A GOOD FOUNDATION THE NEWSLETTER OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE
W INT ER • 201 6
We need look no further than the story of the founding of Meharry or Vanderbilt or Cheekwood. We need only pause and marvel at the generosity of the Frists when they led the building of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts; the Ingrams when they led the creation of the Ingram Cancer Center and Currey Ingram School; the Turners whose Laura Turner Concert Hall lies at the heart of the Schermerhorn Symphony Center; the Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital and the Eskind Biomedical Library at Vanderbilt; the Burtons’ devotion to Lipscomb and the McWhorters’ and Inmans’ kindness to Belmont; Jack Massey’s support for the Mental Health Association; Leah Rose Werthan’s dedication to the elderly ... I could go on for pages, but you get the idea. ...
This community has been blessed … for generations … by a succession of people willing to invest in its well-being and the well-being of its citizens. We have been living in a golden age! Everywhere you look there are buildings named for individuals who cared. Nonprofits founded by individuals and supported by others abound.
Their leadership and their largesse — and that of SO many others — have made this community strong and stable. What will happen, however, when those who are still with us die? Who will pick up the mantle? Who will step up to continue the work to ensure that the nonprofit sector has what it needs to serve our community? Will it be their children? Will it be you? Will this community’s next generations follow in the footsteps of those who
THE NEXT GENERATION
OF PHILANTHROPY
came before? Who will continue to serve as our community’s conscience, reminding us all that we are only as good as the least among us? That issue has been one that has consumed a lot of The Community Foundation’s attention over our first 25 years. And one we continue to grapple with as we enter our second 25 years. How can we continue to make giving customized, comfortable, convenient and cost-effective? How can we help put the joy back in giving for people who have great hearts but may or may not have great wealth? How can we make sure donors feel good about what they can do, instead of bad about what they can’t do? What follows are stories about the wide range of ways in which we’ve already been able to help the next generation of donors help others. We hope you are as inspired by them as we are. And we hope that when you have something YOU want to do to help your neighbors and your community, you will call us and let us help you accomplish your goals. ELLEN LEHMAN,
President, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
NEXT GENERATION FUND ESTABLISHED 2016 Generous families often take the time to plan ahead as the transfer of business holdings and intergenerational wealth loom. Some are sparked by retirement; some by estate planning; and some by illness. But all are motivated by a continuous and continuing devotion to
Throughout the year, The Community Foundation
community and to leaving this world better than they found it.
helps guide a younger generation of philanthropists in THE SHEAR LOVE FUND
the process of setting up funds targeting their passion
ESTABLISHED 2013
and fulfilling their desire to make an impact. A handful
Jessica Oram has seen firsthand the continuing
of the funds highlighted within this season’s newsletter
needs of women in unfortunate circumstances.
provide insight into the wide variety of causes that
As the owner/hairstylist at Jessica Oram Salon,
inspire the next generation of givers to continue the
for women by giving free haircuts that lift their
Jessica volunteers at transitional living facilities spirits and build their self-esteem. She donates
work of making Middle Tennessee strong.
10% of her work income to The Shear Love Fund to help support nonprofits that help women in adverse situations, as they return to the workforce, battle illness, etc. The Fund assists Nashville shelters with funding to supply personal, educational, and household needs as they provide safe places for women and families to get back on their feet.
MATTHEWS MISSION FUND ESTABLISHED 2016 The Matthews Mission Fund, established in 2016 by Jordan Matthews, standout Philadelphia Eagles and former Vanderbilt wide receiver, works with communities to FEED: Feed the hungry, Educate the children, Empower the family, and Donate to those in need.
Continued on page 2 CFMT.org • 1
MILLENNIALS FIND
INSPIRATION IN GIVING The landscape of charitable giving is changing. A 2013 study by the Case Foundation found that millennials, the generation of people born between 1980 and 2000, are giving in a different way — and have different motivations — than previous generations.
THE SARAH LOUISE ELLIOTT FUN AND GAMES FOR FITNESS FUND ESTABLISHED 2013 Believing in fitness and involvement, 17-year-old Sarah created this Fund to help underprivileged kids participate in sports by sponsoring sport camps at nonprofit organizations. She wants to be actively involved from a hands-on approach and supply sports equipment as needed.
THE TATE ELLIOTT LITERACY AND LANGUAGE FUND ESTABLISHED 2016 Tate joined her sister and parents on a mission trip to Costa Rica. While there, she started a lending library in a town. That experience led her to understand the importance of the ability to read and write. Without those skills, people are handicapped in exceling in school, work and everyday life. Tate’s Fund will support nonprofit organizations that increase literacy or help with language skills.
TEAM MICA FUND ESTABLISHED 2012 Mica Breeden Martin died by suicide on December 16, 2011. Created in memory of Mica, the Fund restores hope to those who suffer from mental illness and raises awareness of suicide through education. Team Mica supports organizations that are on the ground counseling and educating others.
THE RAELYNN DIABETES FUND ESTABLISHED 2016
Instead of being drawn to organizations with names that carry clout, they give to causes that inspire them. They also give with their actions and view these types of contributions equally as valuable as a monetary gift. For example, a millennial is much more likely to become a social media ambassador, or to participate in a fundraising walk for a cause they love, than to solely make a one-time donation. This generation is motivated by transparency. They ask questions. They view a charitable donation as an investment and want to know the impact their money is making.
That is where GivingMatters.com comes into play. GivingMatters.com is an initiative of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee that was built on the value of transparency. When you visit a nonprofit’s profile, you can learn about its goals, needs, and the impact of its programs. Tax returns, audits, and budget projections are also available to see how the nonprofit raises and spends its money. In addition, GivingMatters.com houses informational articles on issues currently affecting Middle Tennessee, as well as a nonprofit newsfeed of job openings, recent hires, board member additions, and other news of interest in our local nonprofit sector. You could almost compare GivingMatters.com to a Facebook for Middle Tennessee nonprofits. Searching for organizations on the website is a breeze, whether it’s done by a specific nonprofit’s name, category of service, or by the geographic areas they serve. Every up-to-date GivingMatters.com profile has its own “Donate Now” button, meaning it’s easy to learn AND to give all in one place. You can also feel confident when deciding on which organizations to assist during The Big Payback, Middle Tennessee’s 24-hour online giving day. Participating nonprofits must have an up-to-date GivingMatters.com profile. If you’d like to support our mission to connect local nonprofits with a new generation of donors, do so by visiting our GivingMatters.com profile and use the “Donate Now” button today.
Country music singer-songwriter RaeLynn was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 12. The excellent care she received from Texas Children’s Hospital, and the experience of her
Find more than 1,500 area nonprofits serving our Middle Tennessee community at GivingMatters.com
family throughout the initial diagnosis, empowered her to begin living safely with Type 1 diabetes. Through the help of The Community Foundation, the RaeLynn Diabetes Fund was established to offer support, empowerment, and a community, for all of those facing diabetes.
THE FRUITION FUND
CROWDS COME OUT FOR CLARKSON’S MIRACLE ON BROADWAY
ESTABLISHED 2014 Singing star Kelly Clarkson’s Fruition Fund was established to make dreams, ideas, and goals come to life in the form of charitable acts. Too many times we have good intentions and don’t know how to implement them. This Fund will recommend specific charities annually and share information about the chosen nonprofits with Kelly’s many fans.
Support these funds online at CFMT.org and discover ways to empower philanthropy for our next generation of philanthropists.
Multiple Grammy-winning artist and The New York Times best-selling author Kelly Clarkson hosted her second MIRACLE ON BROADWAY holiday concert. The December 16th event at the Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville benefited four Music City nonprofits handpicked by Clarkson. Abe’s Garden, the Nashville Public Library Fund, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School will receive funds through The Fruition Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
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BRANDON KEY SCHOLARSHIP FUND important to him, and for his interests in human and civil rights. Brandon was also a terrific athlete and actor, and while at MBA he was involved with a variety of teams, clubs, and activities — namely football, wrestling, lacrosse, debate, and theater. He went on to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta before his life was tragically cut short in 2015 at age 19.
Brandon Key is pictured in his Montgomery Bell Academy football jersey.
Fundraising is easy, says Reggie Ford, when you’re passionate about it. “It would normally not be comfortable for me,” adds Ford, a co-founder of the Brandon Key Scholarship Fund at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “But being about Brandon, and education and the many people who will receive the award, I’m passionate enough to go knock on doors. I’m willing and all in.” Ford was one of four young men in their 20s, including Cayce Ortale, Daniel White, and Morris Eguakun, who worked with The Community Foundation this year to establish the Fund in memory of Brandon, a Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) alumnus best known for his commitment to his community, including volunteering for causes that were most
Ford, an MBA alum himself, was a role model for Brandon as well as to his other partners in creating the Fund. “I was the mentor and big brother for Brandon and all the other guys at MBA,” Ford recalls. “They looked up to me, and I looked up to them for being smarter and better at things than I ever was. I would come back and mentor and talk to them and just be around, remembering that when I was there at that age, seeing older guys come back and be involved was spectacular for me.” It was Ortale, a couple of years older than Brandon, who came up with the original idea to dedicate something to him. After dismissing suggestions for a park or a structure, the men talked with Scott O’Neal in the donor services department at The Community Foundation and discovered that a scholarship would be an everlasting approach to carry on Brandon’s legacy. O’Neal, also an MBA alum and a former administrator at the school, recalls of Brandon: “He was an all-
around awesome kid and wonderful young man. In between track and wrestling, he still took time to do Shakespeare.” “We first sat down with Scott and came up with a game plan,” Ford says. “Having not done this before, we had very little knowledge on how to even start. Scott gave us the step by step. It was many of the logical things — meeting with some of the network that we already have, telling the story of Brandon and why we are doing it, and getting some good donors under our belt. From there, we are hoping to host an annual event to build awareness and to get more people on board.” The Brandon Key Scholarship Fund will benefit Middle Tennessee students who embody the lifeloving characteristics that Brandon possessed. Applicants must have a minimum weighted GPA of 2.5 and show a willingness to serve their community, with plans to attend an accredited college or university immediately after high school. While preference will be given to those applicants with low socioeconomic statuses who plan to attend a historically black college or university, says Ford, The Foundation’s scholarship committee also will be looking for more criteria. “That was a part of Brandon,” Ford says. “But the Renaissance man — the guy or gal who has interests across the board, who is not one-dimensional — this will be important. “If we can see bits and pieces of Brandon in the candidate, that would be the best recipient for us.”
To learn more about Scholarship Funds, visit CFMT.org or call Pat Cole at 615-321-4939.
One Gift That Fits All The Community Foundation’s customized Giving Card is the gift for every occassion. HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: • Pick the Giving Card design of your choice and the dollar amount you want to load on the card.
Purchase now at CFMT.org Run a business? Want to honor clients or employees? We can customize Giving Cards. Call us at 615-321-4939.
• Purchase the card and get a tax deduction for the full purchase price. We’ll ship the card(s) to you or to your recipients. • Your recipients redeem Giving Cards to make a donation to any qualified public charity in the country they choose — one that fits their personality and their passion.
“There are countless needs in our community, and fortunately there are also countless ways to contribute. It doesn’t require millions of dollars to make a difference. A small idea can have an outsized impact, but you can’t contribute if you’re not engaged.” — Ray Guzman, CEO, WPC Healthcare. Advisory committee member for both The Sports Fund and Digital Inclusion Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
BE A PART OF IT SPOTLIGHT featuring Middle Tennesseans who stay engaged in and give back to their community.
Passionate about finding ways to impact the community, Ray brought the idea for The Sports Fund Madness of March Charity Bracket to The Community Foundation, which benefits both The Sports Fund and the bracket winner’s charity of choice. He and wife Nakisha Guzman also are co-founders of two nonprofits, Entoto Gear and FLOH Nation. CFMT.org • 3
THE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE CELEBRATION AT LONGLEAT Staff, board members, and friends of The Community Foundation gathered for a bee-themed 25th anniversary celebration hosted by Cathy and Clay Jackson at their historic home Longleat on July 26, 2016. President Ellen Lehman, Board Chairman Kerry Graham, Ben Rechter, Pete Bird, staff members Laundrea Lewis and Melisa Currey, and friends past and present shared stories, food and drink while reflecting on The Community Foundation’s beginnings, its road to the present, and its momentum for the future.
At The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s 25th anniversary celebration, hosts Clay and Cathy Jackson share a moment at their historic home Longleat with President Ellen Lehman (top left photo). Others gathered include (above photo, from left) Bishop Joseph Walker and wife Dr. Stephaine Walker, Linda and Kerry Graham; (above photo, middle), longtime CFMT staffers Laundrea Lewis and Michael McDaniel; and (above photo, right), CFMT staffers Scott O’Neal and Amy Fair. Photos by Dipti Vaidya
KARL ZINSMEISTER AND “THE ALMANAC OF AMERICAN PHILANTHROPY” In honor of The Community Foundation’s 25th birthday, national expert on philanthropy and author Karl Zinsmeister spoke with Nashville’s philanthropic community at the Woman’s Club of Nashville on August 31, 2016. Zinsmeister, vice president of the Philanthropy Roundtable and author of “The Almanac of American Philanthropy” shared fascinating insights into the U.S’s unique culture and singular history of community giving.
Ellen Lehman (above photo) clutches her prized copy of “The Almanac of American Philanthropy” with its author and guest speaker, Karl Zinsmeister. Others at the event included (middle photo, from left) Sara Finley, Jerry Williams, and Ron Corbin. Photos by Dipti Vaidya
THE SPORTS FUND EQUIPMENT DRIVES The Sports Fund had a busy summer and fall collecting equipment for area youth teams. A large group of volunteers greeted fans at collection stations outside Nissan Stadium (above photo, left) before and during the Tennessee Titans preseason football game against the Carolina Panthers in August. And Coach Ron Word and his West Nashville Broncos football team (above photo, right) couldn’t wait to try out the footballs and other gear they received from The Sports Fund at Hadley Park Community Center.
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LOUIS S. YUHASZ, JR. MEMORIAL HEALTH FUND & EDGEHILL BIKE CLUB “LITTLE CHEF BIG CHEF” This wasn’t your typical dinner out. Four celebrated local chefs paired with four children from Edgehill Bike Club, a nonprofit that provides bikes, biking excursions and mentoring for Nashville’s youth, to create a nutrition-aware, four-course dinner September 13, 2016 at Nashville’s premiere eatery City House. Proceeds benefited the Louis S. Yuhasz, Jr. Memorial Health Fund at The Community Foundation, dedicated to helping combat the childhood obesity epidemic. Louie’s Kids founder Louis Yuhasz (far left) and Edgehill Bike Club founder Terry Key (far right), join City House staffers at a check presentation to celebrate the Little Chef Big Chef fundraiser at the restaurant, which benefited the Louis S. Yuhasz, Jr. Memorial Health Fund at The Community Foundation. In front are participating Little Chefs Anthony Oglesby (left) and Terry Waters.
JOE KRAFT HUMANITARIAN AWARD LUNCHEON HONORS JACK B. TURNER The Community Foundation proudly presented civic leader and philanthropist Jack B. Turner with the 2016 Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award at its 23rd annual luncheon on October 25, 2016 inside the Music City Center’s Davidson Room. A crowd of more than 500 people — including retired General John F. Campbell, U.S. Senator Bob Corker, and singer-songwriter Lee Greenwood — gathered to honor Turner’s commitment to community in his hometown of Clarksville and beyond.
Among those gathered at the Music City Center for the Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award Luncheon to honor Jack B. Turner were: (top row photo, left), Michael Curcio, Margie Turner and her grandson, Patrick Turner; (top photo, right), U.S. Senator Bob Corker and Ellen Lehman; (middle row photo, left) Ellen Lehman and honoree Jack B. Turner; three generations of Jack and Margie Turner’s family; (above photo left), Deborah Varallo (from left), Jerry Williams, Circuit Court Judge Jill Ayers, Michael Curcio, Bill Sites, and Jack B. Turner; (above photo, middle) retired U.S. Army four-star General John F. Campbell (left) and Jack B. Turner; and (above photo, right), U.S. Senator Bob Corker (left), Jack B. Turner, and emcee Aubrey Harwell. Photos by Dipti Vaidya
ROCK BOTTOM BREWERY IN DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE IS HELPING THE SPORTS FUND COLLECT SPORTS EQUIPMENT FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE CHILDREN IN NEED. For every item donated, Rock Bottom Brewery will generously give discounts for food and non-alcoholic beverages. Everybody wins! 111 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37201
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BILL FRIST ON THE NEXT GENERATION OF GIVING Former U.S. Senator Bill Frist, M.D. exemplifies thoughtful investments in both philanthropy and public service, and actively passes along his passion for supporting community to the future Frist generations. Each of his children has their own Donor-Advised Fund through The Community Foundation, and he has shared the gift of our Grandkids’ Funds with his five grandchildren.
Staff Spotlight
KRISTEN KORZENOWSKI Kristen Korzenowski joined The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee in August 2014. Kristen recently was recognized as a recipient of Nashville’s Top 30 Under 30 Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation-Middle Tennessee Chapter.
Your title at The Community Foundation is Donor Services Coordinator and you oversee The Tomorrow Fund. Describe what your position entails, and what The Tomorrow Fund is all about? I feel very fortunate to work at The Community Foundation alongside some of the most philanthropic individuals in Middle Tennessee. As Donor Services Coordinator, I primarily assist with our donors’ events, including mobile bidding auctions, golf tournaments, sports equipment drives and various other creative and exciting fundraising efforts. I also generate financial reports for our donors and manage our Giving Card program, which offers a wonderful opportunity to give the gift of giving through gift cards that can be used to support most nonprofits across the country.
“The Community Foundation’s innovation and ability to change with the times and create new programs is a response to a fundamental need of lowering the barrier to make giving and lifting people up easy and seamless.”
The Tomorrow Fund is a great group of young professionals that promotes philanthropy among millennials in Middle Tennessee. We volunteer throughout the year and hold an annual fundraiser and smaller happy hours to raise money for the Fund. At the end of the year, we’re able to award grants from the Fund to nonprofits serving children. We also have a “Giving Tree” program near the holidays in which we pair up with local childcare centers and recruit sponsors to provide each child in need with warm clothes and toys. We try to balance having fun with serving our community, so our tagline “We Drink for the Kids” seems an appropriate way to sum up our activities.
ENTERTAINMENT AND GIVING
You’re from the Northeast (Ledyard, Connecticut) and have a marketing degree from Penn State University. What brought you to Nashville?
Middle Tennessee, does more than connect the community with art, entertainment and community events. It’s also a place where nonprofits and event organizers can promote fundraisers and reach a new generation of philanthropists.
After college, it took me a few years to get my bearings. I worked at an apple orchard, Connecticut Public Television, and then ended up at an advertising agency on the Pepsi account for a couple of years. It was my time working 55-plus hour weeks at the ad agency that ultimately gave me the push to find a career that would allow me to help others in a direct and consistent way. I figured if I was putting that much of myself into my work, I wanted to feel it was meaningful and wanted to be able to express the love I felt for others. The year before I changed careers and moved to Nashville, my Granny, who lived in Nashville and who I felt a special connection to, passed away. Call it following your intuition or call it crazy (some people did!), but after her passing I felt that Nashville was the place I needed to be to make my transition into nonprofit work. And so, without a place to live, without a job, and only knowing two distant relatives, I left my position at the ad agency and at 4 the next morning, drove myself 17 hours to Nashville to begin a new chapter. It was a complete act of faith and a transition I could not have made if not for the love and support of my parents and those closest to me. That makes you one of the estimated 85 people a day that move to Middle Tennessee. What has prompted you as a transplant of sorts to serve the community as quickly as you have? Because I knew virtually no one and because I felt a deep desire to make a difference in people’s lives, I immediately became involved in Nashville’s nonprofit community. I started volunteering at Second Harvest every week, did a few Habitat builds, and helped grant a wish for a Make-A-Wish child. I was also going to networking meetings two to three times a week and grabbing coffee with people I’d meet to try to find my way into a nonprofit career. I think when you feel passionately about something, it ignites this sense of urgency and this desire to do whatever it takes to obtain it. When you keep putting yourself out there, no matter how many dead ends you may encounter, the persistence and effort is bound to pay off. Nashville is a true hub for nonprofit work and offered countless ways to plug in, so I just took advantage of as many of those opportunities as I could. What advice can you give your fellow millennials to inspire them to be involved in helping Middle Tennessee survive and thrive? Find a cause you’re passionate about. Are you an animal lover? Do you enjoy working with children? Does it tug at your heartstrings when you see a homeless person begging for food? Find a cause that speaks to you then connect with a local nonprofit that supports that cause. GivingMatters.com is a great search tool to find the right fit.
6 • CFMT.org
—Former U.S. Senator Bill Frist, M.D.
REACH ALL BUDGETS NowPlayingNashville.com, an initiative of The Community Foundation of
While large-scale, big-ticket charity events still command a prominent place on Nashville’s social calendar and provide essential operating funds for area nonprofits, smaller happenings with lower ticket prices are beginning to attract thousands of people. NowPlayingNashville.com’s listings are now filled with dozens of benefit beer and wine festivals, 5Ks, walks, fashion shows, food tastings, concerts and parties, many with ticket prices beginning at just $25. The events give younger members of the community a chance to not only have fun, but also learn about and contribute to the important work of Middle Tennessee nonprofits. Occasionally, NowPlayingNashville.com partners with these organizations, not only to bring more attention to the fundraising events, but as a nonprofit itself, to reach new audiences of its own. Nashville Public Television’s Big Yellow Bird Bash is one such example. The event, which celebrated its fifth year in 2016, was created to reach a new generation of public television supporters — specifically those who grew up with “Sesame Street.” NowPlayingNashville.com has partnered with NPT on the Big Yellow Bird Bash from its very first year, providing promotional support and operating a “yellow-carpet arrivals” area where guests can have their photos taken. The event helps younger audiences engage with both organizations, at a modest cost that, collectively, can have a big impact.
Discover your next fun event or find out how to promote your own gathering at NowPlayingNashville.com. AN INITIATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE
INVEST IN THE ARTS At NowPlayingNashville.com, a single event listing can provide as much as $500 in free promotion and marketing for a Middle Tennessee nonprofit arts organization. Help us continue to offer that service to area organizations by making a donation of as little as $10 to NowPlayingNashville.com. AN INVESTMENT IN NOWPLAYINGNASHVILLE.COM IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE ARTS!
CFMT Board Member Spotlight
Q&A WITH MARK GWYN A lifelong Tennessean, Mark Gwyn became Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in 2004. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University and began his career in public safety as a patrolman with the McMinnville Police Department before joining the TBI as a Special Agent in 1988.
Yours seems very much an American Dream type of a story: a small-town kid who grows up to become head of his home state’s chief investigative unit. Who in particular helped you along the way, and how did they help? It started with my parents, who taught me to do the right things. I received help from everyone — elementary school teachers to coaches to family and friends. They instilled good moral qualities and values in me. Micah Lacher smiles alongside his mother, Lynda Lacher, whom he named his Fund after in honor of her tireless work in raising him and his siblings.
You give back to the community by serving on several nonprofit boards besides The Community Foundation. What motivates you to spend so much of your time volunteering?
THE GROWTH OF A
It is more important to give back than to receive. When you are blessed to be able to give back, I feel it should be one of the first responsibilities.
PHILANTHROPIST Few people are as aptly named as Micah Lacher. The prophet Micah was, after all the person who declared that it was the responsibility of each of us “to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.” The later-day Micah was just 27 years old when, in 2007, he and several others came together to establish the Chad Welch Memorial Fund at The Community Foundation. The Fund was named for a beloved friend who inspired them with both his courageous battle and his advocacy for others fighting leukemia. Chad Welch’s memory and the affection they held for him, galvanized the efforts of Micah and many other friends in their ‘20s as well as a contingent of friends and colleagues of Chad’s parents.
In your line of work, you see some of the worst of society’s ills — human trafficking, for instance, and child kidnapping. What keeps you hopeful? I believe there are more good people than bad people in the world. It is my responsibility to protect the good people. What advice can you give a younger generation to inspire them to be involved in helping Middle Tennessee survive and thrive? Middle Tennessee cannot be a viable community without individuals giving back. The future of our community is its youth. If they don’t take responsibility in the well-being of that community through service, it will never thrive.
After six years of working with the Chad Welch Memorial Fund and The Community Foundation to distribute support to nonprofits aiding cancer patients and their families, in 2013, Micah turned to The Community Foundation again, to establish his own Donor-Advised Fund. He named his new Fund the Lynda Lacher Fund to honor his mother for her dedication to giving back to the community while also raising five children. Micah surprised his mother with news of the Fund during a family vacation. Micah’s giving carries over to his business. As president of Anchor Investments, a real estate company established in 2009, which develops both commercial and residential properties (visit the Anchor Investments website for details), Micah has made it a point to include on their website a “Giving Back” section, listing a number of nonprofits the company has supported. Like many other donors at The Community Foundation, Micah sees his public giving as an opportunity to encourage others to join in giving and to increase awareness to the organizations important to him. But, inspired by his mother, Lynda; his friend, Chad Welch; and his faith he also gives quietly, far below the radar. Micah and his wife Brit continue to look for opportunities around Nashville to serve others and to give back. Recently his business venture known as 506 Lofts (located downtown at 506 Church St., the former address of Harvey’s department store) which is a collection of five industrial, modern lofts available as short-term rentals, provided Micah another opportunity to help others. In a creative philanthropic twist, 506 Lofts makes sure that 5 percent of the rental income earned is donated to the Nashville Rescue Mission and Room at the Inn. What a way to Give!
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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Nashville, TN Permit 2065
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee 3833 Cleghorn Avenue | Nashville, Tennessee 37215 OFFICERS Kerry Graham, Chairman Susan W. Simons, Vice Chairman Ronald L. Corbin, Secretary Decosta E. Jenkins, Treasurer Ellen E. Lehman, President
615-321-4939 | 888-540-5200 | cfmt.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Leilani S. Boulware Beth Chase Jana J. Davis Rod Essig Irwin E. Fisher Stephen F. Flatt Jay L. Frank Ben G. Freeland Gary A. Garfield Alberto R. Gonzales Jose D. Gonzalez Mark R. Gwyn Carl T. Haley Henry B. Hicks, III Carol O. Hudler William C. Koch, Jr. Robert S. Lipman Don MacLachlan Stephen F. Moore Joelle J. Phillips Wayne Smith Paul Stumb Steve Underwood Stephaine H. Walker Kevin J. Wheeler BOARD OF TRUSTEES Judy Liff Barker Jack O. Bovender, Jr. Charles W. Cook, Jr. Ben L. Cundiff Kitty Moon Emery Richard J. Eskind Farzin Ferdowsi John D. Ferguson Thomas F. Frist, Jr. Joel C. Gordon James S. Gulmi Aubrey B. Harwell, Jr. Catherine T. Jackson Kevin P. Lavender Bert Mathews John E. Maupin, Jr. Ralph W. Mosley Donna D. Nicely Ben R. Rechter Howard L. Stringer Deborah Taylor Tate Charles A. Trost Deborah F. Turner Jack B. Turner Betsy Walkup David Williams, II Jerry B. Williams
E PLURIBUS UNUM “Out of many, one”
LOOK FOR OUR 2015-2016 ANNUAL REPORT Featuring highlights and stories from our past year, a complete list of our Funds, and more information about what we do and how we can help you! Visit CFMT.org to view it online.
2015-2016 Report to the Community
THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE SPECIALIZES IN CREATING TAILOR-MADE GIVING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ACCOMPLISH YOUR CHARITABLE GOALS. Invest charitable dollars where you feel good about the impact, create a family fund that engages all ages in charitable decision-making, ensure support for your favorite community or area of interest, or create a scholarship for promising students.
t h e big pay b ack i s b ack!
Know that with The Community Foundation, you can dream your own dreams of making a difference, and we can help you make it happen. View the Catalog: http://www.cfmt.org/GiftsThatMatter2016/
Save the Date for
Wednesday, May 3 , 2017 The Big Payback will boast a brand-new software platform and welcome our biggest sponsors back for a fourth year – helping to make Middle Tennessee’s largest day of giving a success. Nonprofit registration will open in early 2017.
TheBigPayback.org #BigPayback
Visit The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee online at www.CFMT.org.