Bridging Communities:
The Lenny Zakim Fund Newsletter

Spring 2010

The Lenny Zakim Fund: What We Do & Why

Founded by Boston's late civil rights leader, LZF believes positive social change can be created by small, effective grassroots organizations that are often overlooked by large foundations, government agencies, and major donors.  That is why it is our mission to identify, listen to, support and connect grassroots community organizations and programs operating "below the radar screen" of large charitable groups and government grants.

Give & Get Involved!

SPREAD THE WORD - It is critical that we educate the public about Lenny Zakim's legacy. If your  community, religious or academic group would enjoy learning about the LZF, our Board members are available as speakers. Help us to get the LZF on the agenda!

EXPAND OUR NETWORK - It is vital that we grow our network of supporters. Consider hosting a 'friend-raiser' to introduce friends and neighbors to the LZF and the grass-roots organizations we support!

MAKE A GIFT- The needs are ever increasing, so it is vital that we grow LZF grants,

both in size and number. Give on-line using our secure server!

Contact Jude for more information.

Introducing the
LZF Bridge Builders!

The Lenny Zakim Fund is proud to recognize the special efforts of Bridge Builders: donors, volunteers, former board members and important friends. We honor these inaugural Bridge Builders:

Steve Grossman
Kal Heller
Barbara Howard
Drew Hyman
Carol Kanin
Douglas Krupp
Celeste Reid-Lee
Jordan Rich
Joe Rodio
Bob Romanow
Bobby Sager
Edee Simon-Israel
Jerry Wishnow

Inspiration - In Their Own Words

LZF's partnership with WBZ radio's Jordan Rich has produced podcasts that enable you to hear about our grant recipients' work in their own words. Click any link below to listen and get inspired!

East Boston Adult Ed Center and the Shanbaro Community Association

Si Se Puede and Bread and Roses Housing

Our Place Theater Project and Express Yourself

The Children's Room and The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute

Friend Us

Connecting to Change the Community

Dear LZF Friends,

Real change and connections are at the heart of The Lenny Zakim Fund. I want to share with you the message below from one of our grantees present at the Awards Ceremony as it illustrates what can happen when our community connects in real and meaningful ways.

I appreciate all of the work you and your organization do on behalf of the community and the world. I came out of it remembering it takes only one person, then another... I left there feeling inspired and wanting to be a part of that change. I feel honored to be a part of and would like to make a personal donation to the Lenny Zakim Fund so that you can continue to change the world for the better and inspire others. Thank you for eliminating the politics and really focusing on the mission and the people who carry out the mission. 

~Stacey Pires, Somerville Community Corporation

Thank you for being part of our LZF community.  We greatly appreciate your commitment and hope that you will consider making a gift to continue this inspiring and effective work of the Fund.

Yours,

Susan Rothman

Chair, Board of Directors

Celebration at the Award Ceremony

Clockwise: YOFES checks out the mic, Dan Gelbtuch speaks, Medicine Wheel's Illuminaria glows, Our Place Theater Project performs

On March 9th, The Lenny Zakim Fund celebrated our 14th year of supporting our community by highlighting some of our programs and welcoming 44 grant recipients this year.  Medicine Wheel's Illuminaria, a graphic tribute to those affected by the AIDS crisis, lit up the Radisson Hotel's Ballroom.  Hearts melted listening to the young children of Youth and Family Enrichment Services play songs from their motherland, Haiti.  The young women of Our Place Theater Project's performance captured the strength and inspiration of women in the young actresses' lives.  We were captivated by the stories of Lwal Baguoot (Sudanese Education Fund), Dan Gelbtuch (Dorchester Bay Youth Force), and Yvette Modestin (Encuentro Diaspora Afro). 

A Fun Night for the Fund!

Young Leaders Josh Zakim, Amy Belkin, and Sam Slater

On March 6th, the LZF Young Leaders anted up at the Four Seasons to support the Fund's work.  It was a beautiful and fun evening filled with good cheer, great food and drink, and excellent raffle prizes and the Young Leaders raised over $25,000!

Our many thanks to everybody who attended and to our committee, friends, sponsors, and coordinators who made this event possible and the Four Seasons Hotel, Casino Productions, and Michael Blanchard Photography. The Lenny Zakim Fund Young Leaders are making a difference in the community and having fun doing it! For more information about the Young Leaders, please contact Melissa.

From Generation to Generation -
Rashi Middle School Repairing the World

"It was so moving for me to see a group of middle school students fulfilling a dream and building bridges with other communities and really making an impact. That shows no matter how small, or how young, people can do great things when they are determined."  ~Alex G., Rashi Student

Student Leaders from Newton's Rashi Middle School, inspired by the LZF and Lenny Zakim, are getting a head start on social action. They held a book drive for LZF supported programs and raised $200.00 for a special LZF grant to help Haitian-American children and were special guests at the Award Ceremony. These young people are tomorrow's leaders - taking action to make a better world for all of us - young and old alike.

Events in Our Community

Lunch and The Big Squeeze

April 7, 12p: The UMass Club, 225 Franklin Street, 33rd floor, Boston. 
Mass INC. and the New England Regional Council of Carpenters host a lunch conversation with Steven Greenhouse, New York Times labor reporter and author of the new book The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker. The book chronicles the dramatic shifts in workplace culture, standards, and wages of the last half-century and the consequences of these changes on blue- and white-collar workers.

Come Celebrate with the Friends of the Rafael Hernández School! 
April 16, 7:30-11:30p:  Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston
The Rhythms of the Night Fundraising Gala will honor Margarita Muñiz and the unique two-way bilingual programs of the Hernández School.  Tickets are $100.  Call 617-635-8187 for more info.

Walk for Peace this Mother's Day with the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. 
May 9, 7:00a Registration, 8:30a Walk: Townfield Park, Fields Corner, Dorchester
Pledges will assist the Peace Institute to meet challenge grants from Partners HealthCare, The Boston Foundation and The Lenny Zakim Fund, and to achieve their fundraising goal of $200,000.  Call Amanda Infantino at 617-825-1917 or email motherswalkforpeace@gmail.com for more info

Help Bring Healthcare to Homeless Women by Takin' It to The Streets.
Now:  Join Host Committee
September 30:  Event
Join Women of Means in their first major friend and fund raising event!  Buy a ticket or help them plan!  Volunteers needed on the Host Committee.  781-239-0290 or wom@womenofmeans.org for more info.

Join the World PEAS Coop and UTEC! 
Ongoing
Support sustainable agriculture that employs youth from UTEC, beginning, immigrant and refugee farmers affiliated with the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project.  Sign up at http://nesfp.nutrition.tufts.edu/worldpeas/csa.html.

Resources for Our Community

3rd Eye Video Production Do you have a video that promotes your organization's great work? Are you doing a special event and want to capture the moment? 3rd EyE's video micro-business trains New Bedford youth in video production. When we are hired to do a video job, we employ those youth, helping to sustain their work and develop a career path in videography.
For more info, contact Ben Gilbarg at putouttheword@yahoo.com or 508-965-1132
 

Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership

The Boston University School of Management is accepting applications for the Class of 2011. The Institute's nine month Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership provides a blend of coursework, experiential learning, mentoring, and peer support and is designed to meet the needs of working nonprofit executive directors and senior managers.

Bolder Giving inspires and supports people to give at their full potential.  Bolder Giving is a national initiative that publicizes the stories of extraordinary givers and offers publications, individual coaching, and presentations for donors and advisors.

Network For Good: Resources for online fund development, including how to utilize email, your website, and social networks.

5 Lessons Haiti Relief Giving Teaches All Types of Nonprofits

Association of Fundraising Professionals Brown Bag Lunch Series offers various trainings to NPOs.

Associated Grant Makers: Ongoing; List of upcoming events for nonprofits and grant makers, such as seminars on grant research and engaging your board in fund raising, including:

TechSoup: Order low-cost donated software for Mac and PC. 

Gazelle for Good:  Get your network to donate gadgets like old cell phones to raise money for your cause.  100% of the proceeds go to your organization.

c/o DLA Piper   33 Arch Street, 26th Floor   Boston, MA 02210   www.thelennyzakimfund.org 

Executive Director, Jude Goldman 617-406-6036
    jgoldman@thelennyzakimfund.org

Program Associate, Melissa Eng-Wong 617-406-5935

m.eng-wong@thelennyzakimfund.org