Blog

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

by Angela Meekins, West Tennessee Regional Manager, Tennessee Nonprofit Network First, I am fine! Just a banged-up leg on the mend. But the story of how it happened—and what I felt afterward—made me stop in my tracks and think about something that matters to every nonprofit: how we take care of our employees. It was

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network Nonprofit and philanthropic leaders from across Tennessee recently came together in Nashville for a pre-conference roundtable to address the pressing challenges facing the state’s nonprofit sector. Co-hosted by Tennessee Nonprofit Network and the Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund and facilitated by staff at Elevate Consulting,

From the staff, Board of Directors, and Community Action Council of Tennessee Nonprofit Network It’s been a tough few weeks in our country. We’re all feeling the tension in the air, the weight of the news, and the further division that recent events have caused across our country. In the nonprofit sector, we are on

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network The nonprofit workplace can be a crucible of ambition, potlucks, and the subtle, lingering scent of suspicion. We’ve all been there. You’re in a meeting, your supervisor gives you a look that could curdle milk, and a cold dread settles in your stomach. They’re out

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network When Melissa and I sat down for coffee, she was brimming with a familiar brand of resolve—the kind that fuels a good leader when their back is against the wall. Her nonprofit, a vital lifeline providing housing to victims of domestic violence, was facing a