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The Schimel Lode: Collaborating to Help People and Nonprofit Organizations Thrive

The Schimel Lode: Collaborating to Help People and Nonprofit Organizations Thrive

About The Schimel Lode

Why Do We Call Ourselves a Lode?

We call ourselves a Lode because we are a resource for nonprofit effectiveness and social innovation.

Finding gold takes time and work even when you know where to look and how to mine for it. Instead of time-consuming prospecting, why not go directly to the source --- to a lode?

The Schimel Lode can collaborate with you to help you improve your effectiveness. We provide maps and guidance for capacity building. Working with us will give you a stronger foundation to meet your goals.

How Our Beginnings Led to Our Vision by Ruth M. Schimel

My parents, Abraham and Beatrice Schimel, devoted much of their professional lives to teaching in Harlem and the South Bronx. They understood the value of helping students know their own strengths and develop the skills needed to earn a living.

As a girl, my father taught me how to decide if a charitable cause was worthy. He would ask the following questions when people came to the door to solicit donations—though they could rarely answer them.

Photo of Beatrice and Abraham Schimel
Beatrice and Abraham Schimel, 1984

These questions helped me think about philanthropy in practical ways. By 1997, my mother and I began discussing how we could use our limited family resources to make a difference in people's lives. Contributing to organizations that served others seemed a good place to start.

Since we understood the challenges of doing such work, we often talked about how to help organizations become more effective. As a management consultant, I also questioned the value of quick-fix efforts by outsiders who give advice without involving employees and clients. Even able, paid consultants could not always provide the continuity needed for sustained improvement.

Then I got an inspiration. Everyone I knew seemed to be bombarded by requests for donations. Instead of saying no or just giving money, why not join with my friends and colleagues to assist nonprofits in a different way? A group of capable people working together could volunteer time and expertise to help nonprofits be more effective.

We created The Schimel Lode to: