WE MAKE IT
STRONGER THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY
VOLUME TWO
Table of Contents
Letter from the President
1
Murfreesboro Muslim Youth
2-5
Growing Community Through Art
6-7
National Museum of Black History
8
Highlights from CFMT Initiatives
8-10
Who We Are: Giving and Grantmaking Explained
11
2018 At A Glance
12
Impact Report
13
Corporate Care Funds/Working with Advisors
14
The Power of Endowment
15
Carolyn Kulkin Fund for Education & Community
16-17
Informed Giving Helps Establish Runway for Success
18-21
Empowering the Next Generation of Female Philanthropy
22-23
John and Belinda Havron Scholarship Fund
24-26
Our Staff
27
Our Board
28
Letter from Board Chairman
29
We don’t make the money, we make the money do more.
We work to make giving more comfortable, convenient and cost-effective — protecting you and your intentions — while keeping the uses of the funds up-to-date in the face of changing needs and opportunities. We take what you want to accomplish and add our expertise, information, contacts and nearly 30 years of experience giving grants to achieve the very best outcomes. We all need a hand up to accomplish our goals. And we, at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, are here to help. Remember that old BASF Chemical company ad? The line was: “We don’t make a lot of the products you buy, we make a lot of the products you buy better.” Well, The Community Foundation might not make the money used for charitable giving throughout Middle Tennessee, but we make the money used for charitable giving more efficient, more effective, longer lasting, and more meaningful. We strive to make your giving stronger, and in turn, make the nonprofits and the community-as-a-whole stronger and more vibrant.
Making our community’s charitable giving stronger happens through our work to build permanent endowments to support causes critical to our present and our future, while continually assessing how to fill gaps and create innovative philanthropic solutions ... We don’t make the money, but we make the money do more. Let us increase your ability to help by working to make your dollars go farther and do more. Please tell us what you’d like to accomplish. We look forward to helping you help others — and together, making this community stronger!
— Ellen Lehman President, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
We don’t make or deliver meals, we provide the resources for food.
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COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP INSPIRED BY YOUTH
When it comes to service projects, many of us have the desire to make a difference in our community. But what happens when you don’t feel safe joining others who, for example, may already be working with the homeless population … or feeding those who are hungry … or welcoming refugees from around the world to their new homes? In 2015 a brutal shooting of three Muslim youth in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, revealed yet another instance of tragedy for the United States. As in other such tragedies, those with brothers or sisters who have been targeted remain burdened with the fear that they could easily become victims of violence and hate crimes, at any moment. Abdou Kattih, a Murfreesboro resident, longtime pharmacist and most importantly father of five, felt in his heart it was time — time to create an environment for the area’s Muslim youth population and to put to use what was already living inside of them: the knowledge, resources and creativity to carry the responsibility of their faith and serve the community. For that to happen, though, Abdou knew this next generation needed to feel empowered to do so, not frightened. His vision for the organization, Murfreesboro Muslim Youth, has taken shape over the past several years. It has led to a generation of young Muslims who are conscious of their duty to both Muslim and non-Muslim society … the human family. What they have accomplished is nothing short of incredible.
Once the group identified community needs where their youth could lend a helpful hand, the all volunteer-run organization set out to facilitate a number of projects to lift up Rutherford County and Murfreesboro, the county seat. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel in serving the community, Abdou engaged existing local nonprofits that were providing successful programs. “Establishing partnerships with these organizations enabled us to build relationships that are genuine,” Abdou says. “There is nothing more empowering than you and somebody sweating in service together.” Take, for instance, the Christian-based nonprofit Murfreesboro Cold Patrol, previously led by Jason Bennett. The Cold Patrol began a year earlier with a mission of hands-on outreach to the homeless community by providing warm shelter and food during the coldest months of the year. As Abdou’s and Jason’s paths crossed, they realized their groups could be stronger working together rather than apart. One such combined effort is a voucher program for those using the Cold Patrol’s services, rather than seeking food each time there is a need. Partial funding for the 2018 voucher program was provided by The Community Foundation’s annual grant cycle, enabling Murfreesboro Muslim Youth volunteers to distribute 900 food vouchers to 400 homeless individuals.
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The vouchers are redeemed for hot meals at a small local business and provide recipients with a protein, vegetable, carbohydrate, and snack. And this is just a small percentage of the meals provided by Murfreesboro Muslim Youth: Overall, the group distributed 6,000 meals in 2018. Additional collaborative programs include interfaith work such as the Love Your Neighbor community potluck picnic, held three times a year to build bridges between people of different faiths and backgrounds in order to help grow peace in Rutherford County. What began as a handful of people showing up for the picnic has since blossomed into more than 1,500 residents breaking bread — and tension — by learning from each other on the square in downtown Murfreesboro. The diverse gathering attracts members of the LGBTQ, Muslim, Christian, atheist, and Jewish communities. “We were surprised how quickly the attendance for the Love Your Neighbor picnic grew. There was no agenda, no speeches, no flyers … it just grew organically,” Abdou says. “Why? Because positivity spreads, and our kids who once feared going out in public are now receiving hugs in the streets by strangers.” Nearly 200 teenagers currently set the stage for the services provided by Murfreesboro Muslim Youth. When a need from a partner organization is shared on their message board, one or two volunteers take the lead on the project, ensuring its progress from beginning to end. They are charged with identifying the supplies needed, the costs associated, the recruitment of volunteers, and facilitating the project through completion.
The dedicated group has never had a project go unfunded. Projects often are fully realized within hours of announcing goals. Murfreesboro Muslim Youth volunteers are impacting Rutherford County and beyond with programs such as: •
Roots for Refugees. A local endeavor that welcomes new refugee families in Murfreesboro by helping supplement needs such as household furnishings and providing guidance on navigating the community.
•
A Seat At The Table. A small group gathers for a meal and a personal experience — with those around the table sharing stories and asking questions, thus helping to break boundaries and form relationships.
•
30 Days of Giving. Youth are encouraged to give back daily to the local community during Ramadan by means of preparing homeless care kits, canned food collection, and the like.
•
Back-To-School Drives. Volunteers collect back-to-school supplies to help underprivileged children in local schools. Since 2015, the drives have provided more than 4,000 back-to-school items.
While Murfreesboro Muslim Youth’s main focus is still the area’s youth — to empower, grow, make a difference, and foster leadership — more positive effects are happening daily. A community once known nationwide as divided is now working together. “It’s not about me, it’s not about you,” Abdou shared with The Daily News Journal after being selected as the Murfreesboro newspaper’s Person of the Year in 2016. “It doesn’t have to be a Muslim thing, it doesn’t have to be a Jewish thing, it doesn’t have to be Christian thing. “It has to be about us, as a community; we can all come together and do good.”
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Murfreesboro residents come together at a community-wide picnic hosted by Murfreesboro Muslim Youth.
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We don’t create the art, we establish the funds to preserve it.
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d Make welcome the newly renovate on. drag Park Dees Mae ie The Fann
GROWING COMMUNITY THROUGH ART
In our path to building stronger connections within our communities, artists, and arts and cultural organizations remain essential. Integrating the arts more fully can only enrich a neighborhood’s value and beauty. And in a region where creativity thrives, The Community Foundation continues to be a proud part of the Nashville area’s diverse and ever-growing art scene. The Foundation’s first fund to support the arts dates to the year of our founding. In 1991, the Ida F. Cooney Fund for the Arts was established to honor a friend of many, whose support of the artistic community — both personally and professionally — never faltered. Considering Ida also championed for the establishment of The Community Foundation way back when, we couldn’t imagine life without a fund named for her. Since then, many arts-centric funds have followed. Two of the most recent were established by Anne and Charlie Roos, faithful donors whose relationship with The Community Foundation dates to 1998 when they opened their first fund, a Donor-Advised Fund. Twenty years later, The Anne & Charles Roos Fund for the Fannie Mae Dees Dragon was established to support the annual maintenance and restoration of the Hillsboro Village park’s beloved mosaic ceramic-tiled dragon. “In [the Fund’s] first year, we chose the Dragon because it was a project I initiated and carried through when I served on the Metro Parks Board for 10 years,” explains Anne Roos. “We are
delighted that the Hillsboro/West End neighborhood was willing to raise the funds for this restoration.” Also in 2018, The Anne & Charles Roos Fund for The Nashville Shakespeare Festival was the couple’s second established fund commemorating the 30th anniversary of The Shakespeare Festival, in honor of the support and dedication of its longtime executive artistic director, Denice Hicks. “We have loved performances of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival since close to the festival’s inception,” says Anne. “We appreciate what a rare gift Nashville has been given that other communities have not been able to sustain.” In large part, the most recent of the Roos’ funds were products of a required minimum distribution from their appreciated IRAs, which are taxable unless donated to a nonprofit. Since 2006, donors have turned to The Community Foundation to initiate the IRA Charitable Rollover — introduced by Congress in 2006 and made permanent in 2015 — in an effort to help reduce taxes and promote charitable giving. ”Making gifts to organizations that are at the front lines of what makes the quality of life for everyone better in our community,” says Anne, “has always been important to us. We and our own parents also have encouraged our children to do the same.”
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HIGHLIGHTS FROM CFMT INITIATIVES
Beyond art and arts and cultural organizations, with Nashville known as Music City, we can’t forget about appreciating and preserving the art of sound. The National Museum of African American Music is set to open on Fifth Avenue North and Broadway in 2020. The 56,000-square-foot museum will hold five permanent themed galleries as well as a 200-seat theater showcasing the musical genres inspired, created, or influenced by African Americans. The Community Foundation is honored to have multiple connections to the new museum, including awarding several grants. The 2018 grant helped make available music lessons for up to 1,000 Nashville youth and 350 seniors. Arts and culture are also big business. The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $429.3 million in annual economic activity in Davidson County, supports 14,277 fulltime-equivalent jobs and generates $51.1 million in local and state government
The arts have been the focus of CFMT’s online initiative, NowPlayingNashville.com, for more than a decade. With its mission to build audience and ticket sales for arts and entertainment organizations; promote Middle Tennessee as a cultural tourism destination; and recruit employers and talented employees to the region, the website is now the most comprehensive guide for Where to Go and What to Do in the greater Nashville area. Alongside thousands of event listings hosted on NowPlayingNashville each month, its team works hard to celebrate National Arts and Humanities month in October with its program, Artober Nashville. Organizations partner with NowPlayingNashville to shine a light on the city’s Artober gatherings, which include theater performances, events at local libraries, special exhibits at galleries and museums, and kid-friendly festivals. Since 2011, Artober Nashville has been a part of NowPlayingNashville’s work and helps lift up nonprofit arts programming by attracting locals and visitors alike. Similarly, CFMT’s GivingMatters online initiative empowers nonprofits by allowing them the opportunity to present the full scope of their organizations, including descriptions of program offerings, management policies, board information and demographics, and financial position, in one easy-to-navigate profile.
revenues, according to the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 national economic impact study released in 2017. Clearly, it pays to have a thriving arts culture. By promoting and helping facilitate philanthropic giving to these essential organizations, The Community Foundation is helping make our arts and culture stronger and everlasting.
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With collaboration from our team and nearly 1,900 participating nonprofits, the website is a trusted resource to funders in the community, and also gives donors of all ages a place to research the causes they care about and give confidently to the organizations making a difference in Middle Tennessee.
THE BIG PAYBACK From its beginning, the goal was simple: Inspire Middle Tennesseans to come together, show pride in their communities, and contribute to support the life-changing work of local nonprofit organizations. Have they ever. The 2018 edition attracted a record number of participating nonprofits (902) and established a record amount of gifts ($3.1 million). Here’s another statistic we never tire of seeing: the number of first-time donors and first-time participating nonprofits, schools and religious institutions.
There were 5,190 gifts made in 2018 during The Big Payback from donors who said it was their first gift to a particular organization. And 125 organizations from 23 counties participated for the first time in categories that included human services, education, community improvement, arts and culture, youth development, animal welfare, health, housing and shelter, and the environment. First-time philanthropists become regular philanthropists. Nonprofits that learn how to fund raise, raise more funds.
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CHILDCARE TENNESSEE Through ChildcareTennessee’s shared services initiative, 275 child care providers in Middle Tennessee have joined together to serve our preschool children. Our goal is to work beside these providers to save time and money so they can focus on the quality of their programs.
Our team built a solution based on the “gig economy” concept, the ChildcareMatters Substitute Service. This text message-based system is flexible, allowing substitute teachers the ability to choose the hours they work in the locations they prefer.
ChildcareTennessee set out to create opportunities for partnerships through the use of an enrollment website that supports sustainability, a resource knowledge hub for best practice tools, negotiated joint purchasing savings, and a financial back office service to maintain full revenue collection.
It meets the needs of the child care program with consistency of quality care, short term answers to classroom ratios, and ease of use. Classroom teachers are then free to attend professional development classes as well as receive time off for personal needs without the worry of leaving their center scrambling for substitute teachers. The success of the ChildcareMatters Substitute Service has led to national interest and replication from cities and states around the country.
After five years of building an array of shared services, it came time in 2018 to meet our directors’ most pressing need: quality substitutes ready to work with their training complete and personnel documentation in hand.
Our work is foundational for the children and all those who touch their young lives. It has led us to adopt the slogan for our shared services program: “Working in partnership with you, because we know that—Childcare Matters.”
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WHO WE ARE
We help people from every corner of the community make an impact through their giving.
GIVING
GRANTMAKING
Our vision is to help people feel good about giving. We enable people to give according to their passion and their goals through our remarkable flexibility to serve nearly any charitable purpose.
The Community Foundation improves our community through strategic grantmaking to nonprofits. Carrying out the wishes of donors and providing expertise in local philanthropy, The Community Foundation works to identify opportunities and help address emerging and evolving critical needs.
It is simple to establish a fund within The Community Foundation, whether you want to create an endowment for a favorite nonprofit or craft an entrepreneurial solution to address a pressing need. A fund is created with a minimum contribution of $5,000 ($10,000 for scholarships). There is no cost to set up a fund, and they are established by individuals, families, companies, civic groups, and nonprofit organizations. Contributions of any size are welcome to existing funds, at any time, from any source. Donors may elect to create a fund with contributions of cash, publicly-traded or closely-held securities, real estate, personal property, or by the use of planned giving vehicles such as charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, life insurance policies, and bequests.
The Community Foundation puts resources to work where they are needed most through a competitive grant process. Our discretionary grant program supports local nonprofits that apply for this source of annual funding. We receive hundreds of applications seeking funding to enhance the programs serving Middle Tennessee. In 2018, we funded 453 nonprofit organizations through our discretionary grantmaking totaling more than $2.72 million. We respect the work and mission of our nonprofit partners and are particularly interested in collaboration and innovative ideas that provide long-term solutions for community needs.
AMOUNT OF GRANT DOLLARS DISTRIBUTED SINCE 1991
$933,592,494
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MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND SOUTHERN KENTUCKY COUNTIES SERVED
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AT A GLANCE As we watch our community evolve, we see growing needs. We are well positioned to understand issues and identify opportunities to help our community through our unique lens and the ability to scan the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee and the three counties in Southern Kentucky that we serve. January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018
NUMBER OF GIFTS MADE TO THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION:
48,434 TOTAL GIFTS MADE BY DONORS TO THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION:
$58,949,195 NONPROFIT-GRANT RECIPIENTS:
3,982
GRANTED TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS:
$47,434,035
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NUMBER OF ESTABLISHED FUNDS
NEW FUNDS
SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED
1,426
83
128
Generous people from across the community and the country are donors to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
The Community Foundation offers flexible fund options to help donors based on their charitable priorities and goals.
$1.7 MILLION DESIGNATED FUNDS + AGENCY ENDOWMENT FUNDS
$3.8 MILLION SCHOLARSHIP + EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE FUNDS
GRANTMAKING BREAKDOWN BY FUNDS IN 2018:
$12.3 MILLION UNRESTRICTED IMPACT FUNDS + FIELD-OF-INTEREST FUNDS + AFFILIATE FUNDS
$41 MILLION DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS
These figures represent numbers which have not yet been audited and are subject to change pending an audit for the year ended December 31, 2018.
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CORPORATE CARE FUNDS
WORKING WITH ADVISORS
Hurricanes Michael and Florence packed a
For many prospective donors who are
punch during the 2018 season, with Michael
exploring charitable giving options, their first
wreaking havoc along the Florida coast and
introduction to The Community Foundation
Florence on the coasts of North and South
is through their professional advisor. This
Carolina. While our Corporate Care/Disaster
may be a trusted friend, lawyer, accountant,
Relief Funds kicked into action to help affected
investment representative, or wealth
employees during the storms — over $100,000
management professional.
to help workers in the Mexico Beach, Florida area, for instance — the year was marked by
The charitable giving goals of the prospective
more quiet but no less important relief for the
donors are always central to the conversation
employees of our Corporate Care partners.
and any actions taken. It’s the resources and tools that differ based on whether the donor
Consider the numbers: A total of nearly $1.6
sought advice from a lawyer to assist with
million was given to 928 households and 2,776
estate planning, an accountant to determine
people. Of that number, though, 379 were
tax strategies related to the sale of a company,
classified as due to natural disaster. The vast
or a wealth management professional to help
majority of grants dealt with the day-to-day
put together a plan for retirement.
realities of the human condition — catastrophic events (house fire or theft, for instance), death,
The Community Foundation has experience
illness or injury.
working with advisors of all types and has the goal of working alongside these professionals
An example of one of our most active new funds
as partners in supporting the charitable goals
established in 2018 is the LKQ Corporation
of an individual or family.
Employee Assistance Fund. The Emergency Fund for the nationwide auto-parts company, which has its North American Headquarters in Antioch, Tennessee, helped 75 households and 239 people during the year with nearly $172,000 in grants. Making things better for employees is what Corporate Care Funds are all about.
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If you are an individual or a professional advisor helping a client interested in structuring a way to support charitable opportunities or community needs, let us be your partner.
POWER OF ENDOWMENT
Thanks to the financial power of investment income, many of the funds at The Community Foundation have more in their coffers than when they were first established.
Bonnie R. Bashford Fund Established 2008 Bonnie Bashford appreciated the value of giving back and believed in sharing the bounty of her life. So, in her will, she left The Community Foundation her home and much of her estate to create the Bonnie R. Bashford Fund to assist underprivileged people working to obtain an education and/or housing.
Gifts In:
$1,185,119.75
Grants Made:
$438,422.00
Balance at 12/31:
$1,442,454.40
Edna L. Martin Fund Established 2004
photo courtesy of Cheekwood Estate and Gardens
Siddy Foote Fund for Scholarships at Cheekwood Established 1993
Edna Martin was a dedicated English teacher for 45 years in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. Through her estate, she wanted to make scholarships available to young people who plan to follow her career choice of teaching.
Gifts In:
$158,871.42
Grants Made:
$95,625.00
Balance at 12/31:
$150,029.75
Siddy Foote was blessed with a wide circle of friends who created this Fund to provide financial aid so that underprivileged children wishing to develop their interest and talent in art might take advantage of Cheekwood’s unique opportunities for children.
Gifts In:
$225,035.00
Grants Made:
$161,170.44
Balance at 12/31:
$253,389.80
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We don’t teach your children, we give them the tools to learn.
Alan Kulkin, pictured with grandchildren Ford and Fiona Shearon, who attend West Cheatham Elementary School.
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CAROLYN KULKIN FUND FOR EDUCATION & COMMUNITY It’s fitting that a lifelong educator would honor the memory of his dearly departed spouse — also a lifelong educator — by helping the youngest of our schoolchildren get a great start to their education. That’s the case with Alan Kulkin, a vibrant 77-year-old and proud native of the Bronx, where he grew up playing basketball with some of the New York City’s finest players. Alan and wife Carolyn Kulkin moved to the quaint Middle Tennessee town of Ashland City in Cheatham County in 2011. They wanted to be near their daughter, who would bless them with two grandchildren. “I fell in love with the South,” says Alan, who has a doctorate degree in educational psychology. Then he lost his true love. Not long after moving to Tennessee, Carolyn was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a progressive, deadly disease and the most common form of dementia. His wife of 46 years passed away in December 2017. Alan came to The Community Foundation in early 2018 to discuss the possibility of establishing a fund in her memory. Thus began the Carolyn Kulkin Fund for Education & Community, a donor-advised fund designed to celebrate an engaged and connected community life in Middle Tennessee. “This organization is just what I needed,” Alan says now of CFMT. “One, I didn’t have to set up my own foundation … [And] the thing I like about the Fund is that I’m able to tell nonprofits that I give to what I want done with my money.”
For his initial grants, that meant telling the Cheatham County School System — he has two grandchildren who attend schools there — to buy 100 touch-screen laptops for pre-kindergarten students with his $27,500 donation. The school district offers Pre-K classes at four elementary schools: Ashland City, East Cheatham, West Cheatham and Pegram. The laptops are used academically in the classroom, and families are able to check them out during holidays and spring breaks. Alan says he has become a big fan of the Cheatham County Public Schools administrators, teachers and staff, and he is quick to praise their work. Education has always mattered in the Kulkin household. “We both were primarily elementary school teachers, but taught at every level from kindergarten to graduate school.” Alan explains. “We taught children, adults, teachers, parents, and especially our family.” The Carolyn Kulkin Fund also made an initial grant to Alexandria, Virginia-based Mental Health America. The organization was founded in 1909 and is billed as the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans. Carolyn Kulkin, whose keen mental capacities slowly dwindled away in her last years, doubtlessly would approve.
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We don’t control the desire to give, we help fulfill a donor’s intention. Long-time friends and octogenarians, Joan Shayne and Martin Brown, Sr., were delightfully surprised to be working together in the NCBF’s formative years. Nashville lost a great contributor and philanthropist to our community with the passing of Martin in late August 2019.
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INFORMED GIVING ESTABLISHES RUNWAY FOR SUCCESS The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee was founded in 1991 on the belief that a foundation for the community would play a vital role in identifying and supporting critical needs. “Community foundations are known for staffing professionals who invest a good deal of time and expertise weighing information about which causes are most crucial, and which organizations are most effective in addressing them,” said Claude Rosenberg, Jr., author of the book “Wealthy and Wise.” “Community foundations can also leverage local resources, bringing various people to collectively accomplish mutual goals.” Our founders recognized the good that community foundations were accomplishing around the country and believed Nashville would benefit from a new and different approach to charitable giving. Martin S. Brown, Sr. and his wife of 49 years, Betty, were active and instrumental leaders in our community from the time they arrived in Nashville in the late 1960s. As part of the founders of CFMT, they understood their reinvestment into the community was critical. From establishing the Atticus Trust Advised Fund to support their family foundation’s giving to a broad array of charitable purposes, to their initial gift to the Founders’ Fund in 1993 to help build a pool of unrestricted funds for future grantmaking, both Martin and Betty played a big part in CFMT’s formative years. “I always believed in providing resources to give organizations the runway to do great things, rather than come to the rescue
NCBF manager Rahim Buf ord with board members Joan Shayne and Martin Brown, Sr.
when they found themselves in trouble,” explained Martin in an interview with The Community Foundation. It was this way of thought — and Martin’s passion for keeping his finger on the pulse of community needs — that led him to quietly insert himself into the early conversations of wealthbased detention and its impact on Nashville residents. In the summer of 2015, nearly three decades after his retirement as chairman and CEO of Jack Daniel’s, Martin came across an article written by Nick Pinto in The New York Times with the headline, “The Bail Trap.” Pinto’s article addressed the problems surrounding wealth-based detention and its impact on tens of thousands of people sitting in jail solely because they couldn’t pay their court-assigned bail. Martin quickly understood how low-income, pre-trial detainees were affected by not having the means to post bail. It meant loss of jobs, housing, and custody of children — their lives being permanently damaged. It also was then that he was introduced to community bail funds. A community bail fund posts bail for individuals without wealth, then maintains communication with them until their court case is closed. With community support, community bail funds make the court system fairer for everyone.
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And as a man who has once been described as someone with an innate and visceral belief in social justice, Martin picked up his phone at 9 o’clock on a Sunday morning and called Tracey Shafroth, who works with his family foundation, and asked, “Have you read the cover story in The New York Times? What the hell are we going to do about it?” Upon further research, Shafroth discovered there was a small group of like-minded people in Tennessee also investigating how a community bail fund could benefit low-income residents in need. She quickly introduced Martin to the group, and he was delightfully surprised to learn that his friend for more than 50 years, Joan Shayne, already had a seat at the table. “I thought to myself, ‘How did two octogenarians get into starting a project this late in their life?’” recalled Martin. “And, of course, there was nothing Joan hadn’t thought of five years earlier … she was ready to go with everything.” In late May 2016, the Nashville Community Bail Fund bailed out its first person and has since posted bond for 764 Middle Tennesseans, paying out more than $1.8 million in bail and saving $5.3 million in taxpayer dollars. Martin Brown and Joan Shayne were absolutely crucial on many levels in the establishment of the Nashville Community Bail Fund. They brought best practices from other nonprofit boards in which they were involved. Joan put her fundraising abilities to work and raised the money to keep the Bail Fund a revolving fund. And both helped to work with the organization’s managers to identify and resolve problems that have popped up along the way. “So many times a problem isn’t a problem,” said Martin. “A problem is an opportunity, and the opportunities are great.” For instance, with 40% of people helped via the Nashville Community Bail Fund being individuals without a residence, Martin recommended implementing a burner phone program to allow clients to maintain communication and avoid missed court appearances. When a client attends all required court dates, the cash bail is returned and recycles back into the Bail Fund.
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Since its inception, only $6,000 has been forfeited — a mere three-tenths of one percent of bail money spent. Supporters of the Nashville Community Bail Fund believe that bail funds can play a critical and immediate harm-reduction role, and they have a long and important history as a way for communities to push back on judicial system injustices. In Davidson County, more than 800 people are forced to sit in jail pre-trial on any given day, mostly because they couldn’t afford to make bail. “Someone who is charged with a crime is not guilty just because they were charged, and for someone’s freedom to be removed because they don’t have enough money to pay bond is un-American,” said Rahim Buford, manager of the Nashville Community Bail Fund. “You have to care for the humanity of people who, but for the fact that they don’t have wealth, can’t get out.” Reflecting on the life of Martin Brown, his philanthropy displayed a deep care for humanity, as well as for the environment. In 2018, Martin returned to The Community Foundation and established the MS Brown Family Donor-Advised Fund. Through this Fund, Martin identified a community-wide initiative and two young organizations, including the Nashville Community Bail Fund, to receive operating support for the next few years. He put in place a plan for giving these organizations “the runway to do great things.” “The Community Foundation has done a very good job,” Martin said, “of being able to shed light on things that light needs to be shed upon.”
He continued, “I hope the next generation understands that really caring for the soul of their city is their job, responsibility, and privilege. It’s about being invested.”
HOW IT WORKS A donation is invested into the Bail Fund.
The cash bail is returned and recycles back into the Bail Fund.
The Public Defender’s Office and others refer a client to the Bail Fund.
The client attends all required court dates.
NCBF posts the cash bail.
The client returns to his or her family, job and home.
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We don’t raise your girls, we inspire their love of giving.
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EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FEMALE LEADERS Twenty-five years ago, 25 women and two enlightened men joined together to create an endowment fund dedicated to making magnificent leaps forward by investing in the lives and well-being of Middle Tennessee’s women and girls. As we celebrate the past and present work of The Women’s Fund and those it serves, it is important to consider how we can shape and empower the next generation of female leaders. After all, there’s strength in numbers, and even more so in collective goodwill. Girls Give, an initiative of The Women’s Fund, was established in 2017, from within its board of directors. “The idea was developed by an amazing committee into what is now called Girls Give,” explains board member Missy Eason. “Girls Give brings together girls and young women — with the support of their mothers, grandmothers and other loving female relationships — and strives to inspire the love of giving, volunteerism and being a part of a connected community.”
Girl Scouts of Middle Agenia Clark (left), CEO of generations of Girls e thre Tennessee, stands with Cruickshanks, Leighton, Give fundholders: Sondra y. Kendall and Carter Visinsk
“I have goose bumps with the process of grant application review gearing up for the first time at Girls Give,” says board member Marci Houff. “I am also beyond thrilled that my daughter will be a part of this and learn about the giving process far earlier than I.” As to volunteer opportunities, Girls Give partnered with Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee’s Troup 6000, an initiative that serves homeless girls in our community. “We began by preparing and purchasing breakfast for a few Saturday morning troop meetings,” Marci says. “In December [2018], we prepared ‘Love Packs’ for the troop, which were backpacks filled with many essential and fun items.” The newest addition to the partnership with Troop 6000 is a program called Yoga with a Friend. This program creates a shared experience for all participants – Scouts and volunteers–to help strengthen their bodies and mind.
• Create grantmaking and educational opportunities.
In an era defined by the #MeToo movement, historic political victories, and women-led marches, it’s exciting to see powerful women spearheading great change not just in Middle Tennessee but all over the world. Yet we must always remember: There is so much work left to be done.
In just two years, Girls Give established 29 endowed funds representing more than 75 girls of all ages and will set out to execute its first grantmaking opportunity in Fall 2019.
Thankfully, The Women’s Fund and its Girls Give initiative, will continue to be champions for progress and lead future generations of women and girls to a path of service and giving.
GIRLS GIVE BEGAN WITH THREE MAIN GOALS: • Inspire multigenerational female relationships • Share and spread the love of volunteering and giving back
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We don’t provide a higher education, we lighten the financial barriers.
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Rachael Lawrence, of Wilson Central High School, is the first recipient of the John and Belinda Havron Scholarship.
JOHN AND BELINDA HAVRON SCHOLARSHIP FUND
John Havron grew up with modest means and a dream of having a yard of his own someday, where he and his children could play. As he navigated through his school years, he knew a better life was available if he put in the hard work and didn’t get discouraged when roadblocks seemed to get in the way of the path on which he set forth. John believed his success as a football player in high school would pay off with a post-secondary education. But when a football scholarship did not present itself, he went to work finding alternative funding opportunities. He would go to college. He would earn a degree. No matter what. “From an early age, Dad saw the value of an education,” says Matt Havron, John’s oldest son. “He knew that it was going to be his way out.” John’s younger son, Todd Havron, agrees. “Dad had the drive to provide something better for his children,” Todd says. “He was hungry for it.” This hunger and want for something better was instilled in both Matt and Todd. They would go to college and earn degrees, no question about it. The question was: How hard were they going to work for it?
John and Belinda Havron
“While Dad helped us through college, we knew we had to put some sweat equity into it,” Todd recalls. “But I don’t think it was until I was older that I recognized the value in what he gave to us.” Later, John helped provide a pathway for his six grandchildren to attend college by setting some money aside along the way, but he wanted to ensure they also worked hard to attain their goals. Because of his insistence on the importance of education, John sat on The Community Foundation’s annual scholarship committee. He spent hours reading essays from hopeful students applying for funding to further their studies. “He found a lot of enjoyment in understanding what was going on in students’ lives,” Matt says. “He would lament about the struggles some of the kids were going through, and it was enlightening to him to see their determination to better themselves the way he did. “He had a soft spot in his heart for people who were willing to pull themselves up by the bootstraps and go make something happen.”
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John’s widow, Belinda Dinwiddie Havron, is The Community Foundation’s director of donor education. She has been helping donors create lasting legacies for themselves and their loved ones for more than a decade. Belinda and John wed in 2011 after both losing spouses to illness several years prior. Because of the losses they had experienced, legacy planning was at the forefront of their minds. “When two people get married and you’re a little older, you make plans early on about how you are going to take care of your families and what you want to do for your community,” Belinda explains. “In our planning — because of personal reasons, like both of us needing scholarships to attend college — we always knew we wanted to set up a scholarship fund in our wills.” Belinda says her experience working closely with donors on their legacy gifts has helped her understand that she and John, both wanting to do something lasting and impactful, also could afford to establish a scholarship. It was this planning that made it easier for her to create the John and Belinda Havron Scholarship Fund at The Community Foundation soon after his passing. “It was a real comfort to know we had already decided what we wanted to do,” Belinda says, “and I knew why it was important to him.”
The recipient, Rachael Lawrence, is a graduate of Wilson Central High School in Lebanon. She has her mind set on a career in finance or accounting. This bright young adult, in similar fashion to John and Belinda, worked hard to get to this next step in her life. Rachael has a part-time job to help her attain her goal of higher education at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Because she was a working student and had high marks in high school, Rachael met the eligibility requirements set when the John and Belinda Havron Scholarship was established. “There were nights when I sat at home to work on scholarships and missed out on fun things my friends were doing,” Rachael offers. “GPA [grade point average] matters, ACT and SAT [advanced placement test] scores matter, and doing the hard work matters, too. “The saying is true — ‘You only get out what you put in ... Don’t expect more until you do more,’” Rachel continues. “I am indeed thankful for the CFMT scholarship opportunity.” As for carrying on John’s legacy through the John and Belinda Havron Scholarship, Belinda says it wouldn’t have been possible without everyone’s support of the scholarship fund that honors him and his legacy of education. “He would have been happy, and he would have been excited,” Belinda says. “Most importantly, he would have been proud.”
And it was this planning that enabled The Community Foundation to respond quickly so memorials could be made in support of something John cared for so deeply. “During an uneasy and emotional time, The Community Foundation took care of everything,” Belinda recalls. “And I saw firsthand how much more important that is ...” Shortly after the year anniversary of John’s death, The Community Foundation’s scholarship committee awarded the first recipient of the John and Belinda Havron Scholarship.
The CFMT Scholarship application opens each year in January with a deadline to apply of March 15. Students need only to complete one application and may be eligible for several of the 128 scholarship funds made possible by the generosity of our donors.
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2018-2019 STAFF
Melissa Anderson, Staff Accountant Miles Asafo-Adjei, Childcare Matters, Childcare Services
and Human Resources Associate
Kathryn Bennett, GivingMatters.com Manager Debbie Bone, Donor Services and Grants Associate Thomas Buford, Program Director, Delek Fund for Hope Anne Clem, Childcare Services Associate Audra Cox, Development Associate Pat Cole, Senior Coordinator, Scholarships Cynthia Copeland, Accounting Manager Melisa Currey, Chief Financial Officer Paige Dempsey, Online Assistant Sharon Derman, Senior Administrative Associate, Finance Pat Embry, Director, Media and Community Relations Amy Fair, Vice President, Donor Services Porter Haile, Technology Systems Administrator Belinda Dinwiddie Havron, Director, Donor Engagement Jeff Hoffman, Program Manager, Delek Fund for Hope Erin Holcomb, Online Promotions Manager Jana L. Laiolo, Staff Accountant
Ellen Lehman, President Victoria Leuang, Online Assistant, NowPlayingNashville.com® Laundrea Lewis, Senior Manager, Grants Deborah McClellan, Receptionist Michael McDaniel, Senior Nonprofit and Endowment Liaison Jenni Moscardelli, Women’s Fund Coordinator Scott O’Neal, Regional and Affiliate Initiatives Liaison Tina Randolph, Content Associate, NowPlayingNashville.com® Rondal Richardson, Entertainment and Donor Services Liasion Nicole Rose, Donor Services Coordinator, Project Manager Emily Rutzky, Creative Services Manager Chris Stowe, Associate, Employee Care Funds Gina Tek, Childcare Services Coordinator Kelly Walberg, Communications Manager Shemika Walker, Associate, Employee Care Programs Benja Whitelaw, Director of Employee Care Programs Keifer Winn, Financial Assistant Kristen Worsham, Events & Community Engagement Manager,
Delek Fund for Hope
Morgan Yingling, Communications Associate
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2018-2019 BOARD OFFICERS
Ben G. Freeland Julie Frist
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Aubrey B. Harwell, Jr.
Susan W. Simons, Chairman Jana J. Davis, Secretary Decosta E. Jenkins, Treasurer Ellen E. Lehman, President
Herb Fritch
Judy Liff Barker
Catherine Jackson
Max Goldberg
Jack O. Bovender, Jr.
William C. Koch, Jr.
Jose D. Gonzalez
Charles W. Cook, Jr.
Kevin P. Lavender
Ray Guzman
Ronald L. Corbin
Ralph W. Mosley
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mark Gwyn
Richard J. Eskind
Donna D. Nicely
Farzin Ferdowsi
Will Alexander
Robert S. Lipman
Ben R. Rechter
Will Morrow
John D. Ferguson
Deborah Taylor Tate
Larry Papel
Stephen F. Flatt
Charles A. Trost
Wayne Smith
Thomas F. Frist, Jr.
Deborah F. Turner
Paul Stumb
Alberto R. Gonzales
Jack B. Turner
Steve Underwood
Joel C. Gordon
Betsy Walkup
Stephaine H. Walker
Kerry Graham
David Williams, II*
Jay Williams
James S. Gulmi
Jerry B. Williams
Alan Young
Carl T. Haley
Lyle Beasley Jamie Cheek Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. Beth DeBauche Shari Dennis Mark Emkes Rod Essig
Carol O. Hudler
*deceased
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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR As I began my term as Chair of The Community Foundation, I reflected on its mission that states we are dedicated to enriching the quality of life in the Greater Nashville area, and I wondered what role should we as board members have in furthering this mission? A group of us gathered several times to address this question. One of these individuals was the late David Williams II, who shared with us his story of moving to Nashville from Columbus, Ohio, to find much to his surprise how quickly he felt welcomed in our community. It made an impression on David that so many Nashville residents were actively involved in working with nonprofits on issues that were important to them. They were glad to have had a newcomer join them in working on their causes. This story led us to look at where Nashville is today, with so many new people moving to our community. How can we welcome these people into our fold and help them join us in our philanthropic efforts to keep Nashville a special place to live? We determined that we wanted people moving here to join us, not change us! Our Board has determined that in advancing our mission of enriching the quality of life in this area, we will all become ambassadors for philanthropy. In order to do that, we have educated ourselves on the many services The Community Foundation offers. These services include funds that families or individuals can establish to support their specific philanthropic interests or fields of interest, and companies that are establishing Corporate Care Funds to help their employees through serious financial emergencies. GivingMatters.com provides information on hundreds of area nonprofits so donors can make informed decisions, while NowPlayingNashville.com’s arts and entertainment guide lets users know where to go and what to do in the region.
Our board members will remind their friends that The Foundation awarded 332 scholarships totaling $644,000 to students, and awarded 453 grants to nonprofits in 33 counties totaling $2,726,800 in 2018. The Big Payback raised more than $3 million for 902 area nonprofits and many of the participants gained new first-time donors. You may be aware that the symbol of The Community Foundation is the bee. It’s significant, this bee. That’s because we consider ourselves to be pollinators, and at the same time catalysts and conveners in this community. Personally, it has been important to me to be involved with an organization such as CFMT in large part because it has the respect that allows it to have such a significant leadership role. That respect has been well-earned. I have enjoyed chairing this Board and getting to know our members better. We remain excited about the coming year, and how we can help our community thrive in our role as ambassadors for philanthropy as we connect generosity with need.
Susan W. Simons is an artist and has been an active volunteer for numerous Nashville-area nonprofits for many years. A Nashville native, she has been on The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors since 2005 and later the Board of Trustees. She took over as Chair of the board in August 2018. A graduate of Wellesley College with a degree in economics, she served under Governor Lamar Alexander as Commissioner of the State of Tennessee’s Department of General Services from 1983-86.
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The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee 3833 Cleghorn Avenue • Nashville, TN 37215 • 615-321-4939 • 888-540-5200
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