800.656.9010
Menu
TEAM
Partners
Jim Cunneen
Managing Partner, Vice President
Strategy and Consulting
Jim served as Co-owner and Vice President of Operations of The Cunneen Company, a national philanthropy consulting firm headquartered in Hamden, Connecticut, for 21 years.
In that capacity, Jim conducted thousands of capital and stewardship campaigns, raising over one billion dollars for parishes across the country. He is a seasoned fundraising professional well-versed in campaign management. He thrives on working one-on-one with parishes, bringing extensive knowledge in the management and implementation of day-to-day operations and coordination of all campaign materials, printing, and mailings to ensure successful outcomes.
Jim created and implemented the Pledge Redemption Program for the Cunneen Company, which was designed to assist parishes with the operations of their fundraising and development. From initial letter generation to follow-up mailings, this program provided all the clerical work of tracking, reminding, notifying and collecting 100% of capital pledges.
Jim lives in Guilford, Connecticut, with his wife RoseAnn and their three children. He is an avid fisherman and serves on the Boards of his local nursery/elementary school and area animal shelter.
John Cunneen
Founder, Advisor
John served as President of the Cunneen Company, a national philanthropy consulting firm headquartered in Connecticut and more recently as Vice President of the Catholic practice for the Lukens Company. In this capacity, he was responsible for the management and direction of several hundred capital campaigns and thousands of stewardship and annual giving campaigns for Catholic churches and schools. John has supervised more than 200 resident-directed campaigns, raising more than $150 million. He is also credited with having launched one of the first e-giving products in the religious marketplace.
John is the author of “A Practical Guide to Stewardship in Today’s Catholic Church,” presently being used in hundreds of Catholic parishes across the country. He also has authored a seminar series exploring the topic of Stewardship that he has presented across the country. John’s expertise includes feasibility studies, development audits, case writing, major gifts strategy and solicitation, and annual giving. A sample of John’s more recent client partners includes Christendom College, OLV Father Baker Charities, The Diocese of Syracuse, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Benjamin Franklin House London, Notre Dame High School – Connecticut, Bartlett Arboretum, and The High Hopes Therapeutic Riding Centers.
John lives in Woodbridge, Connecticut, with his wife Cheryl and their four children. He is an avid outdoorsman and scouting volunteer. He also serves as a champion for Yale-New Haven Hospital’s Smilow Cancer Center.
Fundraising • Organizational Growth • Leadership Consulting • Development
Michael Desroches
Partner, Vice President
Client Engagement and Communications Strategy
Marketing Executive. Storyteller. Author. Mentor.
Michael believes that every entity – every business, every non-profit organization, and every individual – has at least one thing they do better than anyone else. One thing that makes them unique. One thing that makes people want to be around them – and do business with them. One thing that will make them an unprecedented success.
What’s his thing? Discovering your thing.
As the leader of a Catholic organization, you want your talent and limited time to be in service of a greater good. Unfortunately, due to competing day-to-day priorities, you might fall out of touch with what your audience needs to feel and hear right now. Failed campaigns, lags in donor support are potential signs of this disconnect, and they leave you feeling unable to create meaningful change for those you serve.
As a non-profit board member, founder (check out Gracefully Stumbling Onward Publishing and his book “There’s a Moth In Daddy’s Coffee!” on Amazon), and marketing agency owner, Michael has experienced the frustration that comes when amplifying a vision doesn’t go as planned. His 25+ years as a discovery-focused executive marketing consultant, influential brand strategist and creative director for nonprofits and corporations have taught him that recapturing momentum is always a matter of purpose and telling stories that rally others to action. Easy decisions are a thing of the past, but when you can connect through purpose, every decision becomes clear.
Executive Marketing Consultant • Brand Strategist • Speaker • Author
Catherine Cunning
Vice presidentPHILANTHROPY AND ADVANCEMENT STRATEGIST
Catherine began her professional fundraising career serving under the Rector of Immaculate Conception Seminary as the Director of Development, where she successfully managed their first major capital campaign, raising more than $10 million for seminarian education. Catherine was the youngest Director and the second woman to hold this position in the Seminary’s history. Catherine joined the Cunneen Group in 2012, managing capital campaigns for Catholic parishes on the East Coast. Catherine is experienced in annual funds, direct mail, major gifts and capital campaigns. She has been an invited speaker at the International Catholic Stewardship Conference and the former National Catholic Development Conference.
Catherine holds a Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations and Strategic Communication from Seton Hall University. She serves as a mentor for undergraduate students seeking a nonprofit career path.
Catherine, her husband Ed, and their three children live in Middletown, New Jersey. Catherine serves on the Board of her children’s school, St. Mary Elementary School and the fundraising committee of Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, New Jersey.
Paul Harrington
Regional Vice President
As Regional Vice President of the Cunneen Company, Paul was responsible for sales/marketing activities encompassing multiple dioceses within a wide geographic area and oversaw direct sales representatives working across the country. He personally conducted campaign management for approximately 100 parishes and built and maintained relationships at both the parish and diocesan levels as he forged successful Capital and Stewardship Campaigns.
As the former President of a Vancouer-based technology company, his diverse business acumen combines with a passion for church fundraising as he seeks creative solutions that combine a deep knowledge of the Catholic church with the most effective fundraising strategies and techniques.
Christina Osborne
Campaign Manager
Christina joined The Cunneen Company in 2002, where she began her fundraising career in project management. Throughout her tenure, she managed hundreds of Stewardship Appeals and Capital Campaigns nationwide. Her unique combination of strategic planning, problem solving, and analytical skills has enabled her to excel in successfully guiding multiple projects. She understands the critical importance of client communication and effective time management to ensure successful campaign completion.
Christina, her husband Scott, their three kids, and their dog call North Haven, Connecticut, home. She is actively involved in her children’s school and volunteers in her community Plus, Christina really loves dogs!
Bob Tyrrell
web design, development and visual designer
Bob Tyrrell spent time as a VP/Manager of Web Services at Masius Advertising of New York. He added graphic design and web design to his domain at Clarion Marketing & Communications before then, both of which were subsidiaries of DMB&B Worldwide. Bob then branched out on his own to create impactful websites for small to mid-sized businesses and collaborated with agencies on their client’s websites. He fosters a special passion for minimalistic logo design – delivering exactly what clients envision, subtly with impact.
Trish Stukbauer
Content and Copywriting
Trish Stukbauer is a non-profit Communications Director, magazine editor and former newspaper editor with more than two decades of experience in B2B, B2C and non-profit marketing and communications. Her passion is achieving results for clients through impactful materials that connect at precisely the right time. The writer and author is adept at dealing with and capturing the essence of diverse clients ranging from international consortiums to small local businesses. She holds Certified Nonprofit Consultant (CNC), Certified Development Executive (CDE), and Certified Nonprofit Executive (CNE) designations.
Paula King
Agency Services
Lead
Paula King brings a decade of experience in divergent industries that include nonprofit, higher education, retail, manufacturing and construction to bear in her marketing and communications work. She honed her talents over the next decade in her own consulting firm. Our clients benefit from her diverse skills that include project management, budgeting, public relations, internal and external communications, creative, and event planning.
Gary Muzio
Visual Design
Gary Muzio is an experienced graphic designer who has been fine-tuning his trade for more than 15 years. His design experience transcends platforms and ranges from logos and ads to emails and annual reports – and virtually everything in between. In addition to his strong creative design skills, our clients benefit from his strategic approach to communications, including visual re-branding and comprehensive marketing solutions.
