Announcing the launch of Nashville’s newest giving circle–
The 260 Change Fund
I, along with fellow board members of the Community Investment Network , have had the amazing privilege of watching the evolution of something special. Last July, we traveled to Nashville at the request of Tennessee State University Assistant Professor, Isaac Y. Addae. Together, we met with representatives of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee regarding the establishment of a new philanthropic fund.
The next day, armed with this info, Isaac convened a group of Nashville changemakers and social entrepreneurs for a half-day work session. The purpose–to assess their interest in accelerating impact in their community by launching a “giving circle”. A giving circle is an innovative form of “collective philanthropy” whereby individuals pool their time, talent, treasure and testimony (4Ts) which they collectively invest towards making changes they’d like to see in their communities.
We are proud to announce that after a year of much research, planning and consensus building, the 260 Change Fund has been established. 260 is derived from February 1960, the month of the lunch counter sit-ins that transformed racial segregation in Nashville. During that time, a group of young African Americans came together to advance a progressive agenda.
The 260 Change Fund is the newest member of the Community Investment Network, a national network of giving circles focused on mobilizing resources to address issues of importance to people of color. Similar CIN giving circles include the Birmingham Change Fund (#BCF), the New Generation of African American Philanthropists (#NGAAP), Circle of Joy, SPIN – Sisterhood of Philanthropists Impacting Needs and DAAP – Denver African American Philanthropists among others. The following video describes BCF’s approach to collective philanthropy and inclusive social innovation.
If you are in the Nashville area, please consider supporting Isaac and his team at the official launch of the 260 Change Fund this Saturday July 15, 2017 at 2:00pm in the Civil Rights Room of the Nashville Public Library. To RSVP click here.
If you can’t be there physically, please consider offering your support in other ways such as 1) making a financial donation to the Fund, 2) volunteering your time, talent and/or testimony towards their upcoming initiatives, 3) liking/connecting with their social media accounts, 4) widely sharing their materials or 5) encouraging those in your network who live in the Nashville area to connect with the Fund.
Above all else, be sure to drop Isaac a word of encouragement and congratulations via social media, text, email, or phone. This is a big deal and it’s only the beginning.
260 Change Fund on Facebook, 260 Change Fund on Twitter
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