Author name: TNN

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network Ok, y’all, we have to talk: the nonprofit sector has an addiction. We need to talk about the deep-seated, institutionalized obsession with two metrics: fundraising goals met and operating budget size. Lately, I’ve heard boards and staff justifying their belief that they will successfully navigate […]

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network How would you feel if you discovered the new firefighters arriving on the scene had never actually been inside a burning building? What if your nurse, about to administer medication, admitted they’d only read about injections in a textbook? Or imagine a new nonprofit Executive

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network Ugh, fundraising can sometimes feel like trying to herd cats while simultaneously juggling flaming torches. Have you ever sat in front of your computer wondering how to frame out your new annual fund letter, while you also drowning in spreadsheets and wondering if “donor fatigue”

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network Last week, my grandmother entered hospice. Her heart, after 98 incredible years, is finally failing her. This is, without a doubt, the closest I have ever been to watching someone die, and it’s been a profound, often bewildering, education in what grief and bereavement truly

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network For many in the nonprofit world, the language of “winning” often permeates our strategies and aspirations. We speak of eradicating poverty, curing diseases, achieving universal literacy – noble and essential goals, undoubtedly. This mindset, while driven by a profound desire for impact, can inadvertently trap

by Natalie Jones, Director of Advocacy and Research, Tennessee Nonprofit Network Background on the Johnson Amendment The Johnson Amendment is a provision in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that prohibits tax-exempt organizations—including charities and houses of worship—from endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. Enacted in 1954, the law was intended to ensure

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network One of my first jobs out of college was at a mental health organization for children. I was eager to make a difference, filled with the idealism that often accompanies a fresh start in the nonprofit world. I quickly learned that while passion was essential,

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network So, you’ve dedicated your life (or at least your 9-to-5, and let’s be real, often your 5-to-9) to making the world a better place. You’re knee-deep in grant applications, volunteer schedules, and the existential dread of fundraising, all for a cause you genuinely believe in.

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network My new favorite hobby is studying human behavior under pressure. Yes, this includes watching videos of public freakouts on YouTube, which can be both hilarious and terribly sad. Or shows like Walking Dead where, in the face of a zombie hoard, people make really bad,

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network The Unspoken Expectation There’s a persistent myth in the nonprofit sector that fundraising is solely the purview of the development staff or the executive director. This belief often leads to a critical disconnect, especially when board members express discomfort with the idea of “asking for