Dear East Tennessee Nonprofit Leaders,
We have heard your questions regarding why the Tennessee Nonprofit Network (TNN) does not yet have dedicated staff members based in East Tennessee, while we have staff representation in West and Middle Tennessee.
We understand your desire for an on-the-ground presence, and we want to assure you that expanding our services in East Tennessee is a top priority. Unfortunately, the financial resources required to establish a physical presence and hire dedicated staff members are not yet available.
While we have been fortunate to receive significant support from funders in West and Middle Tennessee, we are still working to secure the foundation, corporate, and individual support needed to fully expand our operations in East Tennessee. Our goal is to secure at least $200,000 in unrestricted annual support from East Tennessee to support staffing, overhead, programming, etc. before adding a staff member.
Please know that we remain deeply committed to supporting organizations in East Tennessee. In the interim, our West and Middle Tennessee staff will be increasing their travel to the region to meet with member organizations, build relationships with potential funders, and learn more about the unique needs and opportunities in your communities.
Our goal is to establish a dedicated East Tennessee staff presence as soon as funding allows. We believe that this is crucial for effectively serving the needs of nonprofits throughout the entire state.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to secure the resources necessary to fully expand our services in East Tennessee. We value your partnership and look forward to strengthening our collaboration in the near future.
If you know of nonprofits that would like to join Tennessee Nonprofit Network, please have them contact Dorian Hines, Middle Tennessee Regional Director, at dhines@tnnonprofits.org. Membership is free!
If there are corporations, foundations, or individuals who members would like to connect Tennessee Nonprofit Network with, they can contact Andrea Hill, Chief Development and Partnerships Officer, at ahill@tnnonprofits.org.
We promise that we are working to establish more of a presence on the ground in East Tennessee, and we will see you soon!
Sincerely,
Kevin Dean, Ed.D
President & CEO
Tennessee Nonprofit Network