Thanks for asking! Building Catholic Futures would love to work with you and come to your diocese to build confidence and develop Catholic leadership. We’ve assembled this quick summary of how to make that happen.
 
Step One: Get in touch with us. Just complete the “Contact Us” form on the website and let us know:

• The Catholic institution with whom you work or to which you belong?
• In a few words, what are your interests and your institution’s needs?
• Which of our audience areas (Witnesses, Journeys, Futures) is of most interest to you?

 
Step Two: Let’s have a conversation. We'll schedule a call (or more than one) with you to learn more about your story and your needs. Here are some of the questions we'll ask:

• About You. Lots of people know the Church can serve LGBT/SSA+ people much better, but they don't take the time to contact an organization about it. What makes you different? What's the source of your urgency and desire to make a difference in this area?
• About Your Local Area. Tell us more about your role in the Church and the institutions and people you know well. Who might be your partners in working with BCF in your area? What are their biggest needs? Why do you think they might want to work with BCF? Are there any possible sources of pushback or confusion about our mission?
• About Us. What can we provide to answer any questions your potential partners might have about our work (references, answers to specific questions, etc.)? What questions do you have for us?
• About Events. If you had to pick one or two events we've already done elsewhere, as described on the three Tracks pages, which two seem the best choices for your area? Which audiences do you think are receptive in your area right now, and which might be interested further down the road?

 
Step Three: Gathering support. After getting to know each other, we usually need to do a bit of networking. We'll work with you to develop relationships with people on the ground, learn which audience(s) are ready and which event(s) will make the best impact, and identify sponsoring institution(s) and budget.

• Our Network. We'll go to our network of supporters and find out if there are any potential partners in your area that you may not be aware of. We may see that there's enough support in your area to begin working toward an in-person event pretty quickly.
• Your Network. Meanwhile, you’ll be introducing BCF to the Catholic institutions you know. If you’d like, we can give you some ideas about things to ask, clarify, and suggest, based on our experience of what tends to work well.

Step Four: Plan and prepare. Once the sponsoring institution commits to at least one “anchor” event and dates are set, we work together to prepare.

• Content. BCF workshops, retreats, panels, and talks can be customized to local audiences’ needs. Conversations with sponsors will help us tailor events to your community.
• Partner Institutions. Once dates are set, other local institutions might want to sponsor smaller events in the days around the larger “anchor” event. We are very open to turning it into an extended BCF Mission Week by adding hosts and sponsors.
• Local Preparation. We work with people on the ground who publicize events, handle logistics, etc. It’s especially good to find one person to act as host and contact for things like rides and last-minute snafus.

Step Five: Build a Brighter Future in Your Diocese!

What exactly do you mean by “mission week” and “anchor event”?
Here is a sample mission week, a series of events we constructed around a workshop anchor event.

 
Other potential anchor events might include a talk at a large Catholic institution, a workshop for seminarians, or a professional development day for Catholic educators. We’ll work with you to find the right anchor—and reach people in every way we can.
 
What if we aren’t ready yet for an in-person event?
If it looks like an in-person event isn't feasible just yet, we can still work with you! We'll consult with you on how best to develop support for future work through online events, including webinars, classroom talks, and one-to-one consulting.

What happens after the event?
Our model builds over time. We don't just parachute in, do an event or a series of events, and then go away. Our intention is for the relationships we build to continue bearing fruit, leading to return engagements, bigger events, and lasting change.