Zimmerman Lehman : Free Resources - Articles for Nonprofits

Popular Articles For Nonprofits

Each of these articles has been featured in a past issue of ZimNotes, our free electronic monthly newsletter. ZimNotes features articles to help your nonprofit forge a better future. Sign up for a free subscription.

New Fundraising in the Plague Years: A Major Donor Case Study
A review of the key strategies needed to launch a major donor campaign during these financially trying times, using a current Zimmerman Lehman campaign as an example.

New Stimulus (Recovery Act) Resources and Funding Websites. Zimmerman Lehman has compiled key websites that have analysis, transparency and funding information related to the Stimulus Act. It includes national websites and links to state websites. It also includes sites that give specific information about new and expanded tax credits for low income families.

New The Stimulus Package: Is Your Nonprofit Receiving Funds (or Should It)? This article examines the Stimulus Act of 2009, gives some research tools about the Act and highlights a few of the new pockets of funds for nonprofits.

Capital Campaigns:

CAPITAL CAMPAIGNS: TEN STEPS FOR SUCCESS
Capital Campaigns often attract donors more easily than an annual fund campaign because donors easily understand 'bricks & mortar.' There are a variety of things to consider and here are suggestions to help you succeed.

THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FEASIBILITY STUDY: ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA
Why bother with a feasibility study? Why not simply announce the campaign and raise all the money you can as fast as possible? This article provides five critically important reasons to conduct a feasibility study.

Individual Donors:

MAJOR DONOR CAMPAIGNS: THE HEART OF ANY SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING EFFORT
Whether for capital, annual or endowment gifts, major donor campaigns are an extremely effective means of raising significant income.

A MAJOR GIFT SUCCESS STORY: THE ART OF ACTIVE LISTENING
Knowing what is important to your donors and why they support your organization is a key component to donor cultivation.

MAJOR DONORS: NOW MORE THAN EVER
This article discusses the potential of major donors and the common problem of underestimating your donor base.

WHEN DONORS GO BAD
How to deal with an embarrassing donor.

MAJOR GIFTS: BE BOLD IN ASKING!
The San Francisco Chronicle ran a front-page story about a prominent Bay Area philanthropist who was responsible for raising the lion's share of the $190 million for the new de Young Museum. What lessons might be learned by large and small nonprofits that are planning to solicit major donor prospects?

Strategic Fundraising Thinking:

UPBEAT NEWS FOR DOWNBEAT TIMES: WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW TO INCREASE REVENUE
Ensuring that your organization's revenues come from a diversity of sources is the best way to weather this current financial storm. This article reviews the variety of ways that nonprofits raise money.

ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY AND THE NONPROFIT SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY
Some advice for nonprofits in times of economic uncertainty.

RECRUITING WITH FUNDRAISING IN MIND
Think of board recruitment as you would if you were filling a top-level position in any organization, and give it the time and focus necessary.

HOW CAN YOU FIND A GREAT DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR?
In today's competitive environment finding a good development director is challenging. This article gives small to medium sized nonprofits advice about how to compete when they can't pay enormous salaries.

WHAT THE BOARD NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT FUNDRAISING STAFF
Too few board members understand how terribly labor-intensive fundraising is. They lobby executive directors to keep their operations "lean and mean," thereby effectively cutting themselves off at the fundraising knees. Excerpted from Boards That Love Fundraising.

A FUNDRAISING SUCCESS STORY: LESSONS LEARNED
Step One School has achieved incredible success by following a few fundraising guidelines- so could you!

GETTING PEOPLE TO ASK FOR $$
Excerpted from Zimmerman Lehman's new book, Boards That Love Fundraising: A How-To Guide for Your Board, this piece discusses the fears boards have about asking for money, and how to overcome them.

GIVING MAKES YOU HAPPY& HEALTHY!
Studies show that making donations and volunteering will bring contentment and help you live longer.

Board of Directors:

ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY FOR NONPROFITS: WHAT DO THESE MEAN?
"Accountability" and "transparency" are the key buzzwords for the nonprofit sector in this first decade of the 21st Century. This is ZimNotes' looks at these terms with the intent to better define what they mean.

BOARDS THAT LOVE FUNDRAISING: SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
This excerpt from Zimmerman Lehman's new book, Boards That Love Fundraising: A How-To Guide for Your Board, details the tasks attributed to board members in fundraising for their nonprofits.

HOW DOES THE BOARD GOVERN AND EVALUATE ITSELF?
How Does the Board Govern and Evaluate Itself? This article reviews how to run effective board meetings and how the board evaluates itself.

HOW CAN A BOARD MEMBER BE A STRATEGIC ADVOCATE FOR YOUR NONPROFIT?
By suggesting an advocacy perspective, we are asking board members to reframe their role to promote the mission and vision of the organization at all times.

BOARD MEMBER TRAINING & JOB DESCRIPTION: A HELPFUL START!
This article offers guidelines to training new or inexperienced board members and a sample board member job description with a list of responsibilities.

RACIAL DIVERSITY ON YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
This article analyzes issues surrounding diversity on Boards of Directors, offering suggestions for improvement.

Planning and Leadership Issues:

EIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF LEADERSHIP
This article defines leadership and outlines eight characteristics of a good leader, offering examples of both leaders and leadership style.

YOU CAN'T RAISE MONEY WITHOUT A DEVELOPMENT PLAN!
Does your nonprofit have a written development plan with a calendar that specifies the kinds of fundraising that you plan to do in the next six months to three years and the people responsible for planning and implementing your campaigns? If not, read this article.

STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR NONPROFITS
This article discusses the benefits and how to's of strategic planning.

WORKING WITH CONSULTANTS
Organizations large and small work with fundraising consultants, here are some suggestions for ensuring it is a successful relationship.

Grantwriting and Special Events:

SPECIAL EVENTS: A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
Special events are a crucial aspect of any nonprofit strategy to raise awareness and big bucks; the key is choosing the right event to meet your objectives.

TEN TIPS FOR GRANTWRITING
Commonsense suggestions for a successful grant application.

Policy Issues:

DOES ADVOCACY HELP WITH FUNDRAISING?
The article explores the relationship between advocacy and fundraising and sites a number of examples and studies that examine the relationship.

WHY IS PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY IMPORTANT TO NONPROFITS?
In order to be effective and successful in your field, it helps to know the policies, laws and regulations that impact your nonprofit organization and the communities you serve.

Online Research

RESEARCHING MAJOR DONORS ON THE WEB (last updated, 2002)
The more you know about your prospect, the easier it will be to make the case for a major donation.