In the fall of 2000, the Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools invited all Catholic parishioners to take part in a strategic planning process. Eight committees were created to address the most critical areas of our schools: curriculum, facilities, finance, development, programs, human resources, enrollment management, and governance. Our plans for the future reflect countless hours of research, meetings, discussions, and decisions by a diverse group of people brought together by a belief in the Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools and a commitment to strengthen our schools.

Hundreds of Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools family members and friends helped to guide our work and create the campaign objectives outlined in this case statement. We have studied the feasibility of conducting a capital campaign, identified our leadership and reached a consensus on how to move forward with confidence and faith. The insight and feedback from our strategic planning has created a blueprint for our future.

We call upon our current parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and friends to share our God-given gifts with each other, the Church, our community, and future generations. This campaign, which is the largest in the history of the Sioux City Catholic community and the first for our unified system, is a needed step to strengthen our schools and to better serve the children of our faith.

To succeed in accomplishing the goals of this campaign, we ask all Catholic families to consider a sacrificial pledge to the "So Generations Might Know" Capital Campaign. This commitment can be fulfilled over a period of three years through monthly, quarterly or annual installments.

The decision on a specific amount is a decision that each family is asked to make after prayerful consideration. Upon completion of this phase of our campaign, a second three-year effort will focus on increasing our endowment funds and facility needs as outlined by our strategic plan.