to the world.