A GOOD FOUNDATION THE NEWSLETTER OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE
WINTER • 201 7 Tracy believes that reactive giving is largely based on obligation and history; the next largest category is the fun and social (who doesn’t want to have fun!?); the next is passion with the tiniest sliver of giving dedicated to strategic transformation. What Tracy believes is that you have to flip the philanthropic pyramid. Make the transformative, strategic giving the biggest amount so that you can truly make a difference and have an impact on your community. Make the smallest segment of your giving the things you feel compelled to do. And seek passion and fun in the middle tiers. Tracy believes that donors feel best when they can see the outcomes their gifts make rather than making gifts to what sometimes seems to be a big black hole.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE The Community Foundation of Rutherford County Disaster Response CFMT Around Town Staff Spotlight William and Clara Bryan Scholarship Fund NowPlayingNashville Turns 10! The Power of Nashville
And I think she’s on to something.
You don’t have to answer this, but…
What was the charitable gift you
Have you ever read your mail over the trash or recycling bin? Throwing away, among other things, solicitations from nonprofits you know well or have never heard of. I know I have. … I have learned over time that there are three types of giving. One is reactive: someone asks you to give and you do; another is a proactive: you care about a cause and want to make a difference so you find a nonprofit addressing that issue and you invest in their work; and most of us do the third type, some of both the first and second. A smart philanthropist, Tracy Gary, wrote a book called Inspired Philanthropy sharing a wonderful perspective on giving. She created four categories: • Honored Obligations – gifts to your church or school or a long-supported nonprofit • Social and Fun Giving – events like a gala or a performance
truly love to learn about them.
A Board member of The Community Foundation once observed that “the only good thing about turning 70.5 was the IRA Charitable Rollover.”
At The Community Foundation, we strive every day to help people feel good about the charitable gifts they ARE making – not bad about the ones they AREN’T making.
Congress introduced the IRA Charitable Rollover in 2006 as part of the Pension Protection Act (PPA). It was an effort to help reduce taxes and promote charitable giving, but never was permanent until 2016. The concept is straightforward:
made that made you smile and feel great? You don’t have to answer this, but if you would share your happiest moment as a donor at www.CFMT.org/stories, I would
Because if we aren’t feeling good about our gifts, will we continue to make them? We believe every gift matters. Thank you for yours.
• Passionate Giving – gifts that make you feel good
ELLEN LEHMAN
• Strategic Giving – gifts that can truly transform outcomes and create lasting change
President, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
• Individuals with IRAs must take required minimum distributions (RMD) the year they turn 70.5, even if they don’t need the income. This income is taxable. • The Charitable Rollover allows IRA account holders to donate up to $100,000 of their RMDs directly to nonprofit organizations and avoid having this amount treated as income.
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is here to help.
REACTIVE GIVING HONORED OBLIGATIONS
SOCIAL AND FUN GIVING
Since 2006, donors have turned to The Community Foundation to initiate the IRA Charitable Rollover. The process is quick and easy: • Have a conversation with The Community Foundation staff to determine which fund type can help you achieve your charitable goals. All fund types—except donor-advised funds—are options. • Contact your IRA administrator to request the donation of your RMD. Most firms require a few simple steps: 1.) The Community Foundation’s contact information and Federal Tax ID and 2.) a signature on necessary documents.
PASSIONATE GIVING
STRATEGIC OR TRANSFORMATIVE GIVING
INSPIRED GIVING *Inspired Philanthropy by Tracy Gary
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COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF RUTHERFORD COUNTY ESTABLISHED For so many of us, the sentiment remains the same … there really is no place like home. In every home — whether a county, city, town or neighborhood — there are dedicated leaders paying close attention to the emerging and evolving needs of their communities. And because of the interest in protecting its future to enhance the quality of life for its residents, hundreds of communities across our country have seen these caring leaders come together to establish community foundations. This idea resembles one that Steve Flatt, Chief Executive Officer of Murfreesborobased National HealthCare Corporation, and Scott O’Neal, regional liaison for The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, discussed earlier this year when talking about the future of a rapidly growing Rutherford County.
of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “Funds are given by an ever-expanding group of people who love Rutherford County and who are eager to protect the quality of life they enjoy for the benefit of this and future generations. “The funds come in, are invested, and the community continues to reap the returns for generations to come.” Lehman continued, “But for creation of a fund like this dedicated to a place, fewer people would have the opportunity to have more money remain ‘at home’ and less be sent off to the IRS, now or after they die. “We are honored to help Rutherford Countians invest in their future. We know that when people come together to invest in their community, important things happen.”
Flatt, also a board member for The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, acknowledged the value of establishing an affiliate fund within The Community Foundation. Today, as the founding chair for the Community Foundation of Rutherford County Steering Committee, Flatt has been a great influence in helping to grow the interest of this type of fund for Rutherford County from the region’s leaders and others invested in the county. “We are grateful that Rutherford County is one of the fastest-growing counties in America. However, with that rapid growth come challenges,” Flatt said. “For example, almost 15% of our county’s population lives below the poverty line, and that percentage will rise as our county grows.” Judge Steve Daniel, also a Steering Committee member of Rutherford County’s affiliate fund, says, “Forming and operating The Community Foundation of Rutherford County under the ‘umbrella’ of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee makes all the sense in the world. We can utilize their considerable administrative, marketing, and investment resources for a fraction of what would be spent if we formed this organization independently.” Founding donors of the Rutherford affiliate include: Robert and Susanne Adams, the Honorable Don and Rita Ash, Conrad and Allison Camp, Gerald and Joanne Coggin, the Honorable Bob and Diane Corlew, Don Daniel, the Honorable J.S. “Steve” and Lara Daniel, Steve and Patsi Flatt, John and Gina Floyd, Jimmy and Donna Jobe, the Honorable Susan Melton, National HealthCare Corporation, National Health Investors, Bob and Marie Parks, Pinnacle Bank, Mark and Anita Pirtle, Ted and Gloria LaRoche, Rick and Amy Sain, Kristi Sallee Gaines, Rick and Charlotte Swafford, the Swanson family, and former State Senator Andy and Cherry Womack. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which began in 1991, has been administering and distributing funds that benefit organizations in Rutherford County ever since. These distributions have represented donor-advised fund grants, scholarships to support students attending Middle Tennessee State University, annual agency endowment distributions, and discretionary grants through the annual grant application cycle. “Our community is blessed with an array of nonprofit organizations that enhance the quality of life for thousands of our citizens. The Community Foundation of Rutherford County will help ensure that these vital organizations will have a dependable funding source in perpetuity,” Flatt said. “Our goal was to raise at least $250,000 for the Community Foundation of Rutherford County by year end so that grants could be made to local nonprofits in 2018. I’m pleased we’ve met that goal and expect more gifts by year end.” “Creating the Community Foundation of Rutherford is like establishing a charitable savings account for this community,” said Ellen Lehman, president
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Steve Flatt, founding chair of the Community Foundation of Rutherford County Steering Committee, spoke at an October news conference and joined other committee members and local dignitaries announcing the newest affiliate fund in Murfreesboro’s Civic Plaza. Photos by Morgan Yingling
EXISTING AFFILIATES AND THE YEARS THEY BEGAN INCLUDE: The Cheatham County Community Foundation (1998) The Community Foundation of Dickson County (1999) The Goodlettsville Area Community Foundation (1999) The Tullahoma Community Foundation (1999) The Cumberland Plateau Community Foundation (1999) The Community Foundation of Christian, Todd and Trigg Counties (2003) The Community Foundation of Clarksville/Montgomery County (2007) The Community Foundation of Wilson County (2014)
RESPONDING TO DISASTERS QUICKLY MAKES BIG IMPACT Although miles and miles from the center of the storms, our Disaster Recovery Team has been able to quickly launch relief efforts in response to several of this year’s disasters. In an all-team effort, The Foundation has been activating funds quickly, identifying areas of need, and executing transactions and generating tax receipts to lesson the burden of others still “under water” in the figurative and sometimes literal sense.
“We are making sure that people can give comfortably and conveniently and that 100% of the money gets to the nonprofits in the affected area. We’ve been there … we know firsthand that the recovery from disasters will be long, difficult and complex. … We want to help!”
Members of The Community Foundation’s Disaster Recovery Team include: Director of Employee Care Programs Benja Whitelaw, Shemika Walker, Christopher Stowe, Deborah McClellan, Belinda Dinwiddie-Havron, Kathryn Bennett, Nicole Rose, and our dedicated Communications and Finance team members. The Foundation also has been able to begin new fundraising efforts at the request of several of our corporate partners, to fulfill the needs of employees who suffered tremendous loss during the hurricane season.
“I-think-I-can I-think-I can I-think-I-can-I-think-I-can.”
Launched in the span of a mere two weeks in September 2017, The Community Foundation’s Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund and Hurricane Irma Response Fund continue to garner and dispense money to those in need.
The classic children’s picture book “The Little Engine That Could,” which for generations has come to represent persistence and perseverance despite all odds, comes to mind when describing The Community Foundation’s disaster recovery team these days.
Grants from the funds are made to nonprofits providing assistance both immediate and long term, and 100% of donations made go directly toward recovery efforts. Our employee assistance program has been in high demand this fall. Just since September 1, grants totaling $1,482,884 have been dispersed to help the families of 768 employees — thus having a positive impact on 2,452 household members.
Mother Nature has been on a bender of late. Late summer brought deadly hurricane after deadly hurricane. Homes flattened or flooded. Lives shattered and lost. It’s a credit to our donors to our various Disaster Response Funds, however, as well as to the many farsighted and caring corporations which have established Corporate Care and Employee Relief Funds administered by The Foundation, that relief and recovery efforts continue.
Those of us who have lived in Middle Tennessee for a while still remember so vividly our own recovery from our 2010 Flood. We remember how much the kindness of strangers from across the world meant to us. We recognize oh-so-well the challenges disasters bring.
They truly represent the power of giving.
As we’re reminded much too regularly these days, the layers of need for every disaster unfold differently, but unfold they do.
10 WAYS COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS ARE A BEST-BET FOR DISASTER GIVING (Excerpt from Forbes.com - 10/18/2017)
“Community foundations are essentially philanthropic hubs that provide leadership, stewardship and leverage
1. COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE. Community foundations are rooted
for a broad range of individual charitable contributions.
in the communities they serve, so they know firsthand of the needs following a disaster and the assets that can be deployed to respond.
They supply charitable support to nonprofit organizations, but also build charitable endowments to ensure the needs
2. VETTING. Community foundations are in the business of making
of communities will be met far into the future.”
effective grants to reputable nonprofits. They’ve done their homework so you don’t have to.
- Kris Putnam-Walkerly, Forbes
3. PARTNERS. Because they are truly community-grown institutions,
community foundations are used to working in close partnership with other organizations.
4. LEADERSHIP AND REPUTATION. Community foundations
are created by community members, which means they are usually among the most trusted institutions around. They are also considered leaders of the philanthropic community.
5. GIVE ANY AMOUNT. Community foundations offer options for
donors who wish to give any amount. Make smaller or one-time gifts to the community foundation’s disaster relief fund, or consider a gift to an unrestricted fund that will allow the community foundation’s board to determine the best use of charitable dollars.
6. IMMEDIATE RELIEF. Community foundations can mobilize
targeted relief funds in short order, meaning gifts are deployed quickly to agencies that need them. And because of their community knowledge and connections, relief dollars from community foundations can easily adapt to the needs at hand, whether it’s food, medical supplies, shelter or something completely unforeseen.
7. LONG TERM STRATEGIC IMPACT. Community foundations are
created with a long-term view, which means even a short-term gift in the wake of disaster is helping move a community toward a longer- term vision and goals.
8. GIVE HERE OR THERE. Many community foundations across the
country have developed disaster relief funds to lend aid to those outside their own service areas. Chances are, you can help those in other parts of the US or around the globe by making a gift to your local community foundation.
9. IMPACT AND ACCOUNTABILITY. Because community foundations
are accountable to a number of donors and partners, they must be able to explain their approaches and demonstrate their impact.
10. PLANNING FOR THE NEXT TIME. In many cases, when communities
gather to plan ahead for the next disaster, the community foundation is a leader in that effort, if not the convenor. And advance preparation is incredibly important to minimizing negative impacts of violent storms, wildfires, or other natural disasters.
SIGN UP for our email newsletter for the latest news! Go to CFMT.org and look near the footer of the website. CFMT.org • 3
COMMUNITY LEADERS GATHER AT CFMT/UNITED WAY EVENT The collective boards of directors and trustees of The Community Foundation and United Way of Metropolitan Nashville gathered at The University Club of Nashville in September for a late-afternoon mixer and to meet and hear guest speaker Mayor Megan Barry. Over drinks and light appetizers, the gathering heard the mayor list goals and priorities for the city, followed by a question-andanswer session that included, “Mayor, how can we help you meet those goals and priorities?”
City leaders gathered at The Community Foundation and United Way of Metropolitan Nashville board mixer included: Top left photo, from left: Ray Guzman, Lyle Beasley and Betsy Walkup; top middle photo, from left: Ron Corbin, CFMT board chair Kerry Graham and Heather Rohan; top right photo: CFMT president Ellen Lehman and Metro Police Sgt. Rob Forrest; bottom left photo: Mayor Megan Barry; bottom middle photo, from left: Paul Stumb, Mayor Megan Barry, Julie Frist; and bottom right photo: Aubrey Harwell and Bill Koch. Photos by Morgan Yingling
THE SPORTS FUND INCLUDED IN MANCHESTER CITY’S COMMUNITY OUTREACH What were the Manchester City soccer players doing before playing their English Premier League rivals Tottenham as their preseason tour stopped at Nissan Stadium in late July, before a state-record 56,232 soccer fans? Hanging out with young soccer players and The Community Foundation’s The Sports Fund, that’s who.
As a prelude to the big Manchester City vs. Tottenham International Champions Cup soccer match in late July at Nissan Stadium, English Premier League power Man City held a Leadership Festival and Clinic at Montgomery Bell Academy as part of its ongoing charitable international tour. Partnering with Vanderbilt University and The Sports Fund, an initiative of The Community Foundation, Man City hosted 27 18- to 24-year-olds as part of its Young Leadership Program and 100 young people ages 5-12 for the festival and soccer clinic. Man City has traveled to various cities around the world, 12 in all, serving underprivileged children by using soccer to engage them in appropriate after-school activities. Research has revealed boys who participate in after-school athletics do better in school, do not drop out and have a better chance to get through college by a 2-to-1 ratio, with a 3-to-1 ratio for girls. Photos by Morgan Yingling
One Gift That Fits All The Community Foundation’s customized Giving Card is the gift for every occassion. 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.
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5TH ANNUAL RED, WHITE AND BREW SUPPORTS NEXT GENERATION PHILANTHROPISTS A festively decorated Tennessee Brew Works proved to be a welcoming new site for the fifth annual Red, White and Brew Summer Fest Sunday afternoon, July 16, with food courtesy of Mafiaoza’s and Taziki’s, singer-songwriters, games, and lots of beer options courtesy of the brewpub. Proceeds from the event supported The Tomorrow Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which builds community awareness and responsibility in Middle Tennessee young professionals by establishing a pattern of community service and charitable giving. Other sponsors included Regions, Bradford Real Estate, BeSimple Massage & Yoga and #SayDyslexia.
Top L to R: The Tomorrow Fund board, Alysha and Steven Garrett, Jessica Bennett (left) and Catherine Rusch, Don Welch and Celeste Reed. Bottom L to R: Nick Scalia, Jessica Musman, Pat Embry, Bob Benson, Michael McDaniel, Tennessee Brew Works is decked out with red, white and blue balloons. Photos by Trish Luna
NASHVILLE SENIORS BENEFIT FROM DIGITAL INCLUSION FUND ConnectHome Nashville has created a Senior Tech Academy, a unique initiative to empower senior citizens with computer skills. The program launched this summer at Metro Development and Housing Agency (MDHA)’s Gernert Studio Apartments property in South Nashville’s Edgehill neighborhood and consisted of eight workshops. A graduation celebration was held in late August for its second group of participants, which consisted of 28 proud seniors who completed the program. The Community Foundation’s Digital Inclusion Fund helped the initiative by providing free Amazon Fire tablets to all participants, in conjunction with the Nashville Public Library, EveryoneOn and Salama Urban Ministries.
Top left photo: Lisa Booker, MDHA Project Coordinator, welcomes the crowd at the second Senior Tech Graduation ceremonies at Gernert Studio Apartments. Top middle photo: Tennessee State Rep. Brenda Gilmore, left, was among the gathering that heard Gilmore’s daughter, At Large Metro Council member Erica Gilmore, offer words of encouragement to the jubilant graduates. Photos by Morgan Yingling
IMMEDIATE IMPACT ALERTS! The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is often on the receiving end of early discussions about our region’s most pressing needs. Sign up for alerts at www.CFMT.org to remain informed of these issues and to find out ways to effectively and immediately respond.
CFMT.org • 5
Staff Spotlight
LAUNDREA LEWIS Laundrea Lewis serves as Senior Manager, Grants of The Community Foundation. Laundrea manages the operation of grant programs, including Discretionary Grants, Donor-Advised Grants, and The Foundation’s Scholarship program, which includes more than 110 scholarships.
You were The Community Foundation’s first employee in 1991, while Ellen Lehman was still operating from her garage. Tell us about how the job came about, and what your responsibilities were when you began. Once upon a time, in a land far away called garage ... so here’s how it happened: A mutual friend named Fran May, who happened to serve on the board of the nonprofit I was working for back then, told me that Ellen had started this foundation and that I should reach out to her to see how I might help, that it might be a good career move for me. I contacted Ellen and asked if I could help and she said yes. We met at Amerigo’s to discuss what I might do. After working my normal full day, I would go to Ellen’s garage to help organize and create systems for the administrative side of The Community Foundation. The Foundation finally grew to a point that she was ready to hire staff. Ellen asked me, “Do you want to bring money in or give money away?” Well, I knew that I didn’t want to go to parties or ask for money, so I said I’ll give it away; little did I know what that meant. We had/have a great Board, and I learned so much from them — and rather quickly, I might add. When I would attend conferences or workshops, I was amazed to see how smart Ellen and our Board were in establishing procedures for how funds would operate in comparison to other foundations much older than us. We were well ahead of the curve. You’re a Nashville native who has had a front row seat watching both Middle Tennessee and The Foundation grow by leaps and bounds. What strikes you as the biggest differences between now and 25 years ago? The growth of this city is the biggest difference. Nashville has always been a melting pot of people due to the music and hospital industries. Now the city has exploded with so many new people, ideas, and ways of getting things done; it’s a little hard to keep up. There are so many young people calling Nashville home now that I believe 25 years ago would never have moved here. Nashville was a big city, but just a bit slower. I do miss the wide open spaces, grass, and trees. We’ve become a city of tall and taller buildings, no sky, no light — just buildings. I am also very disturbed by the aggressive gentrification of urban neighborhoods. As Senior Manager of Grants, what challenges you the most about your job?
Challenge 2: Keeping up with technology. We want every action we perform to be as easy and simple as possible for those we serve. We have to make it easy for donors to make contributions. We have to make it easy for nonprofits to apply for and receive support. We have to make it easy for students to apply for scholarships. Software must to be easy for the end-user as well as for the administrative side. There is always something bigger and better on the market. Challenge 3: The redundancy in nonprofits. It’s OK to have choices in service providers, but when the services are being watered down with too many organizations doing the same thing, who is served? No one. There is nothing new under the sun. Our theme of this fall newsletter is “The Power of Giving.” You’re in a unique position of helping decide what organization or individual receives a grant or scholarship. Tell us a favorite success story about how a Community Foundation grant has made an impact in people’s lives. The most recent success story, and my favorite, is the Serving Tennessee’s Seniors program. Last October, The Foundation was asked to help Chancery Court with the disbursement of dollars to increase the capacity of nonprofit organizations serving seniors across the State of Tennessee. We were pleased to report to the Chancellor and the Court that 68,396 seniors from all 95 counties of the state benefited from services such as transportation, legal aid, housing/home improvements, dental care, technology and training, food/feeding programs, adult day care services and many, many more. To see the smiling faces and even a few tears of seniors who now had grab bars in their bathrooms to prevent falls, who were now able to go on outings or to the doctor because of improved transportation service, who were able to eat nutritious food because of new dentures or improved meal delivery programs, who were able to communicate electronically with family who live away, who were able to receive legal assistance when they felt threatened, absolutely nothing is more powerful than that. Why, I’m getting a little misty just thinking about. Q: What’s the key to a well-written grant proposal? • • • • • • •
FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS and READ THE GUIDELINES. Ask for what you need and not for what you want. Take the time to meet with funders BEFORE you submit the request. Know the funder’s priorities, areas of interest, and funding limits. Be clear and concise with your answers. Ask if you don’t understand a question. Submit only the required items, and only use forms provided by the funder. Have someone else read your grant for grammar, spelling, and just to see if it makes sense.
s av e t h e d at e !
Challenges, hmmm. Challenge 1: Believe it or not, it is EXTREMELY hard to give money away. We must fulfill our fiduciary responsibility by being true to the donors’ wishes. We must be good stewards of the funds we’ve been entrusted with as well as being in tune with the needs of the community. Sometimes those needs and the funding connect perfectly, and other times not. Creating and adapting grant processes will always be a work in progress. That work is made easier because of my partner in crime, Michael McDaniel. Michael and I have worked together for 21 years, with four of those years during his tenure with the Tennessee Arts Commission. We both want to help nonprofits put their best foot forward. We can each read a grant separately and come together with almost the exact conclusion; it’s a little scary sometimes.
Don’t wait to register your organization for THE BIG PAYBACK’s fifth annual, 24-hour online giving challenge. The Middle Tennessee community has paid back hundreds of local nonprofits – including schools and religious institutions – in a big way, raising more than $9.3 million in the past four years. REGISTRATION OPENS: Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017 at www.TheBigPayback.org 2003
2016
Laundrea and Michael McDaniel have played a huge role, and continue to remain a key part in The Foundation’s success.
When it comes to scholarships, Ellen rounded up some of the best minds in education to serve on our initial Scholarships Committee. I learned all about the education side of scholarships from the best, Pat Cole. Pat served on the Scholarships Committee for 10 years before joining The Foundation staff after she retired from Metro Schools in 2004. I had the foundation rules and regulations portion, and she had the high school and college knowledge. And together, I think we’ve created a powerful scholarship program over the past 23 years. 6 • CFMT.org
TRAINING SESSIONS: Schedule to be announced soon. THE BIG PAYBACK: Wednesday, May 2, 2018 THE BIG PAYBACK was launched in 2014 by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to help Middle Tennessee nonprofits raise funds vital to their work, directly improving the community around us.
Questions? Email us at TheBigPayback@cfmt.org
Middle Tennessee’s Shared Day of Giving Is Back For a Fifth Year!
TheBigPayback.org
Fun Fact: 18,806 donors have self-reported making a gift through The Big Payback to a nonprofit they had not previously supported. That’s A LOT of new donors in four 24-hour giving days!!!
WILLIAM AND CLARA BRYAN
SCHOLARSHIP FUND A strong link to The Community Foundation’s history was broken this past summer, although its legacy and impact continues in perpetuity. William Jennings “Bill” Bryan Jr. passed away on July 15, 2017 in Nashville at age 84. The son of Giles County natives William and Clara Bryan, who believed in the power of education, Bill established the William Jennings “Bill” Bryan Jr. William and Clara Bryan Scholarship Fund in 1994 in his parents’ memory to assist Giles County students in realizing their dreams of attending four-year colleges and universities. Each year these scholarships are awarded to high school seniors and/or college underclassmen demonstrating academic merit and financial need. Since its establishment, The William and Clara Bryan Scholarship Fund has awarded dozens of scholarships and $135,000 in scholarship aid. Interestingly, because of the power of giving and investing through The Community Foundation, the Fund still has roughly the same amount of money as it had when it was established more than 20 years ago. Through the years, when Bill received The Community Foundation’s list of scholarship recipients bearing his parents’ name, he never failed to write a nice letter thanking us and telling us how impressed he was with the students selected.
The 2017-18 William and Clara Bryan Scholarship recipients are: • Caleb Briggs, from Richland High School, who is attending Martin Methodist College • Callie Edwards, from Giles County High School, who is attending Belmont University • Jedidiah Jenkins, from Giles County High School, who is attending Lipscomb University • Austin Marsh, from Giles County High School, who is attending Bryan College • Jared Roberts, from Giles County High School, who is attending Middle Tennessee State University This scholarship was the first scholarship fund to be established at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. We’ve come a long way since. In 2017 The Foundation awarded 283 student scholarships worth $640,000 from 114 scholarship funds. We are forever grateful for the continued generosity of our donors, like Bill Bryan, who are dedicated to investing in students’ futures now and for generations to come.
Scholarship funds at The Community Foundation provide an opportunity for donors to honor their loved ones, support the hard work of local students and help the next generation of community leaders develop the skills they need to be successful. To learn more about establishing a scholarship, please contact Pat Cole, Senior Coordinator, Scholarships at 615-321-4939 or pcole@cfmt.org.
MEMORIALS When a loved one dies, you are faced with a painful loss and a multitude of decisions. One of those decisions may be how to create a fitting memorial — a tribute that will herald the difference this special person made in the lives of those around him or her. Working with The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee can keep their name alive by continuing to foster the causes and ideals they held dear. Funds such as the William and Clara Bryan Scholarship Fund create a lasting memorial. Currently, 58 of our 121 scholarship funds are memorials.
If you would like to create a lasting legacy of your loved one, we’re here to help.
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DO
In 2005 and 2006, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee convened a conversation about the extraordinary support our community had shown in creating and supporting the Arts. Those present acknowledged the fact, however, that the Arts were vulnerable to the changing fortunes of the untimely deaths of benefactors, or the ever-possible fluctuation of political will to support the Arts. After extended conversation about different opportunities which could be created, and commitments from generous local individual donors and foundations, in late summer 2007 The Community Foundation launched the nonprofit website NowPlayingNashville.com.
Its mission was threefold: Building traffic and ticket sales for area arts and entertainment organizations; Promoting Middle Tennessee as a cultural tourism destination; Recruiting employers and talented employees to the region. A decade later, though much has changed, the initiatives’ commitment to the community has never wavered. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, NowPlayingNashville remains the only comprehensive events site in Middle Tennessee. You can go to one site and see a vast array of events to fit every budget, every interest and passion, and buy tickets on that very same site. NowPlayingNashville now regularly hosts more than 2,000 upcoming events, sharing answers to the questions “Where to go?” and “What to do?” Its page views average more than 12,000 per
day, and its visitors, who come from all over the world, number in the millions annually. As Nashville has evolved, so has the site. In 2016, it was upgraded to a fully responsive, mobile-friendly platform. Now it’s easier than ever for locals and tourists to find events, regardless of the device they’re using. According to the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 study on the economic impact of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations on communities, the arts and cultural industry in Nashville generates close to $430 million in economic activity in Davidson County, supports more than 14,000 jobs and generates more than $51 million in local and state revenues. Looking back on its original mission 10 years later, NowPlayingNashville is proud of what it has accomplished and its role in the impact of the arts and entertainment in Nashville.
Photo credits L to R: TN Dept of Tourism Development, Nashville Originals, TN Dept of Tourism Development, Anthony Scarlati
CFMT.org • 7
A GOOD FOUNDATION THE NEWSLETTER OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Nashville, TN Permit 2065
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee 3833 Cleghorn Avenue | Nashville, Tennessee 37215 615-321-4939 | 888-540-5200 | cfmt.org
OFFICERS Kerry Graham, Chairman Susan W. Simons, Vice Chairman Ronald L. Corbin, Secretary Decosta E. Jenkins, Treasurer Ellen E. Lehman, President BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lyle Beasley Leilani S. Boulware Jamie Cheek Jana J. Davis Shari Dennis Mark Emkes Rod Essig Stephen F. Flatt Ben G. Freeland Julie Frist Max Goldberg Alberto R. Gonzales Jose D. Gonzalez Ray Guzman Mark R. Gwyn Carl T. Haley Robert S. Lipman Don MacLachlan Stephen F. Moore Larry Papel 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 Richard J. Eskind Farzin Ferdowsi John D. Ferguson Thomas F. Frist, Jr. Joel C. Gordon James S. Gulmi Aubrey B. Harwell, Jr. Carol O. Hudler Catherine T. Jackson William C. Koch, Jr. Kevin P. Lavender John E. Maupin, Jr. Ralph W. Mosley Donna D. Nicely Ben R. Rechter Deborah Taylor Tate Charles A. Trost Deborah F. Turner Jack B. Turner Betsy Walkup David Williams, II Jerry B. Williams
THE POWER OF
NASHVILLE Whether you arrived here decades ago or just yesterday, you stayed in Nashville because there is something unique here that unites us, and has made this the vibrant, welcoming, and growing city it is today. We are a city with a generous spirit and an open door. In our best moments, we embrace openness, honesty and a deep, collective desire and active commitment to strengthen the community we share. And we are a city that is powerful beyond measure when we think and act together; No matter what we believe, where we come from, or what our differences might be.
TODAY, WE MUST BE CATALYSTS FOR UNITY: We resolve that if fate leads someone to Nashville, we will embrace them as our own. We resolve that if someone speaks ill of our neighbors, we will remind them that is not our way. We resolve to challenge ill-informed or hateful speech before it becomes reality. We resolve that where there is conflict, we will settle it peacefully. No matter what the rest of the world may say or do, let us remember one thing:
WE ARE NASHVILLE. On October 7 at the Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival and First Saturday Art Crawl at The Arts Company on 5th Avenue in Downtown Nashville, NowPlayingNashville.com and the Nashville Unites Fund at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee debuted a new community art project, WE KNOW EACH OTHER NOW. The way the project worked was simple. We invited two strangers into a photo area with a simple backdrop, asked them to pick a couple of icebreaker questions out of a basket, and then took their photo chatting and posing. Other than making sure they introduced themselves to each other, and supplying the questions, we largely stayed out of it and let the connections happen organically The results are beautiful. Learn more at https://www.nowplayingnashville.com/we-know-each-other-now-the-photos/.
PLEASE JOIN US. BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. TO VIEW THE ENTIRE LIST OF SIGNATURES AND/OR ADD YOUR NAME TO THE RESOLUTION,
VISIT WWW.NASHVILLEUNITES.ORG.
Visit The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee online at www.CFMT.org.