By Logan Langlois
NASHVILLE, TN — When navigating within today’s socio-political landscape, nonprofits are often faced with the increasingly difficult task of raising money to fund greater amounts of relief needed within their local communities, through donations that are continuously shrinking. During this time, organizations such as the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee under its Give Back Give Black program work in assisting grassroots nonprofits with raising money and give larger corporations looking to establish a local presence more encouragement to give consistently to assist new sets of challenges that are being laid out in front of modern citizens. Both goals require more innovative approaches to adapt to the ever-changing landscape surrounding nonprofits trying to make a real difference.
According to Donation Sources Development Manager Audra Cox, new creative fundraising techniques are having to be utilized by nonprofits to ensure that they get donations consistently. One way in which Cox expressed that she and the Community Foundation encourage the nonprofits they speak with to take new and innovative mods to fundraise is by combining the efforts of several organizations into one event and then splitting the profits. This is according to her the surest way to know that the two organizations won’t end up competing for the limited additional income most people make that they could reasonably give away to charity.
One such newly established local nonprofit making real change in Nashville that is supported by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is the highly respected Cafe Momentum, known for its award-winning restaurant and culinary training. The facility specializes in working with some of Nashville’s “justice-involved” young adults ranging between ages 15-19, equipping them with life skills as well as practical life skills able to secure their future employment and reach their full potential.
Rokeisha Bryant, the Executive Director of Cafe Momentum Nashville who has just celebrated her second year with the organization and the Café’s second year serving Nashville, gave further detail as to what a Cafe Momentum location looks like in its final form.
“The goal is for us to have a one-stop-shop for everything,” she began to explain. “So that’s with the restaurant, culinary arts training facility, and the community service center. They should be all housed together. If not, then in walking distance of each other.”
In its two years of being open, Cafe Momentums Nashville location has so far had 45 different young adults cycle through its doors, with 27 of those young people coming through last year. While recruiting for their program, Cafe Momentum works through several of their different juvenile defense partners as well as community-based organizations who understand the age range the nonprofit is looking for, as well as the goal of the outreach being to positively impact people who have experience with the juvenile. After receiving a candidate, the Cafe reaches out to the young person much like a real job offer, as they are a paying internship.
“It’s not only about a restaurant, it’s about making sure that they’re reaching their full potential, and that the restaurant skills we’re teaching them are transferable to industry.” Said Bryant while describing the intentions of Cafe Momentum.
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee under its Give Back Give Black program has 25 endorsed businesses currently listed on its website, available at https://www.cfmt.org/community-leadership/community-initiative/give-black-give-back/give-black-give-back-nonprofits-to-support/. Cafe Momentum is also available to be followed on Facebook as well as at https://cafemomentum.org/nashville/.
