From today’s City Paper:

Values under siege

You’re not likely to hear them grumble about the sad state of their stock portfolios. Most of them probably own no securities at all. And yet the market’s decline threatens to leave them more insecure than anyone else in the community.

They are the hungry, the homeless, the frail, the abused. They are the people who depend on the charity of organizations that, in turn, depend on funding from Nashville-area foundations.

With some market indices showing that U.S. stocks have lost half their value since January, few if any of Nashville’s scores of private foundations and similar organizations are likely to experience growth in their assets in 2008. The Frist Foundation, one of the largest, has outperformed the market – by losing only 20 to 25 percent of its asset value this year, according to President and CEO Peter F. Bird Jr.

“This is a nowhere-to-run, nowhere-to-hide investment environment,” Bird said.

Menacing times for large investors translate into a fearful atmosphere for agencies that receive foundation funding. Program fees and donations by the general public may account for much of their total dollars raised, but nonprofits grow accustomed to the reliable flow of funds that a long-term relationship with a foundation can normally provide.

Now that stream of money may be slowing, just when economic conditions are making it harder to raise cash elsewhere.

Continue reading ‘Second Harvest, Frist Foundation, Lewis Lavine Explain How Economic Crisis is Impacting Local Nonprofits’

Joe Williams of Hermitage Tennessee, was recently selected by Family and Youth Services Bureau of the Department of Health and Human Services  as the 2008 Outstanding Mentor. Williams particpates in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Amachi program-the same program that was honored as a finalist at the 2008 Salute to Excellence Awards. You can read the complete article here.

According to the New York Times, implement a social media program for your nonprofit! The folks at CoolPeopleCare have a great summary of the article. Its worthy information, and it provides an innovative look at how you can utilize limited resources to get your social media program up and running.

From today’s Tennessean:

The Nashville Rescue Mission reports it is seeing lower-than-average contributions for its annual Thanksgiving banquet for the city’s homeless this year.

With less than two weeks left before the holiday, the Nashville Rescue Mission is in need of donations of fresh and frozen turkeys, canned vegetables, fresh produce, cranberry sauce, paper plates, plastic cutlery, aluminum foil and foil turkey pans, a news release said.

Food gifts are accepted at the Mission’s Donation Center, 616 Seventh Ave. S., from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Monetary donations can be made online at www.nashvillerescuemission.org.

News reported in today’s Tennessean:

Nashville to hold “one-stop shop” event for homeless

By MICHAEL CASS
Staff Writer

Nashville’s homeless population will have access to foot and eye exams, haircuts, substance abuse counseling, free phone calls and more at an event downtown next month.

The Metro Homelessness Commission will host Project Homeless Connect at Municipal Auditorium from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 2. More than 500 homeless people are expected to attend and obtain services and assistance from about 30 nonprofit organizations, government agencies and businesses, the commission said in a news release today.

“We are hoping for the entire community to come together and make this a true success,” said Clifton Harris, the city’s homelessness coordinator. “Success for us means that we will be able to help attending homeless individuals and families on the spot and connect them with much needed services.”

About 170 cities across the country have been holding similar events regularly, the release said.

The Tennessean publishes a nonprofit “Wish List” weekly for area nonprofits. Qualified nonprofit organizations may submit Wish List and Volunteer List requests by contacting Catherine Mayhew at the Community Resource Center, e-mail catherinecrc@comcast.net. To view today’s list, click here.

An announcement on available office space:

AVAILABLE FOR SALE

501 Brick church park drive

±19,200 square feet

Two story, ±19,200 sf office building on Brick Church Park Drive available for sale at $1,920,000

Property is approximately 1.5 miles from I-24/I-65 and 5.4 miles from downtown

· Two story building – ±9,600 square feet per floor – Built in 1996

· Building sits on 2.71 acres of land

· Asphalt shingle roof

· Ventilation – 11 HVAC units servicing first and second floors

- 66 Parking Spaces

· Two breakrooms – four restrooms (two 1st floor restrooms equipped with showers)

Click here for more information.

Thanks to Sam Davidson of CoolPeopleCare, the Center hosted an informative and interesting session this morning for the CEO Network. Sam put together a presentation on how to connect with Generation Y (or Millennials) and was kind enough to make it available to us:

I strongly encourage you to check out his full summary of the session, and his list of recommended resources by clicking here.

From the Tennessean’s Gail Kerr:

Sexual Assault Center’s new home promotes healing
By GAIL KERR

A clothesline full of plain white T-shirts will be hung out for all to see today, rain or shine. The shirts break the silence for those who survived sexual assault.

One has a painting of a precious child with blond pigtails, holding a little teddy bear. Her nose spellsout the word “RAPE.” Other disturbingwords are scattered all over the girl: “Stupid. Liar. Ugly. Whore. Unworthy.”
It’s painful to look at, and that’s the point. The Clothesline Project airs the dirty laundry that too many women and children who are raped keep quiet about it. It’s part of the therapy offered by Nashville’s Sexual Assault Center. The agency just turned 30, and today it celebrates a new home and a new name with a grand opening of its tidy green-and-tan brick building tucked atop a little hill in MetroCenter.

Soothing words are painted on the walls of the new lobby: “The Healing Starts Here.”

“It feels way more private,” said Pam Penuel, client account manager.

Images and impressions wash over you in the new place: It is quiet. The marks of survivors are everywhere, including a poem etched on a wall. There are plenty of places to weep, or scream, in private.

Continue reading ‘Tennessean Highlights the Work of the Sexual Assault Center’

Today the Tennessean’s Monday-Friday series will host Eric Dewey of United Way. Learn more, and participate in the discussion by clicking here.