HOME

SUBSCRIBE TO ZIMNOTES

Fundraising

Web Communication

Training and Development

Boards of Directors

Executive Search

Executive and Board Coaching

Strategic Planning and Facilitation

Publications

Zimmerman Lehman has served the nonprofit community since 1988, offering a broad range of services to help nonprofit organizations maximize their financial, board, volunteer and staff resources. The energetic approach of Zimmerman Lehman's consulting team is appropriate for all types of agencies, from large to grassroots organizations, regardless of the area of focus. We'll show you that fundraising can be exciting, empowering and fun. Our array of specialized services also includes executive and board coaching, planning and facilitation, and recruitment, all of which build the foundation for a healthy nonprofit.

Zimmerman Lehman acts as a catalyst for organizations. We motivate staff, board members and other volunteers, teaching them the art and science of fundraising, while offering timely, expert assistance to ensure successful fundraising campaigns, putting particular emphasis on overcoming the fear of asking for contributions. The end product will be a sturdy and prosperous agency.

Zimmerman Lehman can craft your nonprofit into a well-wrought organization through our expertise in:

• Fundraising
• Web Communication
• Training and Development
• Boards of Directors
• Executive Search
• Executive and Board Coaching
• Strategic Planning and Facilitation
• Publications

How You Benefit From Our Services
Highly skilled and professional members of our team will help your agency combine all the right elements into the desired form for your organization. You'll see results:

• A diverse and dependable funding base
• An active and knowledgeable board of directors that can and will raise funds
• Trained and motivated volunteers
• Top-quality, capable staff
• Expert support and assistance
• The ability to communicate clearly about the organization
• A rejuvenated organization with tools for planning strategically

A strong organization is supported by the funding necessary to meet its goals and objectives. We take the mystery out of successful fundraising by offering a systematic approach that guarantees nonprofits the inside track in the battle to secure funding. We work with boards of directors to help them overcome fears about fundraising and ensure their active participation.

With Zimmerman Lehman's fundraising assistance, your agency will

• Develop tailored fundraising plans and strategies
• Build a secure individual donor base
• Train board members and volunteers to fundraise enthusiastically
• Develop staff and volunteers with the necessary skills and confidence
• Establish long-term funding options
• Write persuasive development-related materials and solicitations
• Research appropriate funding sources
• Organize special events with a fresh approach, emphasizing profit and creativity
• Develop effective marketing and media strategies

We handle all phases of fundraising, including but not limited to:

• Capital campaigns; See article
  Are You Ready For A Capital Campaign?
  
  
• Major donor campaigns; See article
  Major Donor Campaigns: The Heart Of Any Successful Fundraising Effort
  
  
• Fundraising planning and assessment; See articles
  Getting Ready To Do Effective Fundraising: Long Term Fundraising Planning
  A Fundraising Success Story: Lessons Learned
  
  
• Feasibility studies; See article
  The Capital Campaign Feasability Study: Always A Good Idea
  
  
• Coaching; see Coaching below
  
  
• Planned Giving; See article
  Get Wild With Planned Giving: Think Of It As Fundraising!
  
  
• Grantwriting solicitation and research; See articles
  Ten Tips For Grantwriting
  Proposal Budgets: Be Sure To Get What You Need
  Researching Funding Sources On The Web
  
  
• Fundraising events; See article
  Special Events: A Recipe For Success
  
  
• Endowments; See article
  Are Endowments Right For You?
  
  
• Marketing; See article
  Moving Toward Marketing
  
  
• Annual funds and membership solicitations

  
  "You will be amazed with Bob Zimmerman... We at SFCASA have used him - both for our Major Donor Campaign and for Board Development. He has helped us raise thousands and thousands of bucks, and help us to engage our Board and connect them to their fund development responsibilities as well as to diversify our annual funding base."
  - Caroline Fisher, The San Francisco Court Appointed Special Advocates (SFCASA)

  "Bob's presentations at Business Arts Council's Business Volunteers for the Arts and Board Leadership Training Programs always motivate Bay Area business leaders to launch into fundraising and philanthropy."
  - Amy Kweskin, Arts Management Consulting & Services

  "Bob is simply one of the best fundraising consultants working today. He consistently lives up to his stellar reputation, providing excellent material and his presentations are lively, clear and humorous."
  - Leyna Bernstein, Center for Community Benefit Organization
  

  "Bob Zimmerman brings real world practical knowledge, sharp insights, and humor to his training, consulting work, and writing. While that's what most professionals in his field aspire to, it is what few successfully achieve…. His advice is practical and it works! He has also worked with our own board and staff on various organizational planning issues. I've benefited from his individual career coaching. In a field with no shortage of resources, I find his work to be a cut above the rest."
  - Luis Chabolla, Program Officer, Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County, Board Member, California Association of Nonprofits
  
  

(New) Web Communication
Zimmerman Lehman is equipped to provide nonprofits with a broad portfolio of web communication services, focused on both bolstering web-based fundraising results and meeting other core strategic goals of the organization. Services include:

• An initial audit of your nonprofit's web presence, particularly as it relates to fundraising, including recommendations for enhancing your website
• The conceptualization of new websites to meet the organization's goals and the development of content for such websites
• Project managing both large-scale redesigns of your existing website and the creation of new websites for your organization to encourage greater communication, advocacy or fundraising to further your nonprofit's mission
• Building an e-mail newsletter strategy for keeping your organization's constituents abreast of important news, and offering recommendations for other ways to successfully make use of web-based outreach
• Ongoing examinations of web-based communication through surveys of users and by employing sophisticated tools to analyze website traffic and e-mail newsletter usage

• Creating Boards That Love Fundraising; See articles
  Specific Responsibilities
  Getting People To Ask For $$
  
  
• Responsibilities of a Nonprofit Board of Directors; See articles
  Board Member Training and Job Description: A HelpfulStart!
  The Board's Executive Director Performance Appraisal
  
  
• Zimmerman's Rules of Fundraising - an enthusiastic overview of fundraising theory and concepts Zimmerman Lehman's Fifteen Rules of Fundraising
  
  
• Conducting Capital and Major Donor Campaigns; See articles
  Are You Ready For A Capital Campaign?
  Major Donor Campaigns: The Heart Of Any Successful Fundraising Effort
  
  
• Asking for Money: How to Overcome the Fear of Fundraising; See article
  Getting People To Ask For $$
  
  
• Effective Board Recruitment & Orientation; See article
  Recruiting with Fundraising in Mind
  
  
• Leadership Style and Methods; See article
  Eight Characteristics of Leadership
  
  
• Grantseeking: A Step-By Step Approach; See article
  Ten Tips For Grantwriting
  
  

Visit our Workshops and Trainings page for descriptions of upcoming and frequently conducted Zimmerman Lehman workshops and trainings.

"Zimmerman is not only an industry leading fundraising expert, but an engaging, dynamic speaker to boot! Our audience of hundreds of nonprofit leaders consistently tells us that many of his ideas provide realistic solutions to the everyday problems associated with running and funding their organizations."
- Darian Heyman, Craigslist Foundation

"Bob Zimmerman is one of CompassPoint's most valued and well received trainers. He consistently provides the highest quality trainings and always receives outstanding evaluations. He's a wonderful addition to our training program and an invaluable asset to our nonprofit clients."
- Marla Cornelius, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services

Boards of Directors
Zimmerman Lehman assists organizations in developing and strengthening their boards. This includes developing strategic recruitment plans, assisting with board self assessment, and evaluation of current board practices. We also develop and implement training programs designed to ensure that board members are aware of their responsibilities and best practices. Our assistance will help board members increase their effectiveness, accountability, transparency, fundraising capacity and advocacy skills.

Assessment and Evaluation: Board members, like staff, need feedback on their performance. Zimmerman Lehman will work with your board to create a self assessment and evaluation that meets your organization's needs. We will also evaluate current practices and with an eye to developing best practices that ensure effectiveness, accountability and transparency. See ZimNotes article, "How Does the Board Govern and Evaluate Itself?"

Recruitment: We provide advice in assembling boards of directors that will provide financial, administrative, and programmatic leadership for their organizations. We can help with board recruitment by:

• Planning a recruitment strategy and creating a board profile grid
• Developing materials - including job descriptions, orientation packages, etc.
• Coaching the board of directors through recruitment efforts

This will guarantee that your organization takes an organized rather than episodic approach to recruitment, ensuring that you have all the necessary skills and diversity on your board to be truly effective. See ZimNotes article, Recruiting with Fundraising in Mind.

Training: How do you answer these questions for your organization and board?

1. Are your board members properly trained in their job tasks?
2. Do board members know and understand their fundraising and fiduciary responsibilities?
3. Does the board understand what it means to be accountable and transparent?
4. Do board members act as strong advocates for the organization?
5. Do board members know how to develop a strategic or development plan?
6. Does the board conduct a performance evaluation of the CEO?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, the board may need some training. Please see the Training and Development services that Zimmerman Lehman offers.

See ZimNotes articles:

• Accountability and Transparency for Nonprofits: What Do They Mean?
• Why is Public Policy Advocacy Important to Nonprofits?
• Strategic Planning for Nonprofits

Advocacy: How do you answer these questions for your organization and board?

• Are your board members strong advocates for your organization's mission and vision?
• Do board members represent the community's best interests?
• Have board members requested an evaluation of services and programs or a client needs assessment in the last few years?
• Do board members make time at board meetings to discuss important public policy that relates to your services or to the business of running a nonprofit?
• Is there an organizational policy for taking positions on important concerns, regulations, laws or funding decisions?
• Are board members ready to lobby on behalf of the organization, its mission and its clients?

If you answered "no" to any of the above questions, Zimmerman Lehman can work with members of your organization's board to educate them about these issues and to develop a strategic policy for taking board positions or the development of a public policy committee. See ZimNotes article, "Why is Public Policy Advocacy Important to Nonprofits?"


Executive Search
Recruiting high-quality executive and management staff can be a complex and time- consuming process. On-target hiring decisions will reduce staff turnover, thus lowering hiring costs and increasing productivity. Zimmerman Lehman works with staff and board members to hire top executive directors, development directors, and management staff. We can help you:

• Determine what skills and attributes you require in the position
• Locate top-quality candidates
• Draft and distribute job descriptions and advertisements
• Review resumes and references
• Assist with the interview process
• Perform preliminary interview screening
• Check references

  "I have worked with Ann and Bob for over ten years. They are the best. They can help your organization in a number of ways including 1) analyzing your existing fundraising mechanism, 2) giving you advice on how to raise more money in a more effective manner, and 3) helping you hire a first rate development staff. I cannot say enough positive things about them."
  - Eva Paterson, Equal Justice Society, formerly of Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area

• Consultants - we come with vast experience in the nonprofit realm
• Mentors - we help clients, be they board members, executive directors or development directors acquire valuable skills and to solve vexing problems. We act as guides, asking questions to help clients clarify goals and develop plans of action.
• Supporters - we offer a helping hand and a sympathetic ear. We provide coaching on a regular basis or as needed, in half-hour phone conversations or in-person sessions. We are also available between meetings to answer questions by email. Our coaching services are designed for executive directors, development directors, board presidents, committee chairs, and others in positions of leadership.

We provide coaching on a regular basis or as needed, in half-hour phone conversations or in-person sessions. We are also available between meetings to answer questions by email. Our coaching services are designed for executive directors, development directors, board presidents, committee chairs, and others in positions of leadership.

"My toughest challenge as a new Executive Director has been dealing with budget cuts and layoffs. As a coach, Ann has been an invaluable resource on alternative ways to handle difficult situations. We did a few role-playing exercises that forced me to address possible senarios. Ann's many years of experience working with and for non-profits as well as a government agency enables her to provide valuable insights into key issues. Were it not for Ann, I would barely be muddling through!"
- Emily Moto Murase, Ph.D., Department on the Status of Women City and County of San Francisco

"Simply invaluable. I found Ann Lehman's counsel and coaching to be straightforward, supportive and insightful. It gave me the tools to solve challenging organizational issues."
- Janet Knipe, California Youth Connection

Strategic Planning and Facilitation
Creating a solid organizational vision and plan for the future is an essential step for molding a successful enterprise. Zimmerman Lehman helps strengthen organizations by examining their planning needs and identifying areas that require attention. We will conduct effective strategic and program planning to ensure a focused mission, stimulating vision, and strategies to turn your objectives into realities. Our strategic planning and facilitation services include:

• Developing and facilitating planning, staff and board retreats
• Assisting with the development of a strategic planning process
• Creating missions and vision statements
• Developing and implementing needs assessments
• Interviewing stakeholders and conducting focus groups
• Researching new programs, administrative issues and demographics
• Assisting in developing goals, objectives and task lists
• Evaluating the planning process

Our strategic planning emphasizes the process in addition to the end product. A strategic planning process in which the organization participates with enthusiasm will generate a variety of valuable products culminating in detailed action plans. We can assist you with a one-day planning retreat or a year-long planning process, the latter with an extensive needs assessment and research on future opportunities. These strategic processes can be applied to planning for the entire organization, for a new program, or for a one-time fundraising endeavor.

For more information, see our article Strategic Planning for Nonprofits.

Facilitation Services: Do you need someone to facilitate your board or staff retreat? Zimmerman Lehman has years of experience facilitating meetings, retreats and planning processes. Team members bring the skills needed to ensure that all are heard, agendas are developed and followed in a timely manner. Whether it is developing a plan or vision, discussing a new program or endeavor, brainstorming ideas, or reviewing a mission statement, Zimmerman Lehman can assist you in ensuring your time is well spent.


Publications
Zimmerman Lehman publishes practical and easy-to-use books and training manuals for all agencies. Boards That Love Fundraising: A How-To Guide for Your Board is our newest book. Other manuals are available as E-Publications, which means you can download them directly to your printer off the Internet. You can obtain information quickly in time for that Board meeting, grant proposal or major donor visit! Zimmerman Lehman also publishes a free e-newsletter, ZimNotes, with useful articles and other information to help you forge a successful future.

"Zimmerman and Lehman have more than two decades of hands-on experience helping board members know how to do their job. This workbook distills their knowledge into helpful and easy exercises and tips that everyone in the nonprofit can use to raise more money."
- Kim Klein, author of Fundraising for Social Change, and publisher of Grassroots Fundraising Journal

"Zimmerman and Lehman have written an encouraging and practical guide sure to help diffuse the fear and loathing with which most nonprofit board members face in fund development. Straight talk about board responsibilities sets the stage. Short easy exercises suitable for board meetings demonstrate fundraising skills and techniques. Boards That Love Fundraising provides the script for board presidents and staff to share the practice and the joy of successful resource development within any nonprofit."
- Marcia Rundle, Habitat for Humanity International

Copyright 2008 Zimmerman Lehman.

This information is the property of Zimmerman Lehman. If you would like to reprint this information, please see our reprint and copyright policy.