Blog

by Dr. Kevin Dean, Tennessee Nonprofit Network The chilling silence of the empty office, the flickering fluorescent lights casting long, distorted shadows, the persistent, unsettling feeling that something isn’t quite right. For those dedicated to the noble cause of running a nonprofit, these aren’t just atmospheric details from a horror film; they can be the […]

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO of Tennessee Nonprofit Network Kevin Dean here, your friendly neighborhood President and CEO of Tennessee Nonprofit Network, reporting (and still slightly giddy) from the aftermath of what can only be described as the most gloriously chaotic and joy-filled Nonprofit CEO Retreat in recent memory. Forget the cucumber water

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network If you’ve ever attended the Tennessee Nonprofit Conference (formerly Mid-South Nonprofit Conference, you’ll likely conjure images of vibrant networking, groundbreaking ideas, and the mandatory complimentary coffee. It’s one of the biggest conferences in the American South for nonprofits, a veritable Mecca of mission-driven minds. And

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network The year 2020 was one that feels simultaneously like yesterday and a bygone era, doesn’t it? It was the year of sourdough starters, tiger kings, and a word that became so ubiquitous it nearly lost all meaning: “pivot.” Remember the endless Zoom calls, the frantic

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network The old community center buzzed with a familiar, comforting hum, but to Sarah, it sounded more like a distant echo. For twenty years, the Bright Futures Learning Center had been her life’s work, a haven where children from underserved neighborhoods found tutoring, mentorship, and a

Note: we have already sold half of our available tickets to the 2025 Tennessee Nonprofit Conference in only two weeks time! We will sell out early! We are thrilled to announce that Amber Hamilton, a visionary leader with over 25 years of experience in leadership strategies and nonprofit management, will be our keynote speaker at the

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network Imagine, if you will, the pinnacle of modern travel convenience: booking a house on AirBNB. The photos online are pure vacation porn – sun-drenched rooms, a perfectly fluffed duvet, a tantalizing glimpse of a clawfoot tub. You can almost smell the freshly brewed coffee and

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network They say I can be “difficult.” I prefer to think of it as “disagreeable,” at least in the enlightened sense championed by Malcolm Gladwell across his various literary and auditory endeavors. One might even describe me as mouthy, aggressive, terse, and frankly, impatient. My tolerance

Tennessee Nonprofit Network is thrilled to announce the launch of a vital new resource for our sector: the Tennessee Nonprofit Compensation Survey Report! Understanding appropriate compensation and benefits is paramount for effective nonprofit leadership and strong governance. This comprehensive report, a collaborative effort between Tennessee Nonprofit Network and the esteemed Sycamore Institute, launched in late

In the ever-evolving landscape of U.S. tax policy, proposed changes often send ripples across various sectors. The philanthropic community is currently bracing for one such significant tremor: a potential overhaul of how private foundations are taxed on their net investment income, as part of the current budget reconciliation legislation. This legislative tool, which allows Congress