Youth Philanthropy in the Middle Tennessee Community

Transcription

1 Youth Philanthropy in the Middle Tennessee Community

2 This document is dedicated to starting conversations between donors and organizations that impact youth in the Middle Tennessee community.

3 Letter from the President Every organization profiled in this Prospectus was chosen for its excellence, impact, and vision to better the lives of disadvantaged youth in Middle Tennessee. We would like to thank all the non-profit professionals who gave their time to sit down and talk with us about their missions, visions, and the impact their organization has had. Every day they help improve the lives of thousands of kids. This Prospectus started as an internal document to highlight organizations engaged in youth philanthropy across our region. We wanted to understand the success of various models and understand each organization s mission and vision. In so doing, we gained insight into the types of programming they administer and the options for impact that are available in the community. While this collection of organizations is aligned with our mission of improving the lives of disadvantaged youth, we wanted to package this as an overview, a menu of giving, that can help other donors and philanthropists better understand the breadth, impact, and mission of organizations in our community. We especially appreciate our longstanding partner the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee. The Phoenix Club of Nashville takes an active role in the organizations it supports--and none more so than the Boys & Girls Clubs whose mission we have supported since our founding and whose work has made a measurable difference in the community. If you are interested in any of the organizations profiled in this book, please contact them directly. Our hope is that this Prospectus helps raise awareness of the amazing work that is going on in the city to support kids and start conversations that result in greater impact in the sector of youth philanthropy. If you want more information about ways to support the Phoenix Club of Nashville as a sponsor of our events, to work with us on our holiday card campaign, or if you want to match our giving, please reach me through our website There are thousands of youth whose lives are being improved through the work of these organizations. It s amazing what people are doing in Middle Tennessee. Sincerely, Phoenix Club Member Contributors: Justin Graham John Chobanian Steven Elliott Allen Grant Craft Hayes Eric Kimmerling Nate Kenney John McChesney Todd Meador Kevin Mitchell Ryan Moses Ford Scudder James Story Special thanks to: Allegra Network Givingmatters.com as a supporting resource Phoenix Club of Nashville Clay Jackson President The Phoenix Club of Nashville

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Phoenix Club Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle TN Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee Boy Scouts of America - Middle TN Chapter CASA First Steps Girl Scouts of America Middle TN Junior Achievement of Middle TN Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle TN Monroe Carell Jr. Children s Hospital at Vanderbilt Nashville Children s Alliance Oasis Our Kids Rocketown Saddle Up W.O. Smith Music School YMCA Camp Widjiwagan Youth Villages Phoenix Club List of Members...38

5 Phoenix Club of Nashville Key Fundraising Initiatives Snacks for Snacks August 23, 2013 Snacks for Snacks completed in its third year as an annual event to support the BGCMT afterschool snacks program, providing upwards of 20,000 after-school eats and snack. The cocktailparty style event is at Aerial on Broadway. Phoenix Club event for ~400 young professionals. Taste of Nashville November 8, 2013 Taste of Nashville is an annual event held during autumn at a variety of venues that help showcase local restaurateurs and musicians. Taste has quickly become one of Nashville s premier parties, and this event showcases great live music and up to 40 of Nashville s most respected eateries. Local media publications have labeled Taste as Nashville s Steeplechase of the Fall, drawing over 800 people annually. Event capacity ~1,000. Holiday Greeting Cards Campaign Sales beginning in August Each and every year the many very talented artists of Nashville join together with the Phoenix Club to offer a wonderful selection of Holiday Cards. Through our Holiday Greeting Card drive, we join together with local companies and individuals alike to spread holiday cheer as well as raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs. Historically the Phoenix Club s largest annual fundraiser. Send a Kid to Summer Camp The Send-a-Kid to Summer Camp program funds both day and overnight trips for kids to attend YMCA Camp Widgiwagan for a week-long summer camp experience. Program funded in partnership between the Phoenix Club and YMCA kids participated 2013 $12,000 Raised New Years Eve Fireball December 31, 2013 In its second year, the Phoenix Club of Nashville is partnering with W.O. Smith Music School to bring in the New Year to host 600 attendees. Friends of the Phoenix Club: Over 10,000 people support PCON Fundraising initiatives. Our appreciation for everyone that supports the mission and goals of the organization cannot be understated. 1

6 The Phoenix Club of Nashville Mission: To significantly impact the direction of our community s youth by raising funds in a social setting that challenges young professional men to be community leaders. The Phoenix Club of Nashville (PCON) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit all-men s organization based in Nashville, Tennessee that raises money to help improve the lives of Nashville s disadvantaged youth. The Phoenix Club parent organization was founded in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1955, with the Nashville Chapter being founded in We are a catalyst in raising funds for Nashville youth and youth programs with a specific focus on supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee. The club raises money in a manner that challenges members to reach out into the community for funds that enable our disadvantaged youth to prosper. In 2013, PCON surpassed $1 million in giving since its inception and expanded its work to support additional organizations benefitting disadvantaged youth in the mid-state area, including but not limited to YMCA Camp Widjiwagan, Junior Achievement, and W.O. Smith Music School funds raised year to date: $120,000 Lifetime funds raised since 2001: over $1,000,000 Current Number of Members: 80 Phoenix Club of Nashville We strive to provide a funding mechanism to help alter the course of disadvantaged youth while developing lasting friendships in the young professional ranks of Middle Tennessee. The Phoenix Club is a dynamic cross section of young professionals. Among Phoenix Club alumni in Nashville are countless non-profit board members, community leaders, businessmen, entrepreneurs, bankers, sales professionals, attorneys, architects, engineers, developers, insurers, accountants, and physicians. With effort in this exciting initiative, members make long lasting friendships while giving back to the Nashville community. Men invited to join have always been required to meet two basic requirements: hold a sincere interest in furthering the goals of the Phoenix Club, and have potential for future leadership in the community. While this club continues to take on a character and life all its own, it is based on principles that have changed the lives of young children in Tennessee for over half a century. Membership enables life-long personal and professional friendships to be formed. 2

7 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle TN Major Programs Community Based Program: Caring volunteer adult role models make a commitment to spend 4 to 8 hours each month for a minimum of one year in a one-to-one mentoring relationship with a child who can benefit from a mentor. The children participating in the program are eligible to participate if they are in a single-parent family, have a parent incarcerated, attend a Title 1 school or are eligible for a free or reduced lunch program. School Based Program: Volunteers make a commitment to spend one hour each week in a one-to-one mentoring relationship with their Little Brother or Little Sister in a school during regular school hours or after school in a community center or other setting. Amachi Program: Provides mentors for children of prisoners, with many of the mentors coming from the faith-based community. These mentoring matches can be a part of the Community Based, School Based or Site Based program. RSVP Program: The RSVP program is a School Based mentoring program, with volunteer mentors who are 55 and older serving elementary children in their schools. Number of employees: 35 Number of volunteers: Revenue: $3 M Expense: $3.3 M Member of the Center for Non-Profit Management? Yes 3

8 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle TN Mission: Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee has been successfully facilitating mentoring relationships for children since 1969, contributing to brighter futures, better schools, and stronger communities. Significant recent accomplishments include but are not limited to: Served 2,078 children in 2012 even in the face of a significant loss of federal funding and loss of program staff. Firmly established a performance management culture of passionate professionals incorporating best business practices, including an enhanced service delivery model and cutting-edge agency information management system. Big Brothers Big Sisters brand awareness and the agency s focus on quality and match retention. Agency was one of only ten nationwide out of over 360 to receive a national Quality Award from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. One of 10 pilot agencies for a nationwide Juvenile Justice Initiative focused on at-risk and high-risk youth funded by the U. S. Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention. One of 12 pilot agencies implementing the Step Up 2 Thrive Program, an evidence-based approach to promoting youth assets. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle TN These accomplishments have led to greater support from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America finding its way to Tennessee. Our vision is to serve more than 5,000 kids per year. We will continue to be good stewards of the investment of time, talent, and treasure so graciously bestowed on us by this community. Website: GivingMatters.com Keyword: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee Facebook: President & CEO: Carlyle Carroll Donor Contact: Doug Halleen Board Chair: Tom Price Year founded:

9 Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee Major Programs Education and Career Development: Enables youth to become proficient in basic educational disciplines, apply learning to everyday situations, and embrace technology to achieve success in a career. Character and Leadership Development: Empowers youth to support and influence their Club and community, sustain meaningful relationships with others, develop a positive self-image, participate in the democratic process, and respect their own and others cultural identities. Health and Life Skills: Develops young peoples capacity to engage in positive behaviors that nurture their own well-being, set personal goals, and live successfully as self-sufficient adults. Sports, Fitness and Recreation: Develops fitness, positive use of leisure time, skills for stress management, and appreciation for the environment and social skills. The Arts: Enables youth to develop their creativity and cultural awareness through knowledge and appreciation of the visual arts, crafts, performing arts, and creative writing. Clubs: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee offers dedicated youth facilities, neighborhoodbased buildings designed solely for youth programs and activities. The Clubs are open when kids need us most, weekdays after school and during the summer when kids have free time and need positive, productive outlets. Any child between the ages of 5 and 18 can become a Club member. There are 5 Middle Tennessee Clubs located in Davidson & Williamson Counties (Davidson County: Andrew Jackson Club, Glenview Club & Preston Taylor Club; Williamson County: Fairview Club & Franklin Club). Initiatives are underway to reopen the flagship Thompson Lane Club in the near future. Academic Programs: The Clubs provide a variety of educational programs to reinforce and supplement school programs. Notable among the programs offered are Project Learn, which reinforces academic enrichment; Power Hour: Making Minutes Count a tutoring program that encourages Club members at every age to become self-directed learners; Be Great: Graduate, the BGCA s dropout prevention program; and Diplomas 2 Degrees a college readiness, access and success program. Specialized Programs: Through the Clubs, the members have access to Youth For Unity, a comprehensive set of interventions, which aims to promote and celebrate diversity while combating prejudice, bigotry and discrimination. SMART Moves (Skills Mastery and Resistance Training) prevention/education program addresses problems such as drug and alcohol use and premature sexual activity. SMART Girls is a health, fitness, prevention/education and self-esteem enhancement program for girls ages 8 to 17. Passport to Manhood is an innovative rites-of-passage program for boys ages 8-17 so that they will learn the skills necessary to successfully transition into adulthood. Major programs: Youth Development Number of employees: 41 Number of volunteers: 545 Revenue: $2.1 M Expense: $2.0 M Member of the Center for Non-Profit Management? Yes 5

10 Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee Mission: Phoenix Club of Nashville Core Partner To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee is a youth development organization that is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of the youth in our community. The Clubs provide a safe place to learn and grow; ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals; life-enhancing programs; character development experiences; and hope and opportunity. Boys & Girls Clubs are places where kids receive homework help and tutoring, learn about healthy habits and nutrition, and become upstanding citizens all while still being kids. In addition to fun, recreational programming, Club kids also learn the proper skill sets to avoid drug and alcohol use, reduce teenage pregnancy and how to deal with negative peer pressures like bullying and gangs. In the words of the President and CEO, I am most proud that Boys & Girls Clubs proactively seek to serve the youth that haven fallen through the cracks. We strive to partner with other community organizations to leverage relationships that offer our Club kids the best chance at success both academically and in their personal lives. Inside of their Boys & Girls Clubs, our kids find a place where they feel safe and truly belong. Website: GivingMatters.com Keyword: Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee Facebook: President & CEO: Dan Jernigan Donor contact: John Winnett Board Chair: Farzin Ferdowsi Year founded: 1903 Phoenix Club of Nashville Core Partner The Phoenix Club of Nashville has supported the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennesssee since the Club was founded in 2001 and traces its philanthropic origin to supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs. In addition to general gifts, PCON program level support includes the Send-a-kid to summer camp program in partnership with YMCA and Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee Snacks Programs. PCON participates on Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee Board of Directors. Boys & Girls Club Code Memorized by all Club Members: I believe in God and the right to worship according to my own faith and religion I believe in America and the American way of life; the Constitution, and Bill of Rights I believe in Fair Play, Honesty, and Sportsmanship I believe in my Boys & Girls Club which stands for these things Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee 6

11 Boy Scouts of America Middle TN Chapter Major Programs Boy Scout Program: The Boy Scout Program served 5,998 during This program teaches Boys ages respect for peers & adults, goal orientation, teamwork, self reliance, leadership skills and the value of community service. There are 98,887 youth that are eligible to participate in the Boy Scout Program in our 37 county service area. Youth in Boy Scouts meet weekly and the program is conducted year-round. Cub Scout Program: The Cub Scout Program served 13,705 youth during This program teaches boys ages 8-10 an awareness of self & family, respect for peers & adults, goal orientation, teamwork, and the value of community service. There are 84,901 boys in our service area who are of the ages eligible to participate in Cub Scouts. Boys in Cub Scouts meet weekly and the program is conducted year-round. Exploring: The Exploring Program served 3,023 youth during This program gives Senior High boys and girls a hands on look into their chosen career field before they make a commitment to that career with further education or accepting a job in that line of work. Exploring also teaches teamwork, respect for peers & adults, leadership skills and the value of community service. Our capacity is 96,154 youth that are eligible to participate in the Exploring Program in our 37 county service area. Youth in Exploring meet twice a month during the school year. Venturing Program: The Venturing Program served 3,989 during This program teaches Senior High boys and girls goal orientation, teamwork, self-reliance, leadership skills, respect for the outdoors, and the value of community service. In our service area there are 96,154 youth that are eligible to participate in the Venturing Program. Youth in the Venturing Program meet weekly and the program is conducted year-round. Number of employees: 261 Number of volunteers: 9,000+ Revenue: $7 M Expense: $6.3 M Member of the Center for Non-Profit Management? Yes 7

12 Boy Scouts of America Middle TN Chapter Mission: The Middle Tennessee Council is responsible for implementing the mission of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America which is: to serve others by helping to instill values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices during their lifetime in achieving their full potential. During 2012 our most significant accomplishments were: 1. 26,715 youth and 8,390 adults served in our Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Exploring, and Venturing Programs Boy Scouts earning the Eagle Rank, the highest rank attainable in that program. 3. Over 5,739 youth attending Day Camp and Resident Camp Programs this past summer youth were provided direct financial assistance to attend camping programs in the past year. 5. We have added a Bilingual Multicultural Executive to our staff to help penetrate into the Hispanic community. Boys Scouts of America - Middle TN During 2013, our most important goals are: 1. Increase our youth participation to 27,300 by December 31st. 2. Increase youth participation in Council Camping Programs for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. This includes Cub Scout Day Camp, Cub & Webelos Resident Camp, Boy Scout Summer Camp, and Winter Camp. 3. Continue to increase our involvement of youth and adult volunteers in the Hispanic Community. 4. Continue to be financially solvent while adequately funding the needs of our camp facilities and annual program budget. 5. Send 3 Troops and 2 Crews to the National Jamboree at the new Bechtel Summit Family National Scout Reserve. This will be the first ever Jamboree to welcome female Venturers. Website: GivingMatters.com Keyword: Boy Scouts of America Facebook: President, CEO, & Donor Contact: Hugh Travis Board Chair: Lee Beaman Year founded:

13 CASA Major Programs CASA provides community volunteers to advocate in Davidson County Juvenile Court for children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned. Goal is to get them out of abusive homes and into safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. Why CASA is Rewarding: Due to a burgeoning caseload, DCS finds it difficult at times to give a child s case an individualized and in-depth investigation. CASA s involvement becomes essential in expediting the child s case through the judicial system. Without CASA s involvement, some children would remain in foster care for years, when it would be in the best interest of the child to receive a permanent, stable, loving home placement or adoption. CASA s program is preventative in nature, in that it helps to avoid needless inertia in the resolution of a child s case. Such inertia and the resulting feelings of displacement, shuffling, and impermanence that a child may feel because of extended foster care can contribute to emotional problems in the critical formative years of the child. Consequently, the involvement of a CASA volunteer aids not only in the physical well-being, but the emotional well-being of the child as well. The CASA volunteer can make a tremendous difference in the life of a child. CASA provides the opportunity for caring adults to become actively involved in meeting the needs of the abused, neglected and abandoned children in our community. CASA Volunteer Training: Initial CASA volunteer training consists of 33 hours of classroom work and can be completed in as little as six weeks. After that, each CASA volunteer must complete 12 hours of in-service training per year after graduation. Continuing education continues throughout each assignment, including consultations with program staff and seminars on topics related to child advocacy, child abuse and neglect. The CASA program staff is always available to answer questions and provide support and guidance. Number of employees: 11 Number of volunteers: 200+ Revenue: $735,480 Expense: $718,489 Member of the Center for Non-Profit Management? Yes 9

14 CASA Mission: The mission of CASA is to provide trained volunteers to advocate for the best interests of children who come to the attention of the court primarily as a result of abuse or neglect. CASA It shouldn t hurt to be a child. Unfortunately, too many children in our community are abused and neglected in their homes by the people who are supposed to love them the most. When children are removed from their homes and their case is in the court system, a judge must determine where they should go. Should they remain in foster care? Be reunited with parents? Or be adopted? CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteers are trained to be the voice of these vulnerable child victims of abuse to inform the court of the safest place for the children to live. Most people don t know that CASA is the only organization authorized by Tennessee State law to provide this valuable service to the court on behalf of our abused and neglected children. When a CASA volunteer is appointed to a case, the results are remarkable. The children are: more likely to stay out of the child welfare system more likely to stop continually moving from foster home to foster home more likely to be adopted more likely to be successful in school more like to remain in a stable, caring home We are proud of the 200+ CASA volunteers who invest their personal time to serve over 500 abused and neglected children in Nashville each year. Our goal is to provide a CASA volunteer for every one of the nearly 2,000 children who need a CASA volunteer. They all have a right to be safe. Website: GivingMatters.com Keyword: CASA, Inc. Facebook: Executive Director & Donor Contact: Jane Andrews Board Chair: Wendee Hilderbrand Year founded:

15 First Steps Major Programs Community Outreach Program: The Community Outreach Program supports approximately 500 children with disabilities and their families each year by taking early intervention services to their natural environment whether that is in the child s home, the community daycare, or the hospital room. This program touches the lives of children and families with autism, Downs syndrome, cerebral palsy, prematurity and a variety of medical conditions. Child Development Centers: First Steps operates a quality Early Childhood Development Center serving 75 children that provides early intervention and educational services for children with developmental delays, who are medically fragile or who are typically developing. Our inclusive environment allows children with disabilities to be engaged in routines and activities alongside their typically developing peers. A wide variety of services are provided that are designed to help all children reach their developmental goals, including: developmental assessments and individually based curriculum; child-specific care for health and medical conditions through Pediatric Nursing Services; and early literacy programming. First Steps serves children who are often turned away from other programs due to the severity of their health issues, medical needs or limited resources. Pediatric Therapy: First Steps offers Speech-Language, Physical, Occupational and Aquatic therapies at the McWhorter Family Children s Center. A wide variety of diagnoses are evaluated and treated under one roof with an experienced and knowledgeable therapy team. Number of employees: 42 Number of volunteers: 153 Revenue: $2,300,000 Expense: $2,300,000 Member of the Center for Non-Profit Management? Yes 11

16 First Steps Mission: To care for children with special needs and medical conditions alongside their typically developing peers in an inclusive environment and support their families. Inc. First Steps First Steps has a 50-year history of providing individualized education to children in the Nashville community, including those who have been turned away from other programs due to the severity of their health issues, medical needs or limited resources. First steps, regardless of child condition or background, never turns a child away. It s an integral part of First Steps vision and mission to carry out a service where major emphasis is placed on turning no child away. By doing so, they find that they are able to empower that given child given their innate challenge. They are also aware that by empowering the child through various types of treatment and therapy, the family sees a huge benefit as well. This allows each individual child s potential to come out as any barrier to proper treatment and care is shattered. They prove to parents that there is an organization that cares for the treatment and development of their child, something they may not have ever seen before. First Steps realizes that no one knows children better than their parents. They seek to integrate the parent in as much of their work as possible. As a whole, the community is all the better by having a program that seeks to care for and develop children that otherwise would be turned away. Website: GivingMatters.com Keyword: First Steps Executive Director & Donor Contact: Heather Higgins Board Chair: Anne Martin Year founded:

17 Girl Scouts of Middle TN Major Programs L.E.A.D: L.E.A.D. is an innovative program which matches college women trained as Girl Scout leaders with girls from underserved and lowincome areas to provide a traditional troop experience. The participants are identified as at-risk by their schools (typically title 1 schools), community partners, and/or neighborhood of residence. L.E.A.D. troops meet weekly during the school year and are offered summer camp and special programming opportunities when school is out. Girl University & Campus Tours: Girl University is a one day event that prepares girls and parents for the financial, academic, social and emotional stress that surrounds the college process. Workshops help girls and parents learn about the application process, financial aid and scholarships, campus life, testing strategies, indemand careers, finding the right school and more. Campus Tours allows girls the opportunity to explore college campuses across the state in addition to the chance to meet with admissions, financial aid and student representatives. Girls travel by bus and stay overnight in the dorms. These first hand experiences influence girls decision to go to college and motivate them to begin preparing for college as early as the ninth grade. Number of employees: 41 Number of volunteers: 200 Revenue: $4.8 M Expense: $4.5 M Member of the Center for Non-Profit Management? Yes 13

18 Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee Mission: better place. Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a We are the premier organization shaping the character and leadership skills of all girls and young women in our region. We will serve the needs of girls who pursue a Girl Scout experience and provide exemplary support to those volunteers who deliver that experience. We serve more than 15,500 girls and 7,300 volunteers across the 39 counties of Middle Tennessee. Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee Website: GivingMatters.com Keyword: Girl Scouts Facebook: CEO & Donor Contact: Agenia Clark Board Chair: Mary Cavarra Year founded:

19 Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee Major Programs Classroom-Based Programs: Junior Achievement s classroom-based programs teach students in Kindergarten through high school about business and economic fundamentals, career exploration, and workplace competencies through business and community volunteers who expose students to real-world perspective and serve as positive role models and mentors to them. JA Biz Town: JA Biz Town is an experiential learning program where 5th grade students experience the responsibilities and opportunities of citizenship in a free enterprise system. During the JA BizTown on-site experience, students learn what it takes to create a business, operate on a budget, advertise and sell products, supervise employees, hold elected office, as well as personally earn and manage money. Job Shadow: JA Job Shadow exposes high school students to various careers by giving them the chance to shadow a professional in the workplace for a day. This program illustrates what a workplace setting is like and how the knowledge and skills learned in school can be applied in their futures. JA Job Shadow, a oneday program, offers holistic and authentic work-world experiences by demonstrating to students what it takes to succeed in a field that is of interest to the student. JA Company Program: JA Company Program offers high school students the chance to fully grasp the role of business in our society by creating and launching an actual business enterprise. In this after-school setting, students elect company leaders, determine a product to sell, create a business charter, secure investors, sell their products, and liquidate their assets. By experiencing the life cycle of a company, students are able to better understand how a business functions and their future roles in the business world. Number of employees: 16 (including part time) Number of volunteers: 2,000+ Revenue: $1.2 M Expense: $1.2 M Member of the Center for Non-Profit Management? Yes 15

20 Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee 2013 Phoenix Club of Nashville Program Partner Mission: economic success. Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee empowers young people to own their Junior Achievement (JA) is the world s largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. The programs are volunteer-driven and specifically teach financial literacy skills to kindergartners through 12th grade students. Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee covers 18 counties and serves 31,000 students annually with nearly 1800 community volunteers. JA also teaches young people how to generate and effectively manage wealth, how to create jobs which make the economy more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Regardless of socio-economic situation, all kids benefit and some of the most compelling stories come from communities with limited financial resources. In these neighborhoods, JA presents choices that may have been otherwise unrealized: entrepreneurship and/or post-secondary education -- opportunities that can change their future. Armed with knowledge and confidence, students are prepared to make a difference in their own lives and become a catalyst for change in their parents, siblings and neighbors Phoenix Club of Nashville Program Partner The Phoenix Club of Nashville is working with Junior Achievement in 2013 to create a Shark Tank junior investment fund to support the JA Company Program. Program developed in partnership with the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. Junior Achievement of Middle TN Website: GivingMatters.com Keyword: Junior Achievement Facebook: President, CEO & Donor Contact: Trent Klingensmith Board Chair: Yonnie Chesley Year founded: