Nonprofit grant recommendations submitted to Dean

$2M up for grabs from Community Enhancement Fund

Email | Print By Nate Rau

A total of 26 local nonprofit organizations in three areas of emphasis were recommended to receive portions of the $2 million Mayor Karl Dean has allocated as part of his new Community Enhancement Fund program, it was announced Friday.

Dean instituted the CEF program to take politics out of the process for determining which groups receive funds and to provide accountability for the program. Dean announced changes to Metro’s nonprofit grant program when he submitted his budget proposal in March.

Since then, it was determined the CEF program would include three areas of emphasis: domestic abuse, after-school programs and community service groups. Three subcommittees were formed to narrow down an initial field of 142 applicants for Metro funds and in the end 26 programs were recommended for grants.

“This is a tight budget year and we have limited resources to share with our nonprofit community,” Dean said in a released statement. “It is important that the resources we have be distributed in a fair and equitable way. The grant program allowed for the thoughtful consideration of the needs of our community and the best organizations to fulfill those needs. I want to thank the review panel members for their commitment to this process.”

Last year’s Metro operating budget for nonprofit grants was about $2.4 million.

Among the local nonprofit groups, the two receiving the most money were the Project for Neighborhood Aftercare ($300,000) and the Second Harvest Food Bank ($202,000). The YMCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee received $196,000 for its domestic violence program.

The full list of programs can be accessed here.