HUD ANNOUNCES SECRETARY'S AWARD TO THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE
HUD and Council on Foundations honor work of grassroots Nashville philanthropic organization

ATLANTA – Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in partnership with the Council on Foundations, named the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee one of the first 10 winners of a new awards program to recognize community foundations for the excellent work they do along with their public partners in the areas of housing and community development.

The new HUD Secretary's Award for Community Foundations honors community foundations that work closely with the public sector on projects involving housing and neighborhood improvements, education, health and recreation, transportation, community participation, arts and culture, public safety, sustainability, and economic development.

"Since 2002 the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee partnered with the Metropolitan Nashville Mayor's Office of Emergency Management in receiving and managing non-designated disaster contributions creating lasting and positive change in Nashville. The success of that collaboration was most recently evidenced after the devastating May 2010 floods," said Ed Jennings, Jr., Regional Administrator for HUD Region IV.

"The 10 awardees, and all our community foundation members, represent lives improved, neighborhoods saved, jobs created, people trained, kids educated, and homes built," said Vikki N. Spruill, president and CEO of the Council on Foundations. "Philanthropy is hard at work investing in America's communities, addressing challenges head on, and innovating for a better future."

A jury selected one community foundation from each of HUD's 10 regions. Awards were given to community foundations for completed or ongoing initiatives that are executed in partnership with a local, regional, or federal government agency. The winners nationwide are:

Read more about the winners and the new HUD Secretary's Award for Community Foundations.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on Twitter at @HUDnews or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD. or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.

The Council on Foundations, formed in 1949, is a nonprofit membership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. Council members include more than 1,700 independent, operating, community, public and company-sponsored foundations, and corporate giving programs in the United States and abroad. The Council's mission is to provide the opportunity, leadership, and tools philanthropic organizations need to expand, enhance, and sustain their ability to advance the common good.