A Good Foundation - The Newsletter of CFMT - Summer 2021

A GOOD FOUNDATION THE NEWSLETTER OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

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Photographed at the groundbreaking ceremony May 26 for The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s new home at the corner of Woodmont Boulevard and Belmont Boulevard are (photo above left, from left): Metro Council members Sharon Hurt and Russ Pulley; Metro Nashville County Clerk Brenda Wynn; CFMT president Ellen Lehman; The Frist Foundation president Pete Bird; CFMT Board members Susan Simons, Kerry Graham, Ron Corbin, and Deborah Taylor Tate; Metro Nashville Juvenile Court Clerk Lonnell Matthews; CFMT Board member Will Alexander; and Metro Nashville Chief of Police John Drake. (Photo right), Tuck-Hinton Architecture & Design's site plan of the future home of CFMT.

THE FRIST FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES $1M COMMITMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF CFMT’S FUTURE HOME Sometimes the reasons for moving from an aging building to a new building have more to do than just leaving behind a leaky roof, cracked stucco, finicky plumbing and consistent electrical issues.

Pete Bird, longtime president of The Frist Foundation, got to the heart of the matter at a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, May 26 to unveil details of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s future home at the corner of Woodmont Boulevard and Belmont Boulevard in Green Hills.

“It’s not because the Foundation staff needed new admin space,” Bird said. “It’s because The Community Foundation is the focal point for Nashville philanthropy.

It’s where people and ideas come together — frequently — to make great things happen in our region.

“For that you need space, you need parking, and you need a welcoming environment,” he continued. “As I look at the building plans and at this fantastic location, I think that’s exactly what we’re going to get.

“Keep watching this space.”

Bird’s announcement that The Frist Foundation has committed $1 million toward construction of the facility was a highlight of the ceremony at the site, which attracted more than 75 funders, board members, and city officials, including former Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell, Metro Nashville Chief of Police John Drake, Davidson County Clerk Brenda Wynn and Juvenile Court Clerk Lonnell Matthews, and Metro Council members Sharon Hurt (At-Large) and Russ Pulley, who represents the neighborhood’s District 25.

A full groundbreaking is set for late summer, with an anticipated late 2022 construction completion.

Tuck-Hinton Architecture and Design, engineers I.C. Thomasson Associates and general contractors Skanska attended the ceremony and answered questions afterward.

Tuck-Hinton also displayed several renderings of the proposed building.

Former CFMT board chair Susan Simons has been a leader on the organization’s building committee and has worked with fellow Board of Trustee member Bert

Mathews “for at least 15 years” in finding a new home for The Foundation, which has been in its 3833 Cleghorn Ave. home about a mile and a half away since 2002.

CFMT president Ellen Lehman is grateful for the property thanks to the kindness of Dan and Margaret Maddox, Robin Hurdle and Aubrey Harwell.

“This is critical work for our communities and the region moving forward. And with this new property, we have high hopes for the future,” Lehman told the crowd.

The new building’s two floors will house CFMT’s operations, with a reception area, conference rooms, and a mix of open and private offices and meeting rooms.

“To continue its work as a catalyst and a convener, The Foundation’s new property will be available as a resource to bring people and groups together to review and address community issues, with the hopes of forging new partnerships and strengthening those that already exist,” Lehman said.

“One aspect of the new building that I think sets us apart will be our archives.

We’re already working on digitizing our extensive archives over these past 30-plus years … so present and future generations can read stories, examine photos, and see and hear videos such as the tale of the HCA 23 and the years Trish Frist and Trisha Elcan helped launch and sustain The Women’s Fund, as examples.”

A proposed, as yet-unfunded, secondary building will be used to hold donor and grantee meetings and events, as well as provide accessible shared services and community space for people and organizations to work toward a common goal.

CFMT announced the purchase of the six-acre site from the State of Tennessee in August 2020.

The property had been home to the Nashville office of the state’s Regional Intervention Program, a multi-city social services initiative focused on behavior management for youth.

(Photos from left): Tuck-Hinton Architecture & Design unveiled an artist’s rendering of the future home of CFMT. CFMT board member Susan Simons takes a seat atop an excavator after the morning groundbreaking ceremony, accompanied by Tuck-Hinton architects Curtis Lesh, Gina Raffanti and Mary Roskilly; Project manager Larry Atema (left), Metro Nashville Juvenile Court Clerk Lonnell Matthews and Metro Nashville Chief of Police John Drake chat; District 25 Metro Council member Russ Pulley addresses the crowd; Susan Simons warmly greets fellow CFMT board member and longtime building committee member Bert Mathews, as project manager Andrew Causey looks on.

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BLUECROSS HEALTHY PLACE AT THE NORTHWEST FAMILY YMCA

BEN R. RECHTER, BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACTIVIST AND BENEFACTOR, REMEMBERED

The Northwest Family YMCA in Bordeaux officially broke ground May 19 for its BlueCross Healthy Place recreational area, the first in the Nashville area.

The project will include inclusive play areas for children, water features, basketball and pickleball courts, walking path, and adult fitness equipment among its many features. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee provided nearly $6.4 million to build the new facilities, with an additional $1.06 million to the BlueCross Healthy Place at the Northwest Family YMCA Fund at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee for repairs and other operating expenses.

Behind-the-Scenes Benefactor of Civil Rights, Education, Nonprofits, the Arts, Public Media Nashville businessman and philanthropist Ben R. Rechter, whose behind-the-scenes efforts involving civil rights, education, nonprofits, public media, and the arts were integral in making the Middle Tennessee region a national model over the past 50 years, passed away on May 7. He was 83.

Rechter was president of Rogers Group Investments, Inc. and was a founder and the second-ever board chair at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT), where he remained an active member of its Board of Trustees.

CFMT honored him and other founders with the Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award in 2001. In 2016, he shared the initial Bridge to Equality Award along with his close friend, the late Francis Guess, for their tireless efforts to create equal opportunity in Nashville.

“It is hard to imagine how many lives he has touched,” said Ellen Lehman, CFMT president and one its founders, “and certainly all of us involved with The Community Foundation are on that list.”

Rechter was a past recipient of the NAACP’s Legacy Award for individuals who created positive, impactful change and a measurable difference with the Greater Nashville community. He was appointed to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission by President Ronald Reagan and served 30 years on the Tennessee Commission on Human Rights.

Among his long list of community service, Rechter was a benefactor and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nashville Public Television and served on several boards of directors, including the Metropolitan Nashville Public Education Foundation, American Learning Solutions, and the recently opened National Museum of African American Music, on which he was Chair of the Finance Committee.

“I don’t think anyone has loved Nashville as intensely as Ben Rechter did,” said Kerry Graham, Nashville advertising and marketing executive and fellow CFMT board member. “He was proud of its growth, but he also had this intensely urgent sense that we were outgrowing the things that had made this city great in the first place — that the Nashville we fell in love with will disappear unless we protect and preserve its special character: our kindness, our generosity, our willingness to help those who live around us.

“Ben was fiercely concerned about that, and what that meant for our neighbors here who haven’t shared in the “It City” spotlight, affluence and self-esteem,” Graham continued. “And he saw it as his mission to try and change that."

Full memorial story at www.CFMT.org/rememberingbenrechter

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In our Winter 2021 newsletter honoring cherished fundholders who have passed away in the past year or two, we published an incorrect photo of Lynn McKee Erwin. Here’s the remembrance again in full, with the correct photo:

LYNN MCKEE ERWIN The Lynn McKee Erwin Memorial Endowment

Lynn McKee Erwin, of Columbia, who died January 22, 2019, at age 72, graduated from Middle Tennessee State University and spent her career as a kindergarten and elementary school teacher. She supported her husband of more than 50 years, Ronnie Erwin, as he earned his college degrees.

A high school cheerleader, Lynn never lost her love of cheering and cheerleaders. Columbia Central High School’s cheerleading program benefits from The Lynn McKee Erwin Memorial Endowment opened in December 2019 to honor her legacy.

FINDING THE GOOD WHEN DISASTERS STRIKE Just when we thought we were out of the woods …

As we embarked on a new year and found encouragement in the availability of a new vaccine to protect the public from COVID-19, yet another disaster struck.

This time, instead of deadly winds and man-made explosives, it came in the form of water. Lots and lots of water.

In late March 2021, the Greater Nashville area experienced near-record levels of rain, which caused flooding throughout the region. South Nashville alone saw nearly 1,000 homes and businesses damaged from the rising waters.

Tornado recovery efforts move forward in its rebuilding phase and are expected to continue at least through the end of 2021.

Efforts to help survivors on their journey to become whole again after a devastating disaster has been a part of The Community Foundation’s work for many years.

But no one anticipated that in a little more than a year’s time, Middle Tennessee would feel the impact of tornadoes, civil unrest, a worldwide pandemic, a downtown bomb, and a flood.

Throughout it all, a true sense of community and generous volunteers has taken place while CFMT works side-by-side with local nonprofits, city groups and officials, community organizations and residents.

Since early March 2020, more than $7.8 million in tornado relief and rebuilding funds have been granted to 108 local agencies providing assistance toward debris removal, food, financial needs, clothing and hygiene kits, temporary housing, legal aid, mental health services, rental assistance, and repair and rebuild efforts.

At this point in the recovery process, much progress has been made in rebuilding and repairing homes, as it continues to be a priority through the Davidson County, Recover Wilson, and Putnam Strong long-term tornado recovery groups to ensure no survivor is left behind.

In Davidson and Wilson counties, Nashville-based nonprofit Westminster Home Connection leads the homebuilding efforts to provide oversight of the volunteer contractors working to complete these jobs, while Putnam County’s rebuilding efforts continue to be led by the nonprofit Inspiritus.

After spending most of 2020 navigating tornadoes, civil unrest, and the pandemic, we weren’t out of the woods just yet.

Volunteers help to clean up debris from Mill Creek after the March 28 flood ravaged much of South Nashville and beyond.

At The Community Foundation, we directed gifts to our long-time funds, the Metro Nashville Disaster Response Fund and Tennessee Emergency Response Fund, to help with the immediate relief and subsequent recovery efforts.

A group of local nonprofit agencies that have met multiple times a week since March 2020 to address area needs — known as the Nashville VOAD, or Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters — noticed one glaring difference from this disaster to those that took place in 2020.

It’s something we now identify as “Disaster Fatigue.”

Gifts of time, money, and basic needs have been slow arriving for all organizations in the wake of the March 2021 flood damage. Ditto the local and national media coverage.

Perhaps we’re simply ready to hear stories of hope, not destruction.

And yet community collaboration continues to hold strong, and outreach to flood survivors moves forward. The March floods finally have been federally declared a disaster by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), providing an opportunity for additional survivor assistance.

CFMT grants, totaling $740,908 to date from the Metro Nashville Disaster Response Fund and Tennessee Emergency Response Fund also are helping with debris removal, the muck and gutting and repairing of homes, essential household items, food, legal assistance, and translation services.

So while we may not yet be out of the woods, so to speak, there is indeed a strong message of hope in these words.

No matter the struggle or fatigue, Middle Tennesseans continue to rise up against disaster, both natural and unnatural. Thanks to our donors, The Community Foundation provides support in the efforts toward recovery, as has been our history.

Photographer Ray Di Pietro captures the wreckage of historic Second Ave. South after the tragic Christmas Day bombing.

On Christmas morning, a lone attacker detonated his recreational vehicle loaded with explosives on historic Second Avenue. The blast killed him, injured several others, damaged dozens of downtown buildings, and hampered telecommunications systems throughout the Southeast for several days.

In response to the bombing, and in partnership with WTVF-NewsChannel5, CFMT established the Nashville Neighbors Fund. It continues to supplement needs that may not be covered by the Victims of Crime Act funding, which has been made available at the federal level.

To date, CFMT has provided $496,663 in grants to local organizations helping survivors — residents, business owners and employees alike — with needs such as counseling, temporary housing, financial assistance, food and essential household items. Grants also have been made to address the re-beautification of Second Avenue and to encourage foot traffic to businesses which continue to operate or reopen as the historic city block is rebuilt.

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Tennessee Titans great, CFMT board member and new Tennessee State University head football coach Eddie George hosted the inaugural Eddie George Celebrity Golf Classic July 25-26 at The Golf Club of Tennessee. Proceeds benefit The Tamara and Edward George Legacy Fund at CFMT and the Tennessee State Athletic Fund.

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You can also find past issues of our printed newsletter online at issuu.com/commfoundationmiddletn

SAVE THE DATE for the 27th Annual Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award Luncheon The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee could not be more eager to present the 27th annual Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award to Susan and Luke Simons, civic and community leaders known for their generous philanthropy in the arts, health care, in Nashville and beyond.

Immerse yourself in all that Middle Tennessee's creative community has to offer. Artober Nashville engages the community by highlighting the depth and variety of arts events in the region, while encouraging participation of residents and tourists alike.

A program of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee's initiative NowPlayingNashville, Artober Nashville is held each October during National Arts & Humanities Month. The month-long celebration of the arts in Middle Tennessee celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

Learn more at ArtoberNashville.com.

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S U S A N A N D LU K E S I M O N S December 2, 2021 Music City Center Stay tuned for ticket information and further details.

THE WOMEN’S FUND HOSTS THE POWER OF THE PURSE® VIRTUALLY FROM THE BLUEBIRD CAFE After taking a year off due to the pandemic, The Women's Fund hosted The Power of the Purse virtually this spring from the world-renowned Bluebird Cafe.

Supporters and The Women’s Fund board members held watch parties throughout Nashville on May 19 to view this year's presentation.⁣ The program was one of voices and lyrics, with an intimate conversation with songwriters Aimee Mayo, RaeLynn, Regina McCrary and host Jennifer Vickery Smith.

It was a celebration of The Women’s Fund “In the Round,” as these incredible women shared stories that have shaped their success.⁣ ⁣ The Power of the Purse® is an annual gathering with many of Nashville’s most influential women and farsighted philanthropic leaders who come together to share stories and ideas while raising money to benefit programs serving Middle Tennessee’s women and girls.⁣ ⁣All proceeds of the Power of the Purse® support the grantmaking potential of The Women’s Fund.

(Top left photo) This spring’s virtual The Power of the Purse® celebration at The Bluebird Cafe featured singer-songwriters RaeLynn (left), Regina McCrary, Aimee Mayo and host Jennifer Vickery Smith; (top middle photo) Regina McCrary shows off her thank you gift purse from Nashville designer Mabyl to The Community Foundation President Ellen Lehman; (top right photo) Jennifer Vickery Smith, RaeLynn, Regina McCrary and Aimee Mayo clutch their thank you purses from Mabyl. (bottom left photo) The Power of the Purse co-chairs Angela Bostelman (left) and Leigh Ann Witt hosted a watch party at Witt’s home; (bottom photo, second from left) Mclaine Richardson (left), her mother, Connie Cathcart-Richardson, and Marci Houff gather at the watch party; (bottom middle photo) Arnita Ozgener and The Women’s Fund board member Meera Ballal hosted friends at Oz Arts, including Angela Cartwright (left), Vickie Mertz, Meera Ballal, Dallas Wilt, Arnita Ozgener, Heathie Cox, Alissa Bodart, Vandana Abramson, Jennifer Frist and Janna Smith; (bottom photo, second from right) Kindy Hensler (left), Tonya Stevens, Angela Bostelman and Anne Elizabeth Tachek at the watch party; (bottom right photo) Sisters Suzanne Rivera (left), Patricia Smith and Leigh Ann Witt at the watch party.

SUBSTITUTE SERVICE

CHILDCARETENNESSEE AND TDHS OFFER EMERGENCY GRANTS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO CHILD CARE AGENCIES ChildcareTennessee, an initiative of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, and the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) are offering additional financial support to licensed child care agencies through the Child Care COVID Relief Grant Program.

Under this program, an additional $15 million will be available to licensed child care programs to support business operations and costs related, but not limited to:

• Cleaning and sanitation

• Increased operating expenses such as salaries, insurance, rent, and personal protective equipment

“Availability of quality child care is critical to Tennessee communities and continuing economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” TDHS Commissioner Clarence H. Carter said. “These grants will support child care providers with the financial assistance they need for expenses like cleaning, salaries, and PPE [personal protective equipment] so they can continue delivering care that is safe, healthy, and educationally rich.”

Since March 2020, the two organizations have distributed more than $52 million to child care agencies across Tennessee, preventing closures and keeping child care available to essential workers.

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A GOOD FOUNDATION THE NEWSLETTER OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Nashville, TN Permit No. 2065

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee 3833 Cleghorn Avenue | Nashville, Tennessee 37215 615-321-4939 | 888-540-5200 | CFMT.org OFFICERS Decosta E. Jenkins, Chairman Jack B. Turner, Secretary Lyle Beasley, Treasurer Ellen E. Lehman, President BOARD OF DIRECTORS Will Alexander Hugh Atkinson Jamie Cheek Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. Beth DeBauche Shari Dennis Sara Finley Julie Frist Herb Fritch Eddie George Jim Gingrich Max Goldberg Ray Guzman Christine Karbowiak Cary Mack Andrew May Will Morrow Turner Nashe, Jr. Larry Papel Dee Patel Wayne Smith Paul Stumb Holly Sullivan Gail C. Williams Jay Williams Alan Young

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Judy Liff Barker Jack O. Bovender, Jr. Charles W. Cook, Jr. Ronald L. Corbin Bob Corker Jana Davis Mark Emkes Richard J. Eskind Farzin Ferdowsi John D. Ferguson Stephen F. Flatt Ben G. Freeland Thomas F. Frist, Jr. Alberto R. Gonzales José D. González Joel C. Gordon Kerry Graham Carl T. Haley Aubrey B. Harwell, Jr. Carol O. Hudler Catherine Jackson William C. Koch, Jr. Kevin P. Lavender Robert S. Lipman Bert Mathews Ralph W. Mosley Donna D. Nicely Susan W. Simons Deborah Taylor Tate Charles A. Trost Deborah F. Turner Steve Underwood Betsy Walkup Jerry B. Williams

$4,265,674 Total Dollars Raised

1,017 Participating Counties

2.2% 5.4%

Participating Local Nonprofits

$250,309

3.1% 25.9%

8.7%

in Prizes

$123.46

13.7%

Average Gift Amount

The generosity of thousands of donors and local partners during this year’s 24-hour online giving event, The Big Payback, resulted in a record-breaking 32,941 gifts totaling more than $4.2 million to local nonprofits.

This could not have been done without the compassion of the Middle Tennessee community, and we appreciate your commitment to helping us connect generosity with need.

The team at The Community Foundation expresses with much gratitude, “Thank you!”

THE BIG PAYBACK 2021 SUPPORTERS:

6.6%

$10 - $79,700

10.3% 11.9%

12.3%

Range of Gifts Made

THE FRIST FOUNDATION

11,096 Gifts were made by first time donors to an organization

32,941 Total Gifts KraftCPAs PLLC

Visit The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee online at www.CFMT.org.