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by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network Professional development is often discussed in nonprofit circles with the same solemn, reverent cadence usually reserved for board audits, Form 990 filings, or mandatory software updates that break everything. Yet, behind the jargon-heavy brochures and mandatory slide decks lies an indisputable reality: professional development is […]

NASHVILLE — Last weekend, leaders, advocates, and partners from across the state gathered at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee for a historic, collaborative event: the Joint Community Action Council, Board, and Staff Retreat hosted by Tennessee Nonprofit Network. Held on July 11, 2026, the retreat marked a monumental milestone for the organization, which has

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network If you were to ask any nonprofit executive director what they want most in this world, they will confidently tell you world peace, an end to systemic poverty, and a balanced budget. After all, achieving what feels impossible is quite literally our job description. We

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network Congratulations. You have successfully navigated the hiring process, dodged the temptation to hire the candidate who answered every interview question with an inspirational quote from a TikTok influencer, and secured a new employee. Take a brief moment to celebrate. Drink a cup of herbal tea.

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network Imagine arriving at a high-stakes arcade with a single, plastic cup containing exactly seven tokens. You could spend them carefully on the games you actually know how to play, or you could shove them all into five different machines simultaneously, mash every button with your

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network If you want to witness the cutting edge of data manipulation, you do not look at Wall Street trading floors or international banking cartels. You look inside the staff supply closet at the downtown branch of the Horizon Youth Initiative on a rainy Thursday evening.

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network In the nonprofit sector, professional development is often treated like a mythical creature. We are fairly certain it exists somewhere in the wild, and we occasionally see brochures for it, but we rarely have the time or the budget to go hunting for it. Instead,

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network Negotiation in the commercial sector is frequently depicted as a high-stakes contact sport. It involves glass skyscrapers, expensive tailored suits, power lunches where people eat expensive steaks, and the casual throwing around of phrases like “leverage” and “hostile takeover.” The goal is simple: maximize profit,

by Dr. Kevin Dean, President & CEO, Tennessee Nonprofit Network There is a beautiful, dangerous delusion that circulates through the office hallways of the nonprofit sector. It is a myth whispered by veteran executives and believed by idealistic coordinators alike: the idea that because an organization is working toward a higher purpose, its workplace is