Lipscomb University’s Institute for Conflict Management celebrated their fifth anniversary on Jan. 24 at the Hutton Hotel.

The evening featured speakers including 2011 CNM scholarship winner Kate Payne, director of ethics and palliative care at Saint Thomas Hospital.

The certificate in conflict management is a 15-hour graduate program (worth approximately $16,000) that can be applied toward a master’s degree or earned on its own, and can be completed in as little as six months. The scholarship is available to CNM members.

Earlier this month, CNM and Lipscomb’s Institute for Conflict Management announced the 2012 scholarship winners: Brian Bailey, who works with the homeless through the Park Center, and Shanda Hampton, director of human resources at the Oasis Center, have been awarded full tuition for a graduate certificate in conflict management at Lipscomb University.

“This partnership with the CNM allows us to advance conflict management skills within a job market where such skills are critically needed – the nonprofit sector,” said Steve Joiner, managing director for the ICM said in a release. “Every day workers in nonprofit organizations deal with people in distress and under great pressure. A working knowledge of conflict management techniques can only help further the goal of local charities and service organizations even more effectively.”

Bailey is the Outreach Safe Haven case manager at Park Center, a service provider for the homeless and those with severe mental illness. He works to build relationships with homeless individuals, to assess their needs and to provide life skills leadership to individuals living in transitional housing.

Prior to Park Center, Bailey worked at Youth Villages in Nashville and Prestera Center, in Huntington, W.V. He is a graduate of Marshall University.

Hampton is the director of human resources at the Oasis Center, a service and housing program for at-risk youth. Hampton has been with Oasis since 1998, starting as residential counselor and moving up to house manager and shelter coordinator. She became the director of human resources in 2009.

Hampton is a graduate of Western Kentucky University. She has worked as a volunteer with Hands On Nashville, Safe Place, Head Start and the Suicide Prevention Coalition.

“We are grateful to the institute and to Lipscomb University for making these opportunities available. Nonprofit leaders spend much of their time dealing with conflict; this post-graduate training is enabling a cadre of our leaders to be proficient in overcoming conflict as they provide their community services,”  said CNM President Lewis Lavine.

Find more information about the program here.

Waller Lansden’s Fifth Annual Nonprofit Seminar is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 16 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in the Mike Curb Music Education Hall from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

Join Waller Lansden partners and associates, community leaders and nonprofit executives for a mix of presentations and panel discussions to learn more about: mergers and collaborations, nonprofit advocacy, social media, personal liabilities, charitable solicitations and protecting your nonprofit’s tax-exempt status.

Find more information about the event here.

To register for the seminar, email melanie.delconte@wallerlaw.com or call 850-8899.

Do you know an exceptional volunteer making a difference in the community? Hands On Nashville is seeking nominations for outstanding volunteers for the Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards on April 10.

Over the last two decades, the Strobel Volunteer Awards has grown to become Middle Tennessee’s largest annual luncheon that recognizes volunteer efforts. 
 
The Strobel Awards luncheon is an inspiring event that honors Middle Tennessee’s unsung heroes. In appreciation for their outstanding acts of service, award nominees will receive a complimentary ticket and special recognition at the luncheon.

Awards categories include: 
• Youth Volunteer
• Innovator
• Community Impact
• Civic Group
• Direct Service
• Corporate Service Group

The deadline for nominations is February 17.

Find more information here.

Looking to find funding for your technology projects this year? The Frist Foundation’s 2012 Technology Grants application is now available on their website here. 

You can submit the application online or receive a printed copy on the website. If you have any questions about the application or program, call 292-3868 or email askfrist@fristfoundation.org.

Applications are due March 16 and awards will be announced June 1.

CNM.org? A great site to visit for all your nonprofit resource needs. CNM.xxx? You might want to think twice before typing in this web address.

A new domain has opened up: .xxx and it is designed to clearly identify sites that host adult content. The new danger is that people may use the name of your organization in an attempt to drive traffic to their adult site or to make it appear that you are hosting adult content of your own.

In this case, the best defense could be a good offense and organizations might want to consider registering a .xxx domain name to prevent anyone else from using it. While the cost of registration is something to think about (generally $130/year) it could potentially save your agency from a costly legal battle if your organization name pops up with a .xxx domain.

Part of the process in registering a domain name is to choose whether you want the name to resolve or not. Simply put: A resolved domain name will display a website when it’s entered on the Internet a non-resolved domain will be a dead end and not display anything. If you decide to to register a domain name, you should probably choose a non-resolve option.

If you have any questions, contact your website administrator.

Information about the Predators Foundation grants is now available online!

Applications are due Friday, Jan. 13 and recipients will be notified by April 2.

Grants are for one-time programs or specific projects but not for general operating support. Foundation grants may range from $500 to a maximum of $10,000 annually. The organization must be a 501(c)3 organization or government agency serving the Nashville or Middle Tennessee area and the focus should be youth related.

Click here for more information!

First they picked up a Salute to Excellence award in September and now Alias Chamber Ensemble is nominated for their first-ever Grammy award!

Their album Hilos—composed by Latin Grammy-winning composer Gabriela Lena Frank and performed by members of ALIAS and Frank— is among five nominees in the Grammy category for Best Small Ensemble Performance, as announced Wednesday, Nov. 30 on the Grammy.com website.

Visit their website to learn more.

You’ve waited and it’s finally here: the application for the Excellence in Volunteer Engagement certification.

If you have a Davidson County-based agency with a structured volunteer program, you should apply for the two-year certification.

The first of its kind in the nation, EVE will recognize nonprofit agencies in Davidson County that have exceptional volunteer programs as determined by a panel of judges that represent the community.

EVE certification will require that each agency have:

1. A volunteer component in their strategic plan.

2. A dedicated and trained volunteer manager—either paid or unpaid.

3. A screening process to be sure that volunteers’ time is well-spent and targeted to their skills and talents.

4. An orientation for all volunteers.

5. An evaluation process to look at a volunteer’s impact on the community and agency.

Click here for more information and to download the application!

Deadline to apply is Friday, January 27 and announcements will be made in March.

As the holiday donation requests start rolling in, check out this article from The Tennessean about the questions you should ask before giving to a charity to make sure your money is supporting the cause you want and your private information is protected.

Read the article here.

YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee was awarded a $200,000 grant from Bank of America at the 2011 Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Awards on November 17. 

The grant is for general operating support over the next two years as well as leadership development training for Pat Shea, President & CEO, and one other staff member.

The funds will be used to support the YWCA’s Transitional Housing program and provide housing assistance and case management for women and children exiting the Weaver Domestic Violence Center.

The awards, presented by Bank of America since 2004, are awarded to two outstanding nonprofits in 45 markets across the country each year.