Hands On Nashville, the Metro Public Health Department, and the Office of the Mayor have asked CNM to disseminate the following information:

In response to the increased awareness of the new H1N1 influenza strain, commonly know as “Swine Flu,” the Metro Public Health Department is providing posters that can be downloaded in Spanish and English. They illustrate everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Posters are provided in both English and Spanish and are made to print on 11″ x 17” paper. Please distribute broadly.

Beyond the distribution of the provided poster, the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management has requested no action be taken by the nonprofit community at this time.

Metro has activated a partial Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and VOAD is being represented by its president, Brian Williams. They are closely monitoring this situation.

Please check the blog daily for any new information from Metro Nashville government.

From the Tennessean:

About 800 volunteers, staff and friends of the YMCA will fill McLemore Street for a celebration involving music and entertainment provided by street performers and Y-members conducting group fitness demonstrations.

The event, which starts at 6 p.m. today, precedes the Y’s annual celebration, Continuing the Legacy. The occasion will offer a chance to honor Y volunteers and the Y’s 134-year history of service to the community, as well as dedicate the new Downtown YMCA.

As part of the ceremony, Cal Turner Jr., retired chief executive officer of Dollar General and a former YMCA of Middle Tennessee board chair, will be awarded the Order of the Red Triangle.

Based on the large turn out we had for the event CNM hosted with Congressman Cooper in March, I thought this would be of interest to area nonprofits. The Chronicle of Philanthropy in their blog roundup, highlights a nonprofit consultant’s thoughts on stimulus funding. Click on the link in the headline to view the full post, with comments:

Words of Caution for Small Charities Looking for Stimulus Money
As the recession dampens giving from private sources and local governments, more charities are looking to the federal stimulus package as a possible source of desperately needed support. But before sticking their hands in the federal cookie jar, grass-roots group should make sure they are not reaching for more than they can chew, writes Ken Goldstein on his Nonprofit Consultant Blog.

Mr. Goldstein urges charities to weigh not only the short-term but the long-term impact on their revenue, and whether they are big enough to handle the project they propose.

“Most of these stimulus programs are not designed for grass-roots organizations; they pretty much require large structures, with already large budgets, and the capacity to take on new projects without much additional overhead,” he write. “Seriously, if you have an annual budget of only $500,000 you should not be looking at a grant for $300,000/year for only two years, and with only 5 percent allowed for administration.”

From the Nashville Scene’s Bites Blog:

What a deliciously generous city we live in, where chefs and restaurateurs repeatedly answer the call to support nonprofit organizations through dining-related events. From Eté du Vin to Dining Out for Life, talented culinary professionals help fuel and feed Nashville’s philanthropic machine.

But a group of home cooks has found a way to help their community from their own kitchens, and they’re hoping to encourage other food-lovers to follow their lead. Three years ago Susan Goodwin cooked up a plan to help raise money for people in need. She gathered a group of friends to prepare a feast at which they passed the hat. And so was born Wine Dine Donate, a monthly series of dinners raising money for Second Harvest.

Three years later, WDD has raised $4,000 for the food bank, and the group has been featured in Cooking Club: Great Ideas & Delicious Recipes for Fabulous Get-Togethers (Sasquatch Books; May 2009), by Dina Guillen and Michelle Lowrey.

This weekend, the group will host their own launch party to celebrate their inclusion in the book. Two dozen attendees will sit down to a “Southern Spring Picnic” including Applewood-smoked “Coca-Cola ham” with Jack Daniels glaze, chicken Tetrazzini, cranberry salad, deviled eggs, sweet potato salad, wild rice salad, cornbread, biscuits, broccoli salad, green beans, fruit pie with ice cream and Texas sheet cake.

“The book-launching is a wonderful reason for us to celebrate all we have accomplished,” Goodwin said. “We hope that by spreading the word about WDD, it might result in other people forming their own WDD cooking club and developing even more supporters of Second Harvest.”

Make sure you participate today in Dining Out For Life!

This post is part of a continuing weekly series previewing the topics that will be discussed at CNM’s May 12th Nonprofit Conference: Bridge to Excellence. Click here to register for this exciting day long learning event featuring keynote speaker Geoffrey Canada of Harlem Children’s Zone.

Kate Monaghan is a CNM Consultant with extensive experience facilitating collaboration and partnerships among nonprofit organizations. She is conducting the conference breakout session, “Collaboration: The Array of Possibilities” at CNM’s Conference.

Road to the Conference: Featured Presenter, Kate Monaghan

Why is it that after decades of hearing how important it is that nonprofits establish partnerships and collaborate, we’re still asking the question, “Can working with other organizations really help your nonprofit?” In the session I’ll be leading on May 12, I’d like to deconstruct that question and look closely at its components. They include:

• What is collaboration? What’s on the menu of partnering options-with an eye to what might make sense for your organization?
• Is there anything new under the sun when it comes to collaborative arrangements?
• What does it take to form a productive partnership?
• Why is it critical to regularly evaluate all collaborations and strategic alliances?
• What is the role of leadership in successful collaboration and strategic alliances?

Continue reading ‘Road to the Conference: Featured Presenter, Kate Monaghan’

From Books from Birth Foundation:

Saturday, April 25, 2009 – DRAFT DAY EVENT with Steve McNair

ALL-DAY EVENT! Doors open at 11 a.m., event lasts until closing time.

· The Steve McNair Foundation is hosting a Pro-football Draft Day party at the Crow’s Nest at 2221 Bandywood Drive (615-783-0720) in Green Hills to benefit Books from Birth and Book’em. Former Titan Steve McNair and friends are scheduled to attend!*

· *Player appearances subject to change without notice – ******STEVE MCNAIR IS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR AFTER 3:30 PM SATURDAY*************

Join us for giveaways, silent auction/door prizes on sports memorabilia, drink /food specials and visits from TITANS PLAYERS for this FREE event (accepting donations at the door). Proceeds benefit Books from Birth and Book’em, so have fun watching the pro-football draft while you help local children receive free books. Children are welcome so bring the whole family! Free valet parking available.

Questions day of event: 615-783-0720. Questions before the event: call 615-936-3737 or e-mail Linda Wylie: linda.d.wylie@vanderbilt.edu for info.

Thank you to our sponsors: The Steve McNair Foundation, Hardaway Construction, and the Crow’s Nest.

From the Nashville Scene’s music blog:

We posted about the possibility of Rocketown getting bulldozed to make way for a convention center, which made it seem like the all-ages venue and skate park would be sleeping with the fishes. Not so, says venue director Ben Cissell, who said via email that they’ve been scouting new locations, including one on Fourth Avenue.

“We are going to relocate,” Cissell wrote. “We are very excited about this and plan to drastically improve what we do. We will have a larger nicer venue, and a much better skate shop. We will also have a place to park.”

From WKRN:

A man out for a drive Tuesday saved a couple from their burning home.

Mike “Goose” Davis was passing by a house on West Main Street in Franklin. He noticed a fire under the carport and stopped and banged on the door.

The smoke detectors hadn’t sounded yet, so the homeowners — Luis and Rosario Garcia — didn’t know the danger.

The got out, but the house — which was built by Habitat for Humanity — was a total loss.

Video from NewsChannel 5:

In an article published today in the Tennessean, Lois Moreno and Jack Spencer of the Lost Boys Foundation discuss the difficulty in serving the Sudanese community during an economic downturn:

“It seems like we spin our wheels trying to meet expenses,” Moreno said. “It’s a real struggle, all the time. And there’s just not a day that goes by when we don’t get the saddest phone calls: Can you help me with rent, with gas for my car to get to work, can you help me with food? This community … it’s really beginning to get hard on them.”

For more information on the organization and the art gallery where the Lost Boys’ art work is available for purchase, visit: http://www.thelostboysfoundation.org/.

In partnership with HCA, the Center for Nonprofit Management announces the finalists in the 2009 HCA Cost Savings Competition.At CNM’s Bridge to Excellence conference on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, HCA will present six awards totaling $9000 for new cost savings ideas in two categories – large nonprofit agencies with 2008 gross revenues of more than $500,000 and small agencies with 2008 gross revenue of $500,000 or less. The winning agencies will each receive awards of $2,500. Each runner-up agency will receive $1,000.

Large Agency Finalists:

Adventure Science Center

CASA of Davidson County

Urban Housing Solutions

Small Agency Finalists:

Council on Aging of Greater Nashville

Eating Disorders Coalition of Tennessee

Nashville Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC)

The winning agencies will be announced in the closing session, so please plan to join us for the day!