Lesley Barker - She Writes!

Serving Nonprofit (and faith-based) Organizations

With more than three decades of experience working for and with nonprofit organizations (including faith-based organizations) I really do understand the challenges you face. You are dedicated to providing creative solutions for serious social problems. Fund-raising and Donor Relations are essential to fulfilling your mission but they take time and resources away from meeting the needs of the people you exist to serve. You know that you are eligible to apply for and receive grants but you probably haven't been trained in the grantseeking process. As for promoting your organization in the community to expand your mailing list and conducting successful, meaningful and fun fundraising events.....perhaps you could use a little help? Whether you are a small nonprofit group that is ready to transition from a "mom & pop shop" to a more departmentalized organization or a seasoned mature agency, I am already prepared to contribute external leadership to help you fulfill your vision.

My services include:

Free Monthly E-Newsletter - Each month I prepare a newsletter especially for key nonprofit staff and board members. Email me to get on my mailing list. Read the current edition.

Grantwriting- I will spend a couple of hours with your organization to find out what it is you hope to fund. Then I'll use the grants data bases to locate the prospective funders and coach you through the process. You'll provide the information I need and I'll put your heart on paper in a way that will reflect the funder's priorities and your goals. We can arrange to do this on a per project basis or with a retainer that will guarantee my regular availability to your organization.

Writing- I write Promotional Materials, Annual Reports, Newsletters, Training Materials, Business Communications, Brochures and Web Content.

Training- I can do professional development inservices for your board, your staff, or your volunteers. Ask me about my workshops on how to write grants. The first one is a one-hour long overview of the grantseeking process. This introduces a longer workshop designed to lead you step by step to draft a request for a grant that is ready to submit to a funder. From time to time my colleagues and I also conduct a seminar for new and transitioning nonprofit organizations called Pressing On-Breaking Through that helps organizations like yours recognize and begin to initiate the reforms needed to make you ready to receive grants.

Donor Relations Service- Your organization can hire my staff to receive and acknowledge the gifts your donors send, make deposits into your bank account, write regular donor-centered newsletters and email up-dates, and create a your donor data base. The cost of this service is figured based on the size of your mailing list and the frequency with which you want to communicate with your constituents.

Development Office In A Box - By subscribing to this program, your organization is guaranteed three hours of my dedicated time per month and a reduced hourly rate for any additional hours per month. Also, any unused hours can be banked (like the rollover minutes on your cell phone) for up to one year. You decide from a menu of services or we agree on a unique task that I will do for you. Click hereto see and download a more detailed description of this program.