A GOOD FOUNDATION THE NEWSLETTER OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE
SPRING • 201 8
TULIP STREET CHURCH CONGREGANTS CONTINUE TO HELP EAST NASHVILLE Before the two-week holiday break in December, church members raised funds to buy student backpacks and fill them with nutritional snack bars and simple, self-contained meals. Tipping says that in many cases, the only meal some students may get in a single day would come from the school’s free meal program. “So, when school is out for the holiday break, many students lose their only chance for their one meal a day,” he says.
Looking for a means to continue the good work of their church even though its doors would be shuttered forever, a group of congregants put their faith in an idea that promises to continue those good deeds long after they and their children and their children’s children are gone. In fall 2016, United Methodist Church district leaders gave notice to close East Nashville’s historic Tulip Street United Methodist Church, a landmark in the city for more than 125 years. The message concerning the closing, although disappointing, didn’t come as a total surprise.
Although the church is shuttered, the Tulip Street Fund now continues the backpack program and this past December placed 180 backpacks in the school’s office filled with a variety of nutritional food products, some of which were complete meals that can easily be prepared by students as young as age 6. Students pick up the backpacks knowing what each contains and are able to do so in a way so that they can avoid being embarrassed or ridiculed by other students. And, once the food is consumed, students end up with a brand-new backpack to boot. Organizers now partner with neighborhood residents, groups, and businesses. Says Tipping, “I can’t think of a better way to continue doing the work of the church than by feeding those who are hungry and in need.”
Members of the church, which occupies a small parcel neatly placed at the end of a narrow street in what’s known as the Edgefield Historic District, recognized that attendance had been declining for several years. So much so that in recent months before the closing only some 40 or 50 were attending Sunday services regularly.
Through the Tulip Street Fund, church members also sponsor a Diversity Book program for Warner students, during which each class receives a monthly gift of a new book featuring diverse characters, themes and subjects. The Tulip Street Fund also gave books to each student last summer to encourage reading over the long summer break when there’s less or no access to reading materials.
Upon being informed that keeping the church open was no longer an option, its members began to search for a way to continue their work. They learned about The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, and with The Community Foundation’s help, the Tulip Street Church-Frances Southerland Legacy Fund was created.
The Diversity Book program is made possible through an annual fundraising drive in which $100 donations are collected for each of the school’s 18 classrooms. Also contributing to the program is a special arrangement with Parnassus Book Store, in which books are sold at a wholesale price. This year the program will place 180 books at Warner School.
Years ago the congregation turned its attention to providing much-needed assistance to the immediate community around the church and in particular to students attending Warner School, a nearby neighborhood elementary school for grades pre-K through fourth. (Warner School was built in 1891, the same year as the Tulip Street church building.)
Thanks to a legacy gift from a long-time church member, the late Frances Southerland, and the remaining balance in the outreach fund held by the congregation before the church closed, the Tulip Street Fund ensures that financial resources to sustain the good deeds of the Tulip Street United Methodist Church will continue in perpetuity.
Congregants of Tulip Street recognized that Warner was far more than a neighborhood resource for learning.
Initiated with $125,000 in late 2016, the Fund has grown to more than $150,000.
“Besides teaching core subjects associated with an elementary education, the school provides food and shelter and caring hands for many students who otherwise would likely be left to fend for themselves,” says Sandy Tipping, former head trustee at Tulip Street.
“As the Fund grows, so will its ability to support more ambitious projects, which can directly impact the community that was the church’s home,” Tipping says.
Some 90 percent of those attending Warner are students who mostly come from disadvantaged and financially stressed homes in the neighborhood. In the mid-2000s, upon determining there was a need and a fit with the church’s overall mission to serve the local community, Tulip Street members began to focus on helping Warner students. One of the first steps was to organize an annual backpack project, which began in 2008.
PLACES OF WORSHIP ALSO CAN BENEFIT FROM CFMT FUNDS You too can help your favorite religious institutions through opening or contributing to a fund at The Community Foundation. Starting in 1991, churches or similar faith-based entities have been able to prosper through funds set up either by the organization itself, from an individual donor, or as a scholarship. The first of these designated funds was established in 1994 for preservation of Maury County’s Historic Zion Church and Cemetery established in 1802 - by sisters, Alyne Massey and Elizabeth Queener. In 1999, the African Methodist Episcopal Church Endowment Fund was established to assist young men and women training for the ministry in the A.M.E Church. Two of the many A.M.E churches in Nashville are the Lee Chapel African Episcopal Church and the Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church. Founded in 1992 as an addition to the three other synagogues serving Middle Tennessee, Congregation Micah has since welcomed some 600 families as members, built a permanent home, created a cemetery, and begun to ensure its ability to serve the generations to come through an endowment. To be certain of Congregation Micah’s continued growth, The Jane and Richard Eskind Family established a fund designated to help in 1997. In 1995, the B. J. Runnuels Dean Scholarship was created by Myrte Veach to carry on her friend’s legacy as a longtime minister and church leader. The Fund endows interdenominational scholarships for women entering the ministry. The Shofner Lutheran Chapel Fund, established in 2010, is a Fund designated to ensure the Shofner Chapel will be around to serve successive generations of the Shofner family. Martin Shofner migrated with his family from the state of North Carolina to settle a tract of land, given to him for services rendered in the American Revolutionary War. Being a devout German Lutheran, Martin dedicated an acre of this land for a church constructed of logs, with a cemetery beside it. It became the first Lutheran church in Tennessee and the “Mother Church” of the denomination in the area west of the Great Smokey Mountains. To learn more about the many types of funds that can provide long-term support to your favorite religious institution well after you’re gone, contact us at (615) 321-4939.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Tipping is part of an advisory board of five former church members that oversees the Fund. “The Community Foundation has provided all the necessary legal structure to create the Fund, maintains all records, handles all gift acknowledgements, and makes all necessary filings for tax purposes and other requirements,” Tipping says, “which has truly made the process very easy.”
Help Your Religious Institution
For more information about the Tulip Street Church Frances Southerland Legacy Fund, call The Foundation of at (615) 321-4939 or www.cfmt.org.
Upcoming Events
Country Rising Supports Many Letter from Our President Professional Advisors The Bees Have Been Busy Staff Spotlight Sports and Philanthropy Board Spotlight
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COUNTRY RISING PROCEEDS LAND IN PUERTO RICO, VEGAS, LOUISIANA, FLORIDA, AND TEXAS Several charitable organizations in multiple states as well as Puerto Rico are benefiting from grants provided by the Country Rising Fund at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The Country Rising Fund was established to support charitable initiatives helping victims of the September 2017 hurricanes: Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria in Puerto Rico and the states of Louisiana, Florida and Texas. The Fund also has assisted victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas. In the course of rebuilding lives disrupted by these devastating events, there have been immediate needs as well as long-term needs. The Fund strategically supported both as they have emerged. Some of music’s biggest stars united for Country Rising, a sold-out benefit concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 12, 2017 that raised more than $4 million. Hosted by DJ Bobby Bones, Country Rising presented by Hilton and Dollar General featured performances by Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Keith Urban and Jon Pardi. Also, Garth Brooks appeared live from Spokane, Washington, where he donated proceeds from two of his previously scheduled shows to the Fund. “Time and time again, the music community has joined with the broader entertainment community and caring people across the globe to respond to disaster, “ said Ellen Lehman, president of The Community Foundation. “Country Rising was another extraordinary event aimed at easing the burden of people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves without the basic necessities. “Thanks to all who attended and all who performed and organized this event, lives are being restored and homes rebuilt in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria in addition to the mass shooting in Las Vegas,” Lehman continued. “We, at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, are honored to have had a small role in connecting Country Rising’s generosity with need. These join the gifts we received and strategically deployed across these devastated communities well in advance of Country Rising.”
GRANTS HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO THE FOLLOWING CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS: TEAM RUBICON USA: Funds will restore hundreds of homes and rebuild lives in Puerto Rico, which was devastated by both Hurricanes Jose and Maria, with the help of Team Rubicon. The Los Angeles-based nonprofit provides impactful service across the world to communities affected by disaster, uniting the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. LEGAL AID CENTER OF SOUTHERN NEVADA: Funds went to the Las Vegas-based nonprofit to help survivors of the Route 91 Festival massacre on October 1, 2017 on the Las Vegas Strip, no matter where they live, through pro bono legal and financial services.
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: The Lake Charles, La.-based nonprofit has been helping rebuild some 1,100 homes in Calcasieu Parish that were flooded in Hurricane Harvey.
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF COLLIER COUNTY (FL): The Naples, Fla.-based nonprofit is helping with the recovery of the Immokalee and Everglade City communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Funds also have been delegated to the Collier County Schools Homeless Program, which is helping homeless schoolchildren and their families restore their lives after Irma.
COASTAL BEND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: Funding to the Corpus Christi, Texas-based nonprofit was designated to its Coastal Bend Disaster Recovery Group Fund to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath in six affected counties in the Coastal Bend area of Texas: Aransas, Bee, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio and San Patricio counties. HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: The Atlanta-based nonprofit has been part of the rebuilding effort of homes destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in Southeast Texas, with an emphasis on Rockport, Texas, and the Port Arthur, Beaumont and Orange counties area known as the Golden Triangle.
Images courtesy Rick Diamond | Getty Images in partnership with The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
"'I know I don't have to tell you guys it's been a rough couple of months for us," singer Jason Aldean told the crowd at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. Aldean was addressing the sold-out arena during his set at Country Rising. Aldean was performing onstage at the Route 91 Harvest festival when a shooter fired into the crowd, killing 58 and wounding hundreds more. The emotional significance of his presence at Country Rising wasn't lost on anyone. "Let me just say this," Aldean continued. "I spent a lot of time, a long time, trying to make it in this business doing something that I really enjoy, and I love getting up every day and playing my shows for you guys. And I'll be damned if anybody's ever going to stop me from doing that." It was a powerful moment, but the star-studded, revue-style concert – which also featured performances from George Strait, Reba McEntire, Little Big Town and many more – wasn't an entirely somber affair." - Rolling Stone (November 13, 2017)
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Jumping ahead … In November 2016, Dolly Parton looked a lot like Wonder Woman as she dove in to help her neighbors in the aftermath of the deadly wildfires in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. And, in 2017, we watched in awe and horror as a raft of disasters befell our hemisphere. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and the mass shooting in Las Vegas brought out the good in all of us … but particularly in the Music Industry.
For too many years, people throughout this community bemoaned their perception that the Music Industry had decided en masse not to invest in its charitable life. All I can say is that if there was ever any truth to the rumors of old, it’s gone the way of the dinosaurs. We have to look no farther than our 2010 Flood. Remember Cumulus Radio, GAC, and CMA. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Taylor Swift, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Billy Ray Cyrus, Amy Grant, Blake Shelton and a host of others created the Nashville Rising benefit. And, months later, Garth Brooks’ incredible nine-concert run occurred at the Bridgestone Arena in December and produced a third of all the money raised for restoration. Thanks to them and others, 67% of the money we raised to rebuild and restore Middle Tennessee in the wake of the flood came from Music Industry-related events.
We owe them an incredible debt of gratitude — both from those with familiar faces such as Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban … and some newer faces like Kings of Leon, Chris Stapleton, Maren Morris and Sam Hunt. Thanks to them and others, the Country Rising benefit concert that took place in November 2017 at Bridgestone Arena, replicated the success and the heart of Nashville Rising seven years earlier, bringing in approximately $4 million. As a result of this extraordinary effort, we announced gifts to Coastal Texas, to Collier City, Florida, to help homeless schoolchildren and their families restore their lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma; to help survivors of the Las Vegas massacre get free legal assistance and financial advice no matter where they live; to help Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Harvey; and to enlist the aid of Team Rubicon in rebuilding hundreds of homes in Puerto Rico.
In my job as president of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, I work with people who perform and people who manage, with label executives and with backup singers, with those who ink the deals and those who pen the lyrics. Many, like the late Chet Atkins, are willing to have the work we do on their behalf acknowledged; many more prefer the anonymity and creative latitude that we uniquely provide. We can help them think and act creatively, but we cannot instill in them — or others — the desire to give back. Thank goodness we don’t need to. That comes from the heart, just like the songs they write and the harmony they bring into our lives. So next time you think about what makes this an extraordinary place to live, add to your list the generosity of the community as a whole … and its many segments. Join your friends in the Music Industry in restoring food, clothes and shelter, and rebuilding lives the next time disaster hits, near or far. Remember that no one, no matter who they are, can do everything. But my guess, based on experience, is that you’ll find members of the Music Industry great partners in giving back.
ELLEN LEHMAN
President, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
KEY ADVANTAGES OF A DONOR-ADVISED FUND OVER A PRIVATE FOUNDATION
EASE OF CREATION
TAX BENEFITS
PRIVATE FOUNDATION
DONOR-ADVISED FUND
Involves creation of a new organization, application for tax-exempt status, and often a significant expenditure of time and money.
Execution of a simple Document that establishes a fund under The Community Foundation’s existing tax-exempt status. There is no cost to establish a fund.
Cash gift deduction is limited to 30% of adjusted gross income.
Taxpayer can deduct up to 60% of adjusted gross income for cash gifts.
Only the cost basis of certain types of appreciated property is deductible, and deduction is limited to 20% of adjusted gross income.
Full value of gifts of appreciated real property is deductible up to 30% of adjusted gross income. (Consult your tax advisor concerning alternative minimum tax implications.) Gifts of appreciated securities to Donor-Advised Funds always allow the donor to use market value when establishing his/her deduction.
ACCOUNTING AND TAX PREPARATION
Detailed reporting required and a 2% federal excise tax (1% in some cases) must be paid on net investment income.
No separate tax return to file and no excise tax to pay.
ANONYMITY
Names and addresses of contributors must be made available to the public.
Donors' names are revealed only to the IRS.
PERPETUITY
Over time, oversight will change and your wishes may be forgotten.
Your objectives are protected by community leaders who, as your peers, are themselves charitably inclined. What you intend to have happen, happens.
STAFFING
Any staffing must occur within federally mandated self-dealing rules.
Professional staff can screen giving opportunities and community needs with maximal convenience, at a fraction of the cost.
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24TH ANNUAL KRAFT AWARD HONORS JERRY WILLIAMS Jerry B. Williams, longtime Leadership Nashville executive director and former Board chair and present Board trustee of The Community Foundation, was honoree of the 24th annual Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award Luncheon held at the Music City Center. Among the crowd to honor “Wonder Woman” Jerry were: Sandra Morgan and Dr. Ravi Shari; Jerry Williams and current CFMT Board Chair Kerry Graham; Doug Cruickshanks and Brenda Wynn; and Ron Corbin (left) and Ralph Davis.
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE CELEBRATES DONORS A festively decorated The Woman’s Club of Nashville was the site of our 2017 Donor Appreciation Party to celebrate generous donors of The Community Foundation. Among those enjoying the food, drinks and and conversation were: Anne and Steve Goodhue, and Bill and Linda Jones.
THE BIG PAYBACK KICKOFF TRAINING Sean Henry, dynamic Nashville Predators president and CEO, wowed a crowd of nonprofit representatives with his inspirational remarks to cap the morning session of The Big Payback 2018 training day at The Woman’s Club of Nashville. More than 270 people attended the training sessions for the fifth annual 24-hour online giving challenge presented by The Community Foundation, which is set for May 2, and includes a Plaza Party in front of Bridgestone Arena hosted and co-sponsored by the Nashville Predators Foundation. Additional events will be hosted in Wilson and Rutherford counties.
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. Discover this year’s participating organizations, and help us make 2018’s day of giving the BIGGEST one yet. Visit www.TheBigPayback.org.
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THE TOMORROW FUND GIVING TREE The Tomorrow Fund, an initiative of The Community Foundation established by young professionals for young professionls to foster civic leadership and community awareness among their peers, gathered to donate and assemble bicycles and other toys as part of its annual Giving Tree program. The 2017 program provided clothes and gifts for 74 of Nashville’s children in need over the holidays. Through The Giving Tree, The Tomorrow Fund partners with lower-income childcare centers, such as Fannie Battle Day Home for Children, to provide warm clothes and gifts for kids during the holiday season.
THE WOMEN'S FUND BOARD MEETING AT CASA AZAFRAN To meet Latina women entrepreneurs and learn how they are contributing to Nashville’s dynamic and diverse business community, a special board meeting of The Women’s Fund was held at Casa Azafran on Nolensville Pike. Enjoying the event, including a mixer and panel discussion, were: Krystal Clark (left) and Brittany Irby; (From left) Wendy Silva, Ana Escobar, Alba Gonzalez-Nylander and Marcela Gomez. The panel was moderated by Marcela Gomez (left) and included (from left) Alba Gonzalez-Nylander, Wendy Silva, Elvira Vasquez, and Irma Paz-Bernstein.
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES NASHVILLE FUND ESTABLISHED Vanderbilt University freshman Abby Brafman (center), along with classmates Sabina Smith (left) and Puja Jagasia, met with The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee in February to establish the March For Our Lives Nashville Fund. Efforts for March for Our Lives Nashville were kicked off by Brafman, a 2017 graduate of Parkland, Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, whose idea quickly turned into a youth-led civic movement when a network of 70 fellow students asked how they could be involved and the larger Nashville community responded. This Fund was set up to help offset the costs of the march itself, with any remaining donations benefiting the Broward Education Foundation.
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THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE
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One Gift That Fits All The Community Foundation’s Giving Cards are the perfect gift for any occasion. Your recipient can make a gift to qualified charitable nonprofits in the U.S. Order today at www.cfmt.org/givingcards.
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Staff Spotlight
MELISA CURREY Melisa Currey serves as Chief Financial Officer of The Community Foundation. Melissa oversees the daily financial activity of The Foundation to ensure adequate accounting records are maintained of all assets, liabilities, and other transactions of The Foundation. Donors frequently turn to Melisa for guidance with gifts, investment performance, and portfolio management.
Tell us about how you first started working at The Community Foundation. You were one of its first employees. Due to a merger in 1994, my department at HCA was moving to Kentucky, and I didn’t want to go. I was starting my 12th year at HCA, working with investments for its self-insurance program, and wasn’t sure of the next move. Several executives at HCA overlapped with The Foundation, either as donors, board members or both. It was their suggestion that I apply with The Foundation, and I interviewed with board members Ben Rechter and Bill McInnes. My department at HCA ended up not moving, but I’ve never regretted being the third employee hired at The Foundation. I’m in my 24th year, and all three of us — Ellen Lehman, Laundrea Lewis and me — are still here. Your accounting team is on the building’s first floor for a reason: It’s the bedrock of the organization. You all seem to be constantly busy, and there have been increased responsibilities through the years as The Foundation has grown. Walk us through an average day for your team. The first person arrives about 5:30 a.m. and others before 7:30. All bank balances and credit card reports are pulled for the previous day’s activity and we’re well on our way, recording transactions from the previous day before the office officially opens at 8:30. Four of the staff record contributions daily. It’s a big job, as gifts arrive from various sites. The same care is given to a $5 gift as to larger ones. We speak with money managers, and my favorite job is talking to donors, some of whom have been here for 20-plus years. Other items we handle are tax receipts, gift acknowledgements, audit confirmations, payroll, onboarding, employee benefits, and sales tax and charitable solicitations across the country. Last year we processed more than 20,000 contributions totaling $61 million and implemented ACH (Automated Clearing House, an electronic network for financial transactions in the U.S.) for grants that totaled $53 million. During the first several weeks of every month, we balance bank statements and record investment results for the $425 million that is invested in over 100 portfolios. This time of year, we’re starting spreadsheets for our IRS 990 and annual audit in addition to our normal work. Tell us about the triple-zero key of yours and why it gets such a workout. HCA was gracious to donate my calculator, desk pad and a few garbage cans to The Foundation, so on my first day I arrived with a triple-zero key calculator. My triple zero gets a workout with running numbers. When that first one died, a new calculator was brought in from Memphis, as no one carried them locally. My fourth calculator is in use, with a spare triple zero in the closet. Thanks to Mrs. Patty Dugger, who taught my course on office machines at David Lipscomb, I can run a mean calculator tape. You’re known inside the building as one of our most effective cheerleaders. What makes The Foundation so important to the community, and how can the average person — or not-so-average person — make an impact through us? Most people have no idea what we do nor the impact we have in our community. Last year we made grants to 3,027 nonprofits, most right here in our neighborhood and surrounding counties. We promote the arts with NowPlayingNashville.com, promote nonprofits with GivingMatters.com, and help childcare work more efficiently with Childcare Nashville and Childcare Tennessee. We help donors who want to leave a legacy for future generations by offering the ability to set up a permanent endowment that is flexible to change. Today, we don’t address unwed mothers, polio or malaria the way we would have 75 years ago. Now, we offer scholarships for mothers to continue their education for the children to attend day care. You, too, can make that impact by contributing to an existing fund or by starting a new fund to benefit what matters to you. That’s why we are unique and important to the community: our flexibility and the opportunity to leave a legacy. It’s forever and will bend with time and technology as needs change. You’re an Alabama native and diehard Roll Tide football fan. Does winning another National Championship ever get old after awhile? Well, during my lifetime, we’ve won National Championships in 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 … are you kidding me? [Editor’s note: Yes]
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SPORTS AND PHILANTHROPY ARE A WINNING TEAM AT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE “We’re trying to transition from being successful to being significant,” says Chris Hope, both an NCAA and Super Bowl champion and former NFL All-Pro football player. “We got here not because we’re talented. We got here because someone else sacrificed for us.” Sports and sports philanthropy have been a notable part of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee since its founding – it is a natural. Sports involve teamwork, players, and participants from all walks of life and disparate backgrounds striving for excellence. No athlete in any sport ever became successful without the help of coaches, parents, and teammates. No touchdown is scored without every member doing his part – the line blocks, receivers run routes, backs execute the play, and the backups challenge the starters all week in practice. They need each other to succeed. We need each other to succeed. Since the beginnings of major professional sports in Nashville, The Foundation has often partnered with the Nashville Predators and the Tennessee Titans, as well as the longtime minor league Nashville Sounds baseball team, for the betterment of our community. The Community Foundation also has worked with a number of college and high school athletic departments and youth league sports to help bring the benefits of sports participation to all members of our community through The Sports Fund initiative. We are all on the same team. Through the years a number of pro athletes have set up funds to help support their charitable goals.
Chris Hope
Among several Titans players who have established funds at The Foundation through the years is Chris Hope. The former Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers safety played 11 seasons in the National Football League before retiring after the 2012 season. Chris and his wife, Linda, remain actively involved in the iCHOPE Fund, which they established in 2012 to support nonprofit organizations that help children and families have more faith and more belief in dreams than they have in their doubts.
Examples in recent years have include former Vanderbilt star and now NFL wide receiver Jordan Matthews and his Matthews Mission Fund, established in 2016 to work with communities through FEED: Feed the hungry, Educate the Children, Empower the family, and Donate to those in need. The Matthews Mission Fund already has contributed more than $100,000 to charitable causes globally. In 2017, Titans center Ben Jones and his wife, Alex, established The Jones Mission Fund at The Foundation to provide underserved youth with opportunities they might otherwise not have through grants to nonprofits, additional resources, and education opportunities. “My life has given me the opportunity to now lift up others and give children from all struggles of life a chance to fight another day,” says Ben, who at age 10 lost his father in a fatal helicopter crash not far from their Arkansas home. Ben also fractured his skull at age 10 when hit by a baseball bat and later lost a close friend in a four-wheeler accident. About his childhood travails and tragedies, Ben says, “You learn from experiences like that, and it makes you want to help when you get a chance.” Ben and his wife, Alex, are hosting the second annual Ben Jones Celebrity Clay Shoot on May 18 at the Nashville Gun Club to benefit The Jones Mission Fund. More than 25 Titans teammates are scheduled to take part in the event. For more information about setting up a fund at The Foundation, call 615-321-4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.
Tennessee Titans center Ben Jones proudly displays his cleats to promote The Jones Mission Fund he and his wife Alex established in 2017 at The Community Foundation. Many NFL stars showcased their custom-made cleats on the field in Week 13 in support of My Cause My Cleats.
Board Spotlight
KERRY GRAHAM Vanderbilt University graduate, former actor and longtime marketing and advertising executive Kerry Graham founded innovative marketing agency The Brand Hotel in November 2015. Through the years his creative work has won nearly every national and international industry award possible.
All-time Vanderbilt basketball scoring leader Shan Foster (second from left), as well as former Tennessee Titans stars Chris Sanders and Chris Hope spoke at the inaugural The Sports Fund Lecture event titled “Life After Sports: Giving Back.” Vanderbilt Vice Chancellor and Athletics Director David Williams (far left), who serves as chair of The Sports Fund advisory board, hosted and moderated.
GIVE KIDS A CHANCE TO PLAY THE SPORTS FUND is dedicated to ensuring Middle Tennessee youth have access to the opportunities sports and team membership provide. Equipment drives, donations, mentor and coaching opportunities, and grants to local nonprofits and programs give kids a chance to play. THE SPORTS FUND IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF CHILDREN. LEARN MORE AT
THESPORTSFUND.ORG For more information, contact Scott O’Neal at soneal@cfmt.org
You’re finishing your two-year term as chairman of The Community Foundation board this summer. How does that make you feel? It feels like these two years have flown by. But we’ve done a lot. And I’ve watched The Foundation, the staff and our Board accomplish incredible things, influence important conversations, and help our overall nonprofit community thrive. I’ve met people I would never have encountered otherwise — beautiful people, talented people, innovative people from all walks of life. And I’ve learned so much about our city, its people, its needs and where we could go from here. I’ve also made a lot of new friends. The good news is that I’ll still remain on the Board and be involved in The Foundation’s initiatives going forward. But I’m also looking forward to what Susan Simons will bring to the table as our new chair, and the involvement of another stellar class of Board members. You founded your own company, The Brand Hotel, not long before taking on the responsibilities of board chair. What has that been like, trying to manage your time on your business and your time heading the board? Ah, now that’s a whole ’nuther story! You know, I actually really like being busy, and I’m pretty good at multitasking. So while there have been moments when I’ve had to be two places at once, it wasn’t so bad. And in many cases, what we’ve been doing at The Brand Hotel has had some overlap and synergies with the needs and initiatives of The Foundation — like our work on Nashville’s pitch for Amazon, working with the Governor [Haslam] and [former governor] Phil Bredesen on the new Tennessee State Museum, whatever — so I think each has informed the other in some cases. And honestly, I really like what we do at The Community Foundation, so that’s really not so much of a job for me as it is a labor of love for the staff, Ellen and the city. Name some of the accomplishments at The Community Foundation during your time as board chair that you’ll look back on with pride. • The Big Payback and watching that program become part of the fabric of the nonprofit world — especially in terms of educating so many organizations on how to market themselves, get excited about what they do, and live it in new ways.
SOCCER GREAT MIA HAMM HEADLINES POWER OF THE PURSE LUNCHEON It’s fitting that at a time when Nashville has just been added to the growing list of major league soccer cities, the keynote speaker for this spring’s Power of the Purse® luncheon and silent auction benefiting The Women’s Fund is one of soccer’s all-time greats. Mia Hamm, five-time U.S. Soccer Player of the year, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Soccer Hall of Famer, will be taking the podium at the 20th annual Power of the Purse® to be held April 26 at the Music City Center. The popular fundraiser has been awarded Best Women’s Party by NFocus on several occasions.
• Our public and private pushback on intolerance in our city — taking a stance and watching so many others join in that statement of who we are, who we aren’t and our own “intolerance for intolerance.” That’s been powerful. • The expansion of The Foundation into Rutherford County with our new affiliate fund. • Our outreach to those in need wherever they are — the hurricane victims in Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Puerto Rico, those affected by the shooting in Las Vegas. This organization has a special heart for anyone who could use some help. And our Corporate Care Funds fit into that as well. • I’ve been really pleased with the influx of extraordinarily talented new board members, especially newcomers and those from the next generation who have the passion and power to take what we’ve been doing and lead The Foundation into the future. We almost never get a ”no” from people we ask, unless they’re just too busy and know they won’t be effective right now. Otherwise, they’re in.
Hailed by ESPN as the greatest female athlete of the past 40 years, Mia retired from professional soccer in 2004 as not only the best women’s soccer player in history but also as one of the most important and recognizable female figures in the history of sport.
• And having been involved with The Community Foundation for over a decade, I’ve really enjoyed watching the visibility and awareness of the organization grow exponentially. That started with our work with the 2010 Flood, but it has definitely helped us in our ability to recruit really special board members and get the resources we need, when we need them. That’s been a major accomplishment.
Mia continues to serve as an inspiration to young girls looking to rise to the pinnacle of the sporting world. She has maintained an active presence within the soccer community and has served as an outspoken advocate for Title IX and gender equality across sporting lines, all the while cementing her status as the face of not merely a sport but rather of an entire generation of female athletes through her Foundation.
How does an always-busy Kerry Graham unwind and relax? I don’t always relax, but when I do … it’s usually binge-watching something like “Ozark” or “Game of Thrones,” golf, a concert — and often with a bourbon cocktail or a big ol’ glass of red wine with friends and neighbors.
All proceeds from The Power of the Purse® support the grantmaking potential of The Women’s Fund. Since its inception in 1994, The Women’s Fund has made grants totaling more than $1.4 million to programs supporting women and girls in Middle Tennessee.
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 Chair 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 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
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 we can, in minutes, create a fund which can keep your loved one’s name alive by continuing to foster the causes and ideas he or she held dear.
UPCOMING EVENTS POWERED BY
APRIL 28 Let Love Glow 5k & Fun Run Benefiting Team Mica Fund Downtown Bolivar, TN
MAY 3 The Big Payback Middle Tennessee’s Online Giving Day APRIL 3 – APRIL 7 Nashville Fashion Week Benefiting Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Oz Arts Nashville
APRIL 26 Power of the Purse® Luncheon and Silent Auction Benefiting The Women’s Fund Music City Center’s Karl F. Dean Grand Ballroom
APRIL 27 – 28 Whip Crackin’ Rodeo Benefiting The Community Foundation of Wilson County Wilson County Fairgrounds
MAY 11 Bridge to Equality Award and Luncheon Benefiting Francis S. Guess Bridge to Equality Fund Music City Center Davidson Ballroom
MAY 18 The Ben Jones Celebrity Clay Shoot Benefiting The Jones Mission Nashville Gun Club
To stay up on the latest events sign up for our weekly email or visit NowPlayingNashville.com
Advisors: Help Clients Leave a Legacy As a professional advisor, you frequently have an opportunity to help your clients achieve their philanthropic goals as effectively as possible. Charitable giving through The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which offers specific tax benefits, gives you a unique resource to help your clients achieve other financial, personal or business goals.
Let us be an arrow in your quiver! Let us be your partner.
Visit The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee online at www.CFMT.org.