Telling the Story
Bonnie R. Bashford Fund
Established 2008
Bonnie Bashford lived every moment to its fullest, inspiring those around her to do the same. She truly appreciated the value of giving back. When she died, she left a portion of her estate, including her home of more than 30 years, to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to do what she had intended – always give back to the community. Through The Community Foundation, her legacy will continue on. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Properties, LLC, was able to market and sell the real estate she left, creating the Bonnie R. Bashford Fund to support Nashville public schools and to make possible affordable housing for underprivileged persons. Whether it’s a house, farm, vacation home, or commercial building, you can use your gift of real estate to fulfill your charitable dreams and create a legacy of giving, just as Bonnie Bashford did.
To learn more about making a difference with a gift of real estate, call The Community Foundation at 615-321-4939. To learn about a variety of giving options online, including gifts of real estate, click here.
Alex LeVasseur Memorial Fund
Established 2007
In 13 years, Alex LeVasseur led a life full of fun, full of passion and full of friends. A comrade to everyone, Alex set an example for his peers of how to be a friend, and how to make the most of each moment. Alex passed away in January 2007 in a tragic ATV accident. His legacy lives on through friendships and through his family members. To permanently memorialize Alex and share his passion for skating with other teenagers, his parents, Stephanie LeVasseur and Jeffrey Steele, started the Fund which helps motivate kids in school and life by providing incentives and mentors to kids with a passion for skateboarding in Nashville.
Early Childhood Education Scholarship
Established 2007
Baby Nya is looking at a bright future. Mom to five-month-old Nya, Chunita Allen is busy embracing motherhood and looking forward to pursuing an education this year with the help of the Early Childhood Education Scholarship. This scholarship benefits the working poor, who often face the difficult choice of quitting school or leaving a job to care for a child due to the rising cost of daycare, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty. The goal of this initiative is to transform the lives of children who risk entering the public school system with an avoidable early learning deficit that will forever hamper their ability to learn and to succeed in school and in life. Chunita can attend school knowing her daughter is in good hands at one of the many accredited Three-Star rated nonprofit centers offering early childhood education.
The Village Real Estate Fund
Established 2003
Village Real Estate Services knows that a strong community is not only about booming businesses and buying and selling, but about a commitment to making its neighborhoods better places for everyone to live. Through The Community Foundation, Mark Deutschmann and the Village Real Estate team are reinvesting in the community that sustains them by supporting nonprofits which promote the growth of healthy, thriving communities.
Taggie-Big Pig Advised Fund
Established 2007
Taggie and Big Pig are more than stuffed animals. They’re the constant companions for Rylie and Connor O’Neil, Heidi and Michael O’Neil’s two young children. They are also reminders of what it means to see and respond to the needs of others as simply and as honestly as children do. By following Rylie and Connor’s example - along with Taggie and Big Pig - The O’Neil Family will support charitable causes important to them through this Fund.
Partners In Nursing Fund
Established 2007
What would our health care be like without nurses? This is a question we are unwilling to answer. The Community Foundation looked at the nursing shortage crisis facing Tennessee and created a place to convene some of the top minds in nursing. The Foundation, along with The Tennessee Center for Nursing and other statewide partners, applied for and received funding from Partners Investing in Nursing's Future (PIN). Led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Northwest Health Foundation, this two-year program aims to address the crisis by increasing the number of nurse educators, retaining nurses by creating a positive work environment, and giving nursing students more educational opportunities in clinical settings.
The Unrestricted Endowment
The kids at Rocketown’s summer program are learning skills from fashion design to skateboard tricks. What’s more, they are learning to express themselves, building bonds of friendship, and just being kids in a safe, alcohol and drug free environment. A grant through the Unrestricted Fund helped Rocketown purchase audio visual equipment for use in the after-school and summer program. Each year, hundreds of nonprofits receive grants from the Unrestricted Fund to support programs addressing need and providing long-term solutions in Middle Tennessee. Unrestricted Funds are the most flexible and allow The Foundation to invest in ideas that shed new light on the needs and aspirations of Middle Tennesseans.
The Fisk Jubilee Singers Fund
Established 2007
For more than a century, the Fisk Jubilee Singers have been singing Negro spirituals, in Nashville, across the country, and around the world, keeping alive this rich African American musical tradition. The original Jubilee Singers began singing "slave songs" in 1871, breaking down racial barriers. Francis Guess, seated with the Singers and musical director Paul Kwami, understands the importance of protecting such a community treasure and was instrumental in establishing this endowment to protect its heritage for future generations. The Fisk Jubilee Singers' Fund for the Future is designed to provide support for this institution in perpetuity.
The Chad Welch Memorial Fund
Established 2007
Team Chad is running with intention. With each step, they are creating a lasting legacy for their friend Chad Welch. Even more, they are running to contribute to the greater fight against leukemia that Chad fought for more than two years. Chad was diagnosed with Acute Mylogenous Leukemia on April 26, 2005. After 26 months, he lost his courageous battle with cancer. His family and friends came together to make a difference after his untimely passing in June 2007. Inspired by his courage and selfless nature, they found a place to start something special that not only memorializes Chad but also raises money for leukemia-related charities in his name.
Make Your Community Flower Fund
Established 2001
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Community Foundation and to give back to the generous people of Middle Tennessee, the Make Your Community Flower Fund was established in 2001. This Fund truly makes Middle Tennessee flourish, by providing the means to plant flowers and community gardens and to beautify the place we all call home.
The Animal Welfare Fund
Established 2005
This Fund is intended to permanently endow support for nonprofit organizations in Middle Tennessee that provide for the health and welfare of all animals. The architects of the Animal Welfare Fund, like Pamela Davis-Needham shown here with her dog Zach, are several of the area’s most committed animal rights advocates who’ve put their money where their hearts are – with birds of all feathers and creatures big and small. The Animal Welfare Fund provides financial resources to animal welfare/rescue nonprofits through the 40-county area of Middle Tennessee.
The Unrestricted Endowment
Established 1991
The Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership (J.U.M.P.) exists to preserve the history and economy of Jefferson Street and North Nashville, but the concerned citizens who make this organization and community flourish know that it’s about more than businesses. It’s about the people who make it a neighborhood. J.U.M.P. Executive Director Sharon Hurt said, “With our mission comes inclusiveness from the community’s residents and youth.” Hurt and others recognize how music both captures the history of Jefferson Street and acts as an educational force for the community, which is why J.U.M.P. began a summer music program for youth. A grant through the Impact Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee helped purchase instruments and music materials for the program. “Music is a universal language. It can be enjoyed collectively or individually. Music gives each child an opportunity to shine,” said Hurt. The world-class musicians who dedicate their time and energy to the program work to empower the kids and instill the sense they can do anything they set their minds to. It’s about the power of music; it’s also about learning life skills through their lessons. Instructor and musician Joe Johnson remarked, “Music shows you a level of discipline and commitment, even if the kids are not going to do music later. Music is a great way to start.”
“Within a few weeks, you can see that they have soaked up the knowledge we’ve disseminated. The kids are elated. Who knows what Bachs or Mozarts we are sending out into the community.”
— Llewellyn Peter, keyboard instructor and musician
Disaster Response Funds
Disaster can strike at any time, anywhere and in any way.
It happened here in 2006 and in 1998. It happened twice in 2005 when the tsunami in Southeast Asia was followed by a series of hurricanes including Katrina.
Whenever and wherever disaster strikes, people give to support both rescue and recovery. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee stands ready to connect such generosity with need, here at home and in places far away.
