Answering the Call: How Rosary Academy Is Building for the Future
For Kristie O’Campo, returning to Rosary Academy was never part of the plan.
More than a decade ago, she was enjoying a career in higher education and raising young children, content with the path she was on. When an opportunity arose to return to her alma mater, she initially declined.
Then came what she describes as a calling.
“It was a faith call,” Kristie said. “I felt like God was nudging me back.”
One day while visiting Rosary’s campus, she stopped to help a young girl retrieve a ball that had gone over a fence. Seeing the student standing there in her school uniform, Kristie felt an overwhelming sense of purpose.
“I knew I wanted my daughter to have the same experience I had at Rosary,” she said. “In that moment, I felt called to use my gifts and talents to help the school.”
Now, a decade later, that calling continues to guide her work. Kristie serves as Executive Director of Advancement and has helped lead Rosary through significant growth, including the school’s first formal strategic plan, its largest comprehensive capital campaign, and the launch of a planned giving program designed to strengthen the school’s future.
Extending the Mission Through Planned Giving
As Rosary prepared to celebrate its 60th anniversary, school leaders began thinking intentionally about the next chapter in the school’s history.
They knew that ensuring Rosary’s long-term future would require more than annual fundraising alone. To help build that foundation, Rosary partnered with Planned Giving Marketing.
Through a dedicated planned giving website, monthly email outreach, quarterly direct mail, and donor engagement reporting, PGMarketing provides a consistent, ongoing presence that keeps legacy giving in front of donors while allowing Kristie and her team to focus on the many other demands of their work.
“Not having to worry about the communication piece has been huge,” Kristie said. “The messages continue to go out, and we’re reaching people we wouldn’t otherwise reach.”
For a lean advancement office, that support has been invaluable. “It would be very easy for planned giving to get pushed aside,” she said. “The regular dashboard reviews with PGMarketing and the accountability have been incredibly helpful.”
Even in the partnership’s first year, Rosary has already seen donor engagement translate into meaningful conversations and inquiries. Several planned gifts are in the pipeline.
“There has already been ROI,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed the relationship with PGMarketing, the accessibility, and the hands-on approach.”
Building Future Generations of Leaders
For Kristie, planned giving is about much more than fundraising—it’s about Rosary’s legacy.
“The only way Rosary will be around for another 60 years is if we build a robust planned giving program,” she said.
As the only all-girls Catholic high school in Orange County, CA, Rosary occupies a unique place in the community. Kristie believes its mission remains as vital today as it was when she was a student.
“We’re still relevant,” she said. “The faith formation, the leadership development, the commitment to service—young women still need that environment. We need women who will go out and make a difference in the world.”
The mission is also deeply personal for Kristie. “Rosary formed me into the woman, wife, mother, professional, and friend I am today,” she said.
Soon, her own daughter will walk the same halls she once did. “The work we’re doing right now is creating opportunities for the next generation,” she said.
That vision—preserving Rosary’s mission for decades to come—is what drives her commitment to planned giving and Rosary’s future.
For advancement leaders seeking to build a planned giving program without adding to an already-overloaded plate, Kristie offers simple advice.
“If you’re a lean office and don’t have a dedicated planned giving professional, partner with a company like PGMarketing,” she said. “You’ll know the work is getting done and it’s getting done well, and you’re not missing the chance to connect with donors who want to make a lasting impact.”