About the Researcher

The Stewardship System book and online service is a compilation of the research that Denis collected over the decades on how to increase generosity without fundraising. In addition, Denis has written books on how to create a planned giving program in your charity, and how to conduct a stewardship-based capital campaign. Denis' writing on stewardship can be found on the Church Development website. Denis' research on Innovation and the subconscious decision-making process was published in the academic journal The International Journal of Innovation Education and Research Vol 5 #8.

Every year Denis pursues a new challenge which is different from anything he has done before. This past year it was "butterfly wrangling". To catch, tag, and release a Monarch Butterfly as part of an international research project, required learning a unique kind of gentle strength.  Before that was - being a Matador in the Opera Carmen, fly fishing, stand-up comedy, monastic retreats, managing a portable EEG machine, alligator wrestling, car repair, Big Brothers/Big Sisters volunteer, hospice volunteer, watercolor painting, wilderness survival, off-road racing, camping, mountain climbing, skydiving, hang gliding, cliff diving, scuba diving, windsurfing, sailing and many more.  

While recovering in a Coptic monastery in Kenya, from a brutal mugging in Zambia, Denis began to discern a new vocation that might make the world a better place instead of the opposite. His joy in marketing combined with a desire to facilitate altruistic behaviors led him to a career in fundraising. Scientific researchers in the field of Psychoneuroimmunology have discovered that the intention and action of generosity have a significant impact on one's immune system, brain health, and sense of connectedness with God and other people. Denis' practice of fundraising is based on 1) engaging donors in the vision, 2) connecting people socially, 3) facilitating volunteerism, and 4) asking the donor what they are interested in. "Donor engagement makes the ask superfluous."  

 Catching his wife, Jenny, is the best "coincidence" of Denis's life. Jenny is also a nerd, sailor, and high school teacher. Father of four, Denis has come to love his children's passions: Colorado wilderness, chorale music, volleyball, and engineering

Denis has spoken at over 100 events: 

• The cognitive processes of innovation 
• Comedy
• Fundraising
• Wild stories that combine adventure with science