Our Blog

Bacon Lee & Associates recently assisted Shay's Wellness Center to obtain its official 501c3 status.  The organization’s story is a very poignant one.  Bonnie Lundy-Kwan founded the nonprofit to help others, like herself, who had experienced the “mixed...

By Marion Lee, CFRE It is just numbers--right?--those pesky monthly or quarterly financial statements from the nonprofit that we serve as Board members.  Receiving, reading and understanding financial statement remains one of the single greatest obstacles...

By Joyce Penland, CFRE What makes your palms sweat, causes your heart to race, and turns your knees to jelly?  For me it’s riding a roller coaster.  Or seeing any kind of rodent or snake.  Both of those things frighten me more than I’m willing to admit.  But...

By Joyce Penland, CFRE Fundraising guru Jerold Panas opines that the only reason fundraising professionals should spend much time behind their desks is if they have a safe full of money located there.  Otherwise, they shouldn’t become too comfortable in...

By Priscilla Guajardo Cortez “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” – Robert Burns Serving in a consulting capacity, my colleagues and I have come to know well the importance of planning in fundraising efforts, especially in anticipation of a...

By Joyce Penland, CFRE Studying trends in capital campaigns will help nonprofits plan their strategies accordingly and make sound decisions about what elements to include, what staffing challenges need to be faced, and what goals should be set. 1.) Consider...

By Alexis DeSela Communicating effectively with your Staff members is one of the most important ways to retain them and provide greater job satisfaction.  In a time where headlines tell us that a large percentage of employees are dissatisfied and want to...

Bacon Lee & Associates bids a heartfelt and loving farewell to long-time associate Barbara Anne Stephens, who is retiring this month, after 13 years with the firm.  Barbara Anne was the first associate of Bacon Lee, joining Mike Bacon and Marion Lee in...

By Amy Phipps If you’ve been around the nonprofit world for awhile, you remember when corporate giving was simpler.  You asked, they said yes (or no), you acknowledged the sponsorship in all the appropriate ways, and everyone was happy.  But with the advent...

By Joyce Penland, CFRE As we start a new year, the Bacon Lee & Associates team is sharing a compilation of the books we’re currently reading both for intellectual and spiritual stimulation.  We hope that our picks will inspire you to share your own...

By Barbara Anne Stephens Tis the season indeed!  In many households throughout the United States, children are lighting menorahs, stockings are being hung on mantels, cookies are baking, and mailboxes are overflowing with requests for year-end gifts from...

Tis the season indeed!  In many households throughout the United States, children are lighting menorahs, stockings are being hung on mantels, cookies are baking, and mailboxes are overflowing with requests for year-end gifts from nonprofit organizations. But...

By Mike Bacon, CFRE I constantly recommend to clients and fellow fundraising professionals the work of fundraising guru Penelope Burk, author of Donor-Centered Fundraising.  It is safe to say it’s one of the best and most instructive books in our field in...

By Joyce Penland, CFRE “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” - Benjamin Franklin At Bacon Lee & Associates we conduct job searches for a variety of nonprofits from large universities to small human service organizations to animal protection...

By Alexis De Sela After several conversations with small nonprofits around the topic of organizational effectiveness, I felt compelled to write about strategic planning for two reasons: first, I’m surprised at how many organizations do not have a strategic...

By Joyce Penland, CFRE The national election is a mere six weeks away and, for many fundraisers, it could not come soon enough.  “I cannot wait to get beyond this election,” said one donor to a nonprofit with whom we are working.  “It is so distracting, and...

By Karen Kegg For many of us, September is the beginning of the annual development cycle.  Boards begin to meet again, special event committees are in full swing for fall events, and donors are back in town!  With all of this positive activity, why not...

By  Marion T. Lee One of the most significant questions we face as nonprofit counsel is: “Has the donor sector recovered from the recession?” and “Are we there yet?”  Our answer is predicated on regional indicators as well as the complete Giving USA report ...

By Beverly Seffel I recently spoke with a potential client who had a less than optimal job search experience with a search firm. Because of that experience, she was apprehensive about engaging any firm, including ours, to do a job search. Rather, the...

By Joyce Penland, CFRE Q: In our capital campaign planning, we have various levels of gift recognition, but I’m worried that our smaller donors won’t feel appreciated since their names won’t be on buildings.  How do we address this issue? A:  Giving donors...