Volunteer Engagement

Assignment #21 In Support of Fort Worth Sister Cities International Begins

The Fort Worth Zoo will host the 2024 Fort Worth Sister Cities International (FWSCI) Mayor’s International Dinner & Global Awards on November 14, and we are pleased to report that we will be supporting the FWSCI team again to assure a successful event!  This marks our twenty-first assignment with FWSCI over fifteen years, and it’s been such a pleasure. 

Our work with President and CEO Mae Ferguson, and her stellar team of staff and volunteers has included event management, volunteer engagement, and fundraising, and has helped equip them to raise annual and major gifts totaling more than $3 million to date.  Congrats to Mae on her pending retirement after 25 years of distinguished service and welcome to Kippen de Albu Chu, the newly named President and CEO!

Summerford & Zuckerman Join the Project Partners Team

At this exciting time in the life of our community and our company, we proudly welcome Haily Summerford, MBA and Amber Zuckerman to the Project Partners team.

Haily comes to Project Partners with more than twenty-five years of nonprofit executive leadership at the local, state, and national level. She knows first-hand that a nonprofit executive or board leader must wear many hats to exceed goals, and that professional help along the way can be priceless. Haily’s fundraising experience has resulted in millions of dollars raised and she has developed impactful community programming and executed hundreds of events.


Amber is a proud North Texan with over twenty years of experience in nonprofit leadership, public relations, event planning, project management, and fund development who is passionate about building community. She has dedicated her career to leadership and volunteer roles in education, corporate engagement, local government, and cause-based organizations. Amber is a natural encourager and will work hand-in-hand with you to achieve your goals.

Are you or someone you know interested in joining our team to serve our clients? Please reach out.

Cowtown Clubhouse Plans For Fundraising Success

Fueled by a Toolbox grant from the North Texas Community Foundation, Cowtown Clubhouse is teaming with Project Partners to build a fundraising plan that incorporates diversified funding sources and ongoing board engagement in the fundraising continuum.  We will work together through our Seven Steps to Fundraising Planning exercise, the Infrastructure for Fundraising Readiness, and conclude with a board member orientation to the resulting plan.    

Resulting fundraising success will no doubt help Cowtown Clubhouse achieve its vision to serve as a flagship Center for the Clubhouse model, providing transformative services to people living with mental illness and changing the conversation about mental illness in the larger community. 

We feel honored to be working with this dedicated team and look forward to sharing more about their mission. 

Work With Fort Worth Forum Extends

After having supported the efforts to bring this new nonprofit to fruition by helping engage its first board and membership base, infrastructure, and programming, we are thrilled to continue service to the Fort Worth Forum

To help further their mission to foster connections and fellowship among leaders in our vibrant city, we will establish a playbook for programming which will help future staff and program chairs simplify and execute the work necessary to produce each programming event. 

There is always more work to designing impactful programming and achieving a splendid event than meets the eye.  How can we help you achieve your goals?

A 14th Year of Work Begins with the HEB ISD Education Foundation

Long-term assignments are not new to us.  When the HEB ISD Education Foundation first reached out about possibly teaming in late summer of 2011, we had just completed a fifteen-year assignment that supported the board of directors for the North Texas Clean Air Coalition, nine years of work with the Tarrant Independent Schools Consortium, and fourteen years of service to the North Texas Cutting Champions Club.  Yet I couldn’t have imagined at the time that the new partnership that resulted from the interview would become one of those long-term assignments. 

It has been such a pleasure to team with this board of directors that is laser-focused on achieving its mission, which is to raise and award private funds and community resources to support the excellence in education of the HEB ISD.  And they do so with such joy and gratitude for the opportunity.  It’s no wonder a fourteenth year of working together is beginning!   

“I’m so glad I found you!  Project Partners has been a very successful partner for the HEB ISD Education Foundation – we wouldn’t be where we are today without your advice, expertise, ideas and follow through. I appreciate all you and your team have done!”

—Mary Martin Frazior, IOM, CCE - President & CEO, HEB Chamber of Commerce and Foundation Board Member