The Community Foundation

GivingMatters.com is a powerful online resource created to inform, empower and enrich charitable giving in Middle Tennessee – benefiting donors, nonprofits and the community at large. GivingMatters.com furthers the cause of philanthropy in our region by promoting nonprofit transparency and putting nonprofit information at the fingertips of donors, volunteers, and community members in an easy-to-use, searchable online database.

GivingMatters.com encourages nonprofit organizational assessment; promotes informed philanthropy by providing critical information to donors; and helps nonprofit organizations locate resources for capacity development. GivingMatters.com contains more than 1,400 detailed profiles of local nonprofit organizations, and is FREE to both nonprofits and users.

On GivingMatters.com, you can:
FIND detailed programmatic, operational, and financial information on more than 1,400 local nonprofits
LEARN about emerging issues facing Middle Tennessee communities
GIVE directly to the nonprofit(s) of your choice with a secure online donation

How does it work?

• Search for a nonprofit profile by name, keyword, service area, or geographical area to read about their history, programs, staff, board, and achievements.

• Read Issue Overviews to research causes that interest you, and to find local nonprofits addressing those issues.

• Create a free User Account to save information on your favorite organizations and areas of interest.

• Make a secure gift through the GivingMatters.com online donation system.

• Contact organizations directly to learn more about volunteer opportunities and other ways to help.

• Find up-to-the-minute news about local nonprofit events, needs, and opportunities through GivingMatters.com Facebook and Twitter feeds.

Where do I start?

• Visit www.GivingMatters.com to access nonprofit profiles, community Issue Overviews, or to create a free User Account.

• If your nonprofit would like to be profiled on GivingMatters.com, complete a Nonprofit Information Form. Return it and all required attachments to The Community Foundation.

• If you are a donor advisor or part of a foundation or grant-making program and would like to learn more about using GivingMatters.com in your work, contact the GivingMatters.com staff at givingmatters@cfmt.org.

Over a decade ago, community leaders saw a need for an Inventory of Community Needs and Resources. While donors were inundated with requests for contributions, they felt less aware of the needs—and the resources to address those needs—within the Middle Tennessee community, and weren’t always confident about how their philanthropic dollars were being put to use. Local philanthropic leaders envisioned a tool that would empower givers to understand the needs of the local nonprofit community, and to feel confident in their philanthropic investments.

In 2004, this took the shape of GivingMatters.com—a tool for nonprofits, donors, and funders to research local issues and the nonprofits serving those issues. Today, GivingMatters.com hosts over 1,300 profiles of Middle Tennessee nonprofits which contain detailed information on organizations’ history, programs, governance, and finances.

GivingMatters.com furthers The Community Foundation’s mission of “connecting generosity with need” by raising the level of local nonprofit transparency, making comprehensive information available to potential donors and volunteers, and identifying emerging needs. Primary goals include:

•    Encourage more strategic giving from Middle Tennessee’s current philanthropic community
•    Expand the number of community donors by helping match donor interest with need
•    Increase dollars given by identifying pressing needs and showing donors how their leadership can impact critical issues
•    Advance the nonprofit sector as a whole by strengthening individual agencies and encouraging collaborative partnerships

After several years of growth, The Community Foundation re-launched GivingMatters.com on the DonorEdge platform, which was acquired by Guidestar.org, in November 2008. This newer platform involves an improved site design and enhanced features such as:

•    Easy navigation and Advanced Search options
•    Free online donation functionality available to all profiled nonprofits
•    Improved site design with nonprofit logos, photos and video links
•    Illustrative graphs and charts breaking down critical financial information
•    Updated Issue Overviews highlighting local needs

Since 2007, GivingMatters.com has produced an annual Capital Campaign Report for our region. The data in this report is compiled from hundreds of responses to a survey sent to more than 1,400 nonprofits in Middle Tennessee. The purpose of this report is to:
•    Announce new campaigns to local funders
•    Give donors an update on funds raised-to-date in ongoing capital campaigns
•    Provide information on recently completed campaigns
•    Announce preliminary plans for capital campaigns in the next three years
•    Note trends over time in Middle Tennessee

A capital campaign, for the purposes of this report, is defined as a fundraising effort beyond annual operating or program budgets. A capital campaign is focused on the purchase of a permanent asset (i.e. land, building, major equipment) or a major renovation project. Endowment campaigns may also be part of a capital campaign.

Please visit the GivingMatters.com homepage to view this year’s report online, or contact givingmatters@cfmt.org to request a physical copy.

GivingMatters.com is generously supported by the following partners:

Aladdin Industries
Baptist Healing Trust
Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
First Tennessee Foundation
The Frist Foundation
The HCA Foundation
The Louie M. and Betty M. Phillips Foundation
The Memorial Foundation