.png)
OUR IMPACT
The Phoenix Club of Nashville strives to make a positive, outsized, and permanent impact upon the lives of Middle Tennessee’s under-served youth. We align our membership, fundraising, and strategic partnerships with this goal because we believe that, with smart alignment of resources and focused support, every child can chart a path to success and secure a brighter future. In 2016, our Board formally approved and adopted our Venture Philanthropy model. Learn more in the video below.
4
grants made to nonprofits in 2023
$3M+
funds deployed to nonprofits since PCON's inception
23
years that PCON has been operating as a 501(c)3 in Middle Tennessee
Venture Philanthropy Process
With a growing number of youth-focused nonprofits worthy of support, and seeking to amplify the impact of our investments, we adopted a ‘Venture Philanthropy’ process to award grants to the most deserving projects. Venture Philanthropy allows us to apply venture capital and business management concepts to our philanthropic pursuits, using total community impact to measure return on investment. This model now governs the evaluation, approval, stewardship and reporting of all awarded grants. Features of the Venture Philanthropy model include:
.jpeg)
Strategic Giving
Members identify strong nonprofit partners and work alongside these partners to craft qualifying grants for investment. Our members draft the proposal, pitch to our board and manage the complete grant-making process.
Process Driven Grants
We evaluate potential grantees and projects, and require the formal approval of both an internal Selection Committee as well as our full Board. Each grant has an internal club champion.
Investment Stewardship
Members maintain a relationship with the grantee, monitor progress against milestones, look for other ways to help (e.g. volunteering, referrals, board service), and measure performance against goals.
Continuous Improvement
We produce case studies of all grants, in order to learn from our experiences and to provide clear, consistent reporting to our funding partners. View our recently awarded grants here.