Lifetime Achievement
Lynn Edmonds
President
L.W. Robbins
When FS' parent company, North American Publishing Co., set out to launch this magazine in summer 2003, the launch team wanted to establish an editorial advisory board that would ensure it started out on the right foot and stayed that way. The board had to include people from all areas of fundraising who were entrenched enough to have a solid grasp of its history but still open enough to be able to see into its future and head there without fear.
The first name on the list of potential advisers was Lynn Edmonds, a longtime consultant who was as well-known for her award-winning efforts on behalf of her clients as she was for her passion, dedication and unabashed love of her craft.
Lynn jumped on board without hesitation and was a hands-on and much appreciated adviser for three years, willing to share her expertise and insights with this fledgling publication simply because she cares about the sector and wanted to support any efforts to help enrich it.
Lynn has developed innovative fundraising programs for scores of nonprofit organizations during the course of her 35-plus-year career. She joined L.W. Robbins Associates in 1999 as executive vice president and became president in 2001.
For more than three decades, Lynn and her teams have worked with organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Special Olympics, MAP International, The UN Refugee Agency, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Coast Guard Foundation, American Diabetes Association, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Catholic Relief Services, Consumers Union, Covenant House, National Audubon Society, Native American Rights Fund, Washington National Cathedral and more than 40 regional food banks.
Lynn's direction on behalf of many of these clients has yielded several Direct Marketing Association ECHO Awards and scores of national and local awards.
A hands-on fundraiser and leader, Lynn is deeply involved in the direct-response fundraising community. She is a board member of the Association of Direct Response Fundraising Counsel and has served on the board of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation; she was co-chair of the DMA Nonprofit Federation 2009 New York Nonprofit Conference and speaks frequently at fundraising conferences around the country.
From her colleagues
Polly Papsadore, director of marketing, L.W. Robbins Associates: "Lynn truly loves fundraising and the fundraising community. It is a very important part of her life. Lynn's staff, clients, strategic partners and other fundraising colleagues really feel that it is an honor to know and work with her."
Lindy Litrides, president, CoreMessagink: "Lynn is a consummate professional and a caring human being. Her commitment to nonprofit causes, her longevity in the business, and her genuine care and concern for colleagues all speak to her passion for and dedication to our industry and its people."
Bryan Terpstra, vice president of client services, L.W. Robbins Associates: "Over the course of her career, Lynn has been a source of great inspiration to her clients and to her employees. Lynn has devoted her professional life to helping nonprofit organizations improve their results and develop new ways to increase their net revenue. Lynn is a warm, energetic and outgoing person. She is the first one to jump in and help when a client calls. She has also been a great resource for her peers in the industry and has mentored many nonprofit professionals."
Susan Anstrand, president, Names in the News: "Lynn has spent a career spanning over three decades helping millions of supporters contribute an enormous wealth of donations to wonderful causes. She has helped to guide dozens of nonprofits through twists and turns in the economy, with thoughtful critiquing and prescient innovation."
Karen Kansala, development director, St. Labre Indian School: "Lynn Edmonds loves what she does, and it shows. She's never too busy to stop and answer a question — whether it be from a fundraising novice or someone with experience. Lynn is a big-picture kind of person who understands how even the tiniest of details carries great importance. She is well-organized and knows how to surround herself with the best talent possible, encouraging teamwork and results-oriented solutions."
Beth Smith, educational director, DMA Direct Marketing Institute: "Lynn has dedicated over 30 years of her career to guiding nonprofit organizations to the cutting edge of efficiency and effectiveness. Her methods are based in analytics, but her approach is all heart. She cares, she understands, and she acts to guide her clients and the industry to even greater levels of impact, engagement and results."
