Thursday, July 28, 2011


Nearly 50 companies among South's best

NASHVILLE, TN – Business Leader will honor the South's top small businesses, including several from Nashville, at an awards ceremony today.

Nearly 50 companies will be honored at the Top 300 Small Businesses of the South ceremony. The event will be held at Brentwood Country Club, 5123 Club Drive, in Brentwood, at 6 p.m.

This year’s event will have a new twist as businesses from nine Southern markets will be ranked against one another. The events will feature a countdown of businesses from number 300 down to the top 10. The top 10 later will be revealed on a special wsradio.com program.

The companies are ranked based on a combination of factors, including percentage of sales generated in their local market, revenue growth, businesses achievements and civic contributions. This past spring, Business Leader asked companies and individuals across the South to nominate the best small businesses in their region.

Events to honor the other selected Southern companies will be held in Atlanta, Jacksonville, Memphis, Miami, Tampa, Raleigh, Greensboro and Charlotte.

Winners in the Nashville market include:

Cardiac Systems of Tennessee
Bacon MD Laser and Skincare
Budd, Melone & Co. Financial Consulting Group (Nashville)
SageGuard Financial Group LLC
12 Point Signworks
Allstate
Ann Hoke & Associates
BLF Marketing
Business Partners Network, LLC
Cambridge Mortgage Systems
Crown Carpet of Belle Meade
Edward Jones
Elite Properties, LLC
Halo Realty, LLC
Hiller Plumbing, Heating and Cooling
Ignite Wellness
Keller Williams Realty – Harrison Homes for You
Periodontal Care Center
RE/MAX Choice Properties
Rodelle’s Salon Suites
Shannon Insurance Group, Inc.
STAR Physical Therapy
SyMed Development Inc.
The TMA Group
Visionary Eye Clinic
Wang Vision Institute
Warranty Title Insurance Co.
Wood Financial Group, LLC
Prime Colorants Inc.
20/20 Research
Reliant Realty Auction Division
Art Clem Enterprises, Inc.
Guidant Partners
Equilibrium Medspa
Elaborate Images
Community Options, Inc.
Electric Service Credit Union
LPS Integration, Inc.
Deane, Smith Media Innovations
Kraft Healthcare Consulting
United Data Technologies
KaTom Restaurant Supply
Sherrill Pest Control
Liberty Tax Service
USr Healthcare

Sunday, July 24, 2011


Community Options, a national nonprofit organization with the mission to develop homes and employment for people with disabilities recently appointed a new member to its National Board of Directors.

Kathryn Godby Oram of Godby Realtors recently accepted a Trustee position on Community Options’ Board of Directors. Oram is a resident of Mendham, New Jersey, a mother of six children and a residential and commercial real estate expert in Morris and Somerset Counties.

“As a contributing member of Community Options’ board, Kathryn will have a greater opportunity to help the organization shape the housing and employment future for people with disabilities in addition to promoting quality expansion within our organization,” says, Robert Stack President and CEO of Community Options.

“Kathryn’s experience and insight will assist the board to guide Community Options towards a successful path in the upcoming decade and we are grateful for her service,” Stack added.

Oram will serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors and during her tenure will also be a part of the fundraising committee. Oram has previous experience working with the organization as she served as the Chair of the Annual Spring Event that took place at Grounds For Sculpture, honoring Senator Joseph Kyrillos.

“I am honored to become a Trustee on the Community Options’ board. I have had wonderful experiences working with the organization on a volunteer level and I am excited for what is to come in this new capacity,” says Kathryn Oram.

Thursday, July 14, 2011


Accessing new avenues and methods for fundraising is the challenge posed to every development director for a nonprofit organization. Finding creative ways to solicit donations, membership, giving opportunities or just to spread the word about your organization can take up all 40 hours of the work-week (that is actually more like 60+ hours).

The proliferation of Facebook has presented an amazing networking and fundraising opportunity for the nonprofit world. This is particularly true because the demographic for the Facebook user has steadily increased in the 30+ crowd, those most likely to make a donation online or to donate annually to charitable causes. Facebook has created some specific avenues for fundraising, most notably in their “Causes” application. This section allows nonprofits to include their mission among a categorized list of causes to which members can donate. It is worth checking out the guidelines and including your organization if your needs fit the parameters of the application.

Most nonprofits are already present in the Facebook scene and use the network to keep “friends” updated on their activity and to provide a place for friends of friends and others to learn more about the organization. However, the expectation that support for your organization will spread based on basic connections alone may be overly optimistic. More specific strategies may be necessary to use this social networking site for your fundraising and outreach needs.

First and foremost, using Facebook to spread the word about your mission and the work you do should be your baseline goal. Approaching the connections that this social network provides as an opportunity to make your organization known and commonly understood to be performing important work should be the primary goal of your outreach. Establishing a strong network of friends and those that “like” what you are doing will lay the groundwork for any future fundraising or support campaigns.

Next, when you do decide to begin a nonprofit fundraising campaign through your Facebook connections make certain that it is specific. Being clear about why you are raising the money (is it for a project, a program, research, general support etc) and indicating both the goal amount and updates on how close you are to reaching that goal will go a long way in engendering support. In particular, a matching campaign through a grant with a donor that requires you to raise a certain amount privately creates a clear situation in which your Facebook friends can see how their donation can help you reach your goal.

Additionally, do not be afraid to ask your Facebook friends to help you reach your goal. Even if they cannot give individually, ask them to donate their status message or include a wall post that shares their support for your cause with their friend network. The more personalized your requests for support the more likely they are to receive responses. Several reminders and thank you’s for their assistance will ensure that you will receive as much support as possible. At the minimum these posts will raise awareness about your cause and this familiarity will increase the likelihood of a contribution either presently or in the future.

Finally, understand that although Facebook has become a ubiquitous part of our society and even our social interactions, it is not the solution for your fundraising or networking needs. Keep the concept of simply raising awareness about your organization as your main focus for Facebook. If you use it for fundraising as a secondary goal you can use this social network in a way that maximizes its’ potential rather than maxing out your existing connections.

This guest blog is brought to you Nonprofit Software.


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