WPLN’s Blake Farmer did a story yesterday on how some nonprofits in the Middle Tennessee area are being forced to look at merging due to the recession. Click here to read or listen to the full story which includes interviews with CNM President Lewis Lavine, and Monroe Harding CEO Patty Harman:

Non-profit organizations can be found in just about every corner of the economy. They range from A to Z – arts organizations to the zoo. Not counting schools and churches, the Nashville area has an estimated 1,000 active non-profits, and that may be too many. With less cash to go around in the current economy, organizations are taking a second look at merging. Others are linking up out of sheer necessity. WPLN’s Blake Farmer reports.

This morning, WPLN featured a story about CNM’s strategy to help the nonprofit community during the economic crisis:

CNM Sends Out Warning to Non-Profits
Thursday, October 02nd, 2008

The Center for Non-Profit Management sent out a warning to local charities today, suggesting they batten down the hatches. And if they’re not feeling the current economic crisis, they will.

CNM works with 750 non-profits around Middle Tennessee. President Lewis Lavine says many are fairing well so far. Charities are raising money and donations without too much trouble. He says foundations with significant investments will see a more immediate impact from the financial fallout. But the worst is yet to come. Lavine recalls after September 11th, 2001, the toughest time for non-profits wasn’t until late 2002.

“So we’re concerned that 2009 may be a tough year for the non-profit community generally.”

Lavine says the non-profit world nearly always trails the business cycle.

The Center for Non-Profit Management has schedule four free sessions starting next week to help agencies plan for weathering the economic storm.

By Blake Farmer