By Amy White
The Texas Catholic
FARMERS BRANCH — As a cluster of Mary Immaculate Catholic School students huddled together in Times Square this March to gaze at their school’s logo shining bright and blue across the Nasdaq billboard, the moment was instantly unforgettable, a true once-in-a-lifetime experience — or so it seemed at the time.
Less than six months later, the unrepeatable moment repeated: Stretching high above the bustling foot traffic of New York City, the small North Texas community’s logo once again lit up the billboard in the financial capital of the world, this time marking Mary Immaculate Catholic Parish and School’s selection as the North American winner of Blackbaud’s 2026 Fueling Greatness Award this August.
Fuel for the mission
Numbering among Blackbaud’s seven Impact Award categories, the Fueling Greatness Award recognizes organizations across the globe that have set ambitious goals in pursuit of their missions and then met — or even surpassed — those lofty targets.
“The award represents those institutions that have gone above and beyond their wildest dreams,” explained Father Alfonse Nazzaro, pastoral administrator of Mary Immaculate Catholic Parish in Farmers Branch. “For us in particular, it was to be able to fundraise in one year what we’ve never been able to raise ever in one year.”
The ambitious objective that earned Mary Immaculate its Blackbaud recognition, the priest said, was the school and parish’s effort to collect $1 million in revenue during last year’s North Texas Giving Day — the first seven-figure fundraising goal in the community’s history.
“We had set our most ambitious fundraising goal ever,” said Chase Sanders, Mary Immaculate’s director of advancement and mission. “At the end of North Texas Giving Day last year, we had raised $1,004,024 and some change. It was certainly ambitious, and we achieved it — surpassed it.”
The 2025 goal doubled the $500,000 fundraising goal set for the prior year’s North Texas Giving Day, which itself was about twice the 2023 North Texas Giving Day fundraising goal.
“We’ve doubled; we’ve tripled; we’ve quadrupled; and then we did eightfold, and then sixteen-fold,” Father Nazzaro said of the community’s fundraising efforts. “When you have a good reason to raise money, then people will give for that cause.”
Quickly, Mary Immaculate leadership put those seven-figures to good use. First, the funds were directed towards operational expenses at the school, bridging the gap between the actual cost of educating a child at Mary Immaculate and the lower amount charged in tuition. Additional funds flowed into parish and school initiatives, including efforts to bolster safety and security measures on campus. The Giving Day funds also supported the renovation of the parish hall into a performing arts center, which the Farmers Branch community plans to utilize for hosting fine arts performances, community functions, retreats, and youth ministry gatherings. Remodeling of the performing arts center commenced immediately following the 2025-2026 school year and is now nearing completion.
“We’re able to collect, raise this money, and do something with it right away,” Sanders said, “and show our donor base that their gift makes an impact immediately — not three, five, 10 years down the road.”
‘The sky’s the limit for us’
The success of the 2025 North Texas Giving Day, and the subsequent recognition of the effort by Blackbaud, is more than just a feather in Mary Immaculate’s preverbal cap; it is also a testament to what is possible with big dreams and some hard work.
“It has allowed our students to dream enormously big,” Sanders said, adding of the Fueling Greatness Award, “I’m sure there are kids in that hallway that never dreamed in a million years that they’d be recognized internationally.”
Josue Ruiz, an eighth grader at Mary Immaculate Catholic School, said the Blackbaud award is a sign that great things are happening on his school’s campus.
“It means we are blessed to be in a school that is setting and meeting its goals and always striving to be better,” the 14-year-old shared. “It makes me feel that my school continues to do great things.”
In recognition of the community’s selection as the North American winner of Blackbaud’s Fueling Greatness Award, the towering Nasdaq billboard in Times Square displayed the community’s logo alongside a message noting the accomplishment of the school and parish this August. Calling the display a “pleasant surprise,” Sanders said the moment was a jubilant one for the Mary Immaculate community.
“Having our information up in the financial capital of the world and being something seen by hundreds of thousands of people, it’s pretty amazing for our community as a whole,” Sanders said. He noted that a third MIS appearance on the billboard is possible this year, as a contingent of Mary Immaculate students from the school’s Motter Business Program is set to take a trip to the Big Apple this October.
“I feel proud that my seemingly small school can do very big things,” said Ruiz, who will take part in the upcoming NYC trip. “If we can be in Times Square two times, maybe even three, the sky’s the limit for us.”
Cutline for featured image: The Mary Immaculate Catholic School logo is displayed on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square this August, marking Mary Immaculate Catholic Parish and School’s selection as the North American winner of Blackbaud’s 2026 Fueling Greatness Award. (Mary Immaculate Catholic School photo)
