CNM has been working with area nonprofits to help them implement the necessary strategies to get through the recession. We are thrilled that our partner, GivingMatters.com has created a survey to assess how this community is doing at facing these challenges. We ask that Middle TN nonprofits take the time to complete it so we can better assess the needs of the community. Here is additional info:

As GivingMatters seeks to assist donors with their charitable investments, it is important for them to know how the nonprofit sector is fairing. Please participate in our survey about the effect of the economic recession on your organization and its impact on the people you serve. We ask you to be as open, honest and realistic as you possibly can be. All the responses we receive will remain anonymous and reported only in the aggregate. We believe your information will be immensely useful in helping the donors know what is going on in our sector. Click here to complete the survey.

Thank you for your time and consideration,
Amy McDaniel, MSW
Director GivingMatters.com

 

The Center for Nonprofit Management, in partnership with Read To Succeed and Rutherford LEAP, will present “Weathering the Economic Storm” on Wednesday, September 16 from 11:30 – 1:00, at Patterson Park Community Center. The forum is designed to assist nonprofit organizations in Rutherford, Cannon, Bedford, and Coffee Counties endure the recession, while continuing to serve their communities. Presenters will include:

• Raquel Hatter, CEO, Family & Children’s Service
• Sarah Ann Ezzell, Vice Chair, Family & Children’s Service
• Susannah Shumate, Executive Director, Nashville Civic Design Center
• John Key, Executive Director, Community Servants
• Ronni Shaw, Executive Director, Read To Succeed

The speakers will share ideas and survival strategies for challenging economic times, and attendees will have opportunities to exchange ideas with their peers.

Lunch will be provided from 11:30 a.m. until noon, with presentations and discussions from noon until 1:00 p.m. Patterson Park is located at 521 Mercury Blvd in Murfreesboro. Attendance and lunch are free; however, reservations must be made no later than Friday, September 11th. To make a reservation, contact: Ellen Hingst, Director of Education, Center for Nonprofit Management. Phone: 615.259.3911 ext. 15, or e-mail Ellen Hingst: ellen@cnm.org

For more information, contact Amelia King Bozeman, 615.456.4374, or Amelia@rutherfordleap.org

The Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence in Memphis has recently released a report on how Mid-South nonprofits are managing an increase in the demand for services with a decrease in financial support. Click here to download their findings.

Kim Carpenter Drake has over 20 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations on everything from fundraising to cause related marketing. She is also a presenter at CNM’s Bridge to Excellence Nonprofit Conference on May 12, 2009. Kim also has a blog that you can visit by clicking here.

Fundraising in Tough Times: What Matters Most?

It’s tough out there. Ask anyone – from the checkout clerk at the grocery store to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Although we all know the situation, how does this translate into fundraising strategies for nonprofits? My answer is: Focus on what matters most.

More than dollars, more than buildings, more than capital campaigns, our goal is to serve the community. When reevaluating our funding options, we must ask ourselves if and how we are best serving those in need. Those who are part of the solution will flourish. Those without clear vision and clear purpose may not.

All of the surveys and market research seem to agree that giving will decline but not at the same rate as the economy. Many generous people, businesses and foundations are digging deep and working hard to ease the pain of those in greatest need. Will you be one of the partners that make this possible?

Here are a few points to consider:
Continue reading ‘Guest Blogger Examines Fundraising in Tough Times and Asks, “What Matters Most?”’

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’

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

Lewis Lavine, President of the Center for Nonprofit Management sent out the following email to our members this morning:

To our CEO Network members:

This is a challenging economic period. Corporations, foundations, and governments find their assets are much lower than they were months or even weeks ago. This will result in the reduction of philanthropic donations, inevitably causing the nonprofit sector to bear the burden. In my discussions with local donors, I learn that they are very concerned about the health of our nonprofit community, particularly during the next year.

We want to get ahead of this curve. At the Center for Nonprofit Management, we are taking three immediate steps to help you prepare for a difficult time:

1. We are creating a CNM SWAT Team made up of our experienced consultants. The team will be available to assist you in evaluating your financial picture, determining whether growth or restriction makes sense, meet with your board, or consider collaborations you might begin with other agencies. Although we must charge for our services, we will make our Nonprofit Excellence Funds available so that it will be more affordable. Lisa Pote, our Director of Consulting, will provide additional information about this opportunity in the days ahead.

Continue reading ‘A Message from CNM President, Lewis Lavine’