SPRINGFIELD — The Diocese of Springfield hired Jonathan Van Beaver as the new director of Development. Van Beaver will be responsible for all diocesan fundraising efforts, including overseeing the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA), which funds ministries that help the elderly; mothers and families in crisis; the homeless; and youth. He will also oversee the Foundation Grants, which support Catholic schools, the Newman Catholic Center at UMass Amherst, and lay and social ministries.

A graduate of Providence College and convert to Catholicism, Van Beaver most recently worked for Guidance in Giving, which provides fundraising services to Catholic dioceses and schools nationwide.

He has worked with the Diocese of Providence, helping to raise more than $2 million. He also helped the Diocese of Worcester, raising $6 million during the pandemic.

“I think when we realize everything that Jesus has done for us and how important it is to be in a community of believers, and everything our faith does for us, that makes us want to give back our time, talents, and treasure,” said Van Beaver, who also worked as a campus minister after college in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. “So in terms of helping people see why it’s important to give, I think we want to focus on evangelization and helping parishioners really focus on discipleship.”

In addition to working with the diocese, Van Beaver will assist parishes.

“My goal is to aid the parishes. I’d like to meet with all the parishes in the first six months, and I’d really like to learn what the parishes need in terms of development and in terms of raising funds,” he said. “I’d like to do everything I can to help strengthen these parishes and to help strengthen the diocese as a whole as well.”