An important voice for Middle Tennessee's GLBT population since 1995, The Brooks Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is now being recognized for their consistently excellent contributions to the marketing and advertising fields.

The Brooks Fund won the American Advertising Federation Nashville's ADDY Award for their 2009 Annual Report. The award was bestowed in the Public Service/Collateral category for Best Non-Profit Annual Report.

The Brooks Fund encourages the inclusion, acceptance and recognition of Middle Tennessee's lesbian and gay citizens by supporting a variety of non-profit programs in Middle Tennessee that benefit the GLBT community. The organization strives to bridge the gap between the GLBT community and the city at large.

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee also earned an award for the best New Paper Insert Marketing for the flood piece "Trying Times...Trying Harder: Flood Recovery Update and More."

Their entry into the competition features a summary of the community's response to last spring's flooding in Middle Tennessee. The piece also explored ongoing flood relief efforts and provided important resources for flood victims.

"The team thought it was so unique that they suggested it be put in front of the American Advertising Federation," says Michael McDaniel, non-profit/endowment liaison for the Brooks Fund. "Brooks Fund is there to build bridges between the straight community and the GLBT community, and the book represents all of these woven tapestries. It's like a scrapbook. It was a fun project, but it gave a meaning to what we're doing in the community."

The Community Foundation website includes individual stories and photos of those effected by the flood. To date, the organization has contributed flood relief grants totaling $5.48 million to more than 100 organizations. 

McDaniel hopes that the twin honors by the AAF will serve as a springboard for the Brooks Fund in 2011. The organization continues to clarify its vision to best meet the needs of the community.

"The board just had their first annual meeting and a retreat to set goals for this year," he says. "We've been around for 17 years, and even though people might know a little about what we do, we've never really had precise branding. That's what we're going to be working on. With this award for our annual report, it's helped to step back and figure out what Brooks Fund is and what we do."   

To remain relevant in the city's crowded business culture, the Brooks Fund is seeking out new channels to spread their message. This effort will ensure that the Middle Tennessee area is made aware of their philanthrophic focus and the abundant opportunities available to non-profit organizations.

"We've been working on a website and to develop a social media committee," McDaniel says. "We're really going to be targeting social media and get all our information out to the public."