Nonprofits Help Move the Nashville, TN, Region Forward
The Nashville Region’s workforce benefits from a strong corps of nonprofit organizations.
Nonprofits are adding fuel to Nashville, TN‘s economy by helping individuals develop the skills and confidence they need to achieve more in their careers and lives than they might have imagined was possible.
The region’s nonprofits are responsible for 2.3% of private-sector firms and create nearly 72,000 jobs, according to a report from the Center of Nonprofit Management and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Nonprofits work to develop skills and create opportunities in communities across the region. Girls Write Nashville, for example, empowers expression through songwriting, production, mentorship and creative community building for teen artists.
Wilson Works partners with educators, businesses and government agencies in Wilson County to create pathways to industry-relevant training and to connect students and citizens to high-wage, high-demand jobs.
Café Momentum Nashville provides critical resources for justice-involved youth ages 15-19 in Davidson County, equipping them with marketable skills and connecting them with a community of employment partners that they may not otherwise have access to.
The Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE) assists refugees and immigrants as they begin the next chapter of their lives.
Opening Doors in Nashville, TN
Girls Write Nashville programs are open to all students who self-select as wanting to participate in a program that focuses on the lived experience of female-identifying and nonbinary youth.
“Mentorship is a powerful tool that can help young people overcome the challenges and barriers they face in pursuing their dreams. Through my work as a mentor, I have seen firsthand how transformative this experience can be. I believe that the music industry has a responsibility to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Mentorship is one way we can help ensure that everyone has a chance to succeed and contribute to the industry’s continued growth and evolution,” says Nina Teapot Owens, creative consultant and project manager for Girls Write Nashville.
The organization served nine students in its first year, the 2016-17 school year.
“This year, between our mentorship program, after-school programs and workshops, we will serve 109 students with about 4,500 total programming hours delivered,” says Jen Starsinic, co-founder and executive artistic director of Girls Write Nashville.
Wilson Works is developing the workforce in Wilson County and connecting employers with a talent pipeline, including students who are making plans for the future.
“Workforce development is crucial in a robust economy where competition for talent is paramount. With a nearly 70% labor market participation rate and an unemployment rate under 3%, Wilson County is in a strong economic position,” says Wilson Works Director Adina Chumley.
“It is imperative to foster collaboration and draw upon the collective creativity of all stakeholders as more industry enters the market. Wilson Works casts a wide net for the workforce pipeline, engaging employers and workforce stakeholders such as the K-12 schools, post-secondary training providers, workforce boards, nonprofit groups and government,” she says.
Developing Skills in Nashville, TN
Café Momentum is an award-winning restaurant and culinary training nonprofit. In 2022, 27 young people participated in its internship program, and in 2023, the organization anticipates engaging between 45 and 60 youth. The goal is to open a Café Momentum restaurant in 2024.
“Our model works to not only support re-entry after detention but to swim upstream of the problem and prevent incarceration in the first place, particularly before they turn 18 and an adult charge can go on their record,” says Rokeisha Bryant, executive director of Café Momentum Nashville.
A Café Momentum internship provides crucial hours of positive influence in an ecosystem of loving support, Bryant says.
“Our program lets these young people know that there are other options, other possibilities available to them, and that their past does not have to dictate their future,” she says.
NICE offers multiple programs for new Americans to thrive and become self-sufficient. NICE welcomes refugees through the U.S. State Department’s Refugee Admissions Program. Since 2005, NICE has served more than 37,500 people in Middle Tennessee. The organization has also opened an office in Gallatin to serve refugees in Sumner County.
Nashville is a destination for immigrants worldwide. Many open small businesses. Others become valued members of the workforce.
“We’re constantly being approached by businesses that want to employ our clients. They are incredibly resilient people who have dreams of owning businesses and being integrated into the Nashville community.”
Max Rykov, Director of Development and Communications for NICE
Creating Opportunities in Nashville, TN
A pair of nonprofit organizations are working to create opportunities for the Nashville Region’s LGBTQ residents. The Tennessee Pride Chamber and inclusion tennessee aim to enrich and enhance the lives of LGBTQ individuals, while backing education and advocacy initiatives for the LGBTQ business community.
The Tennessee Pride Chamber was formed in 1998, and inclusion tennessee was established more recently in 2021.
The Tennessee Pride Chamber offers several educational, networking and community-building opportunities throughout the year. The organization also champions important causes, including a push for having fully inclusive health care for the LGBTQ community and an effort to establish safe social environments (other than nightlife) throughout the Nashville Region.
Inclusion tennessee is also involved in many initiatives to assist the LGBTQ community, including supporting causes such as affordable housing, whole health care, respite care, mutual aid resources and career training. Inclusion tennessee schedules several events during the year that focus on information and assistance to the 18- to 24-year-old population as well as programming for older adults ages 50+.
The organization is also pushing for an LGBTQ community center to be built in Nashville. Tentative plans for what the center could feature include a coworking space, a theater, meeting rooms, a cafe, a library, retail spaces and medical offices.
Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.
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