CLIENT CASE STUDY
Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Project: Grantee Partner Convenings
Sector: Philanthropy
Focus: Community Development
Project Length: 1 Month
Beyond the Check, Trust Building, and Grantee-Driven Grant-making
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT) sought to deepen connections within its network of grantees through a series of thoughtfully designed convenings. The goal was threefold: to foster community and relationship-building among grantees, to strengthen CFMT’s own relationships with the organizations it funds, and to help grantees develop a clearer picture of their collective service ecosystem — surfacing opportunities for collaboration and shared learning. Elevate Consulting was engaged to help design and facilitate two rounds of convenings between February and September, building on a previous partnership with CFMT around their 2025 Grantee Convenings.
Services
Session Facilitation
Session strategy and design
Our approach
Elevate’s approach to this work was collaborative and iterative by design. Rather than arriving with a predetermined agenda, Elevate began by engaging in genuine thought partnership with CFMT staff — reviewing findings from previous convenings, identifying overarching goals, and co-developing the structure, topics, and focus for each session. This collaborative design process ensured that the convenings reflected CFMT’s vision while remaining responsive to what grantees actually needed.
From there, Elevate supported both the content and the facilitation of each convening, working alongside CFMT staff to create inclusive, engaging sessions for all participants. Elevate also handled pre- and post-session coordination to ensure the logistics supported — rather than distracted from — the quality of the experience.
Finally, Elevate provided detailed documentation and synthesis following each convening, capturing key themes, insights, and feedback in a way that helped CFMT sustain momentum and build on what was learned. This ongoing support between and beyond the convenings reflected Elevate’s broader commitment to being a long-term thought partner, not just a day-of facilitator.
“Working with Elevate Consulting, and especially Amy and Alyssa, has been an incredibly positive experience. They brought a rare combination of strategic insight, deep relationships, and a nuanced understanding of the nonprofit and philanthropic landscape that added tremendous value to our work. Their thoughtful approach to collaborative learning, systems change, and group facilitation helped create spaces that were both meaningful and productive for our nonprofit partners.
Beyond their expertise, Amy and Alyssa were simply a joy to work with. They are responsive, thoughtful, flexible, and bring a level of energy and authenticity that makes partnership easy. They quickly became trusted thought partners, and I would enthusiastically recommend them to any organization looking to strengthen collaboration, learning, and community impact.”
Documentation and synthesis
Project Team
Amy Merritt Campbell
CEO + Co-Founder, Project Principal
Alyssa Reynolds
Consultant, Project Lead
“What I admire most about the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is their genuine dedication to the organizations and communities they serve. They don’t just fund good work — they take the time to understand the needs, perspectives, and lived expertise of their grantee partners, and let that shape how they show up as a funder. That kind of humility and intentionality is rare, and it makes the work of supporting them deeply rewarding.”
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