Author name: TNN

We are excited to announce that Tennessee Nonprofit Network will hosts its 3rd Annual Advocacy Summit on Tuesday, February 24th, 2026 in Nashville, TN. This event will be held at the historic Scarritt Bennett Center. This full-day event is designed to empower nonprofit professionals to engage in public policy and advocacy, build relationships with lawmakers, […]

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network In our last chapter, our grand plan for a statewide association seemed to have gone to hell. Our carefully built coalition of four regional organizations had crumbled. Just as we were about to present our options, Venture Forward was sunsetting, the leader of Center for

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network In our last chapter, everything almost fell apart. The four-headed monster of a coalition that got us through the pandemic—Venture Forward, Center for Nonprofit Management, Momentum Nonprofit Partners, and Alliance for Better Nonprofits—had a plan for a statewide association, but the day before our big

In partnership with the Frist Foundation, Tennessee Nonprofit Network (TNN) is proud to announce the 2nd annual CEO’s Guide to Board Governance for Davidson County nonprofits. This five (5) month cohort program is designed to support nonprofit equip executive directors and CEOs with the knowledge and tools to build strong, engaged boards that empower your

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network Alright, let me refill my coffee mug and dive back in. You want the director’s cut of “Failure to Launch”? I can definitely give you the unvarnished, slightly ridiculous version of events. In our last chapter, you know we had gone through the gauntlet of

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network As you know, our last chapter ended on a bit of a high note, even if it was born from a frustrating failure. The whole health insurance project went bust, which made us realize a statewide association wasn’t a “nice-to-have,” but a must-have. We’d had

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network Alright, let me pour a cup of coffee (my fourth today – I am WIRED!) and continue the story of how Tennessee Nonprofit Network came to be. (You can read our previous post here to learn more about who our organization was before emerging as

As Tennessee Nonprofit Network turns two years old, we wanted to share the interesting story about how a small grant writing nonprofit evolved into a statewide nonprofit association. In part 1, we’ll look at our origins, which date back to 1992, and how we evolved from The Grant Center to Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence to

Tennessee Nonprofit Network, in partnership with East Tennessee Foundation, is launching a three-month Building Stronger Nonprofits Learning Cohort. This collaborative program is designed to support 20 nonprofit leaders in East Tennessee, specifically in the Greater Knoxville area, by strengthening their operational capacity. Program Components The cohort includes several key components to help strengthen your organization’s

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network Community engagement is a cornerstone of a thriving nonprofit. It is the practice of building and sustaining deep, meaningful relationships with the very people an organization aims to serve. While the financial well-being of a nonprofit often hinges on its ability to cultivate relationships with