Associate Professor and Director for Belmont’s Center for Social Entrepreneurship Dr. Bernard Turner was honored with the Lewis Lavine President’s Award as part of the Center for Nonprofit Management’s 27th annual Salute to Excellence nonprofit awards on October 10.
The Lewis Lavine President’s Award honors an individual that has furthered the impact of the nonprofit community and supported capacity building across the nonprofit sector. The award is given in memory of the late Lewis Lavine, longtime president and CEO of CNM and a charismatic leader who elevated the stature of the nonprofit sector in Middle Tennessee during his time at CNM. Each year the CNM president and the board chair select a qualified recipient who has shown excellence in amplifying the impact of nonprofits in Middle Tennessee.
As one of CNM’s most beloved and longest tenured facilitators, Dr. Bernard Turner was selected. Using his expertise in obtaining $64 million in grants, he is known for his “participatory” grant writing workshops. The CNM staff and board wrote in the event program that they are thrilled to recognize Dr. Turner, who is an integral part of CNM’s fabric and who is always ready to empower the nonprofit community with skills for success.
“When it comes to grant writing expertise in Middle Tennessee, Dr. Turner is the go-to authority,” it said. “His grant writing classes are some of the most popular courses at CNM, and it’s guaranteed that each participant leaves knowing how to write a clear, succinct grant proposal in 250 characters or less. Even more than his expertise, it is Dr. Turner’s passion for his students that makes him an invaluable member of the CNM family.”
Turner has many professional accomplishments to bolster his expertise. Before his appointment at Belmont in 2008, he served as the Associate Vice President for Corporate and Foundation Relations at Meharry Medical College. He has also worked at Vanderbilt University in fundraising management positions in the School of Nursing and the Medical Center. He has extensive experience with nonprofit organizations working in the field of human services, higher education, health care and minority and women-owned business development.
“I am honored and blessed to receive this prestigious award,” said Turner. “It indicates my commitment to our nonprofit sector which is a collaborative partner of the Social Entrepreneurship Program at Belmont. The sector’s involvement is what makes our program successful.”
The country’s largest nonprofits award ceremony, Salute brings together more than 1,000 local business, community and nonprofit leaders as they honor organizations in 13 distinct categories of service. In its 27 years, the event has featured more than 500 nonprofit finalists and awarded more than $3 million to exemplary recipient organizations and their leadership.
“Salute really is my favorite night of the year. Celebrating the vital and heartwarming work of Middle Tennessee nonprofits is just plain fun,” CNM President and CEO Tari Hughes shared. “This year’s finalists and winners demonstrated a level of excellence that will continue to strengthen our community for years to come. I can’t wait to see the wonderful impact we’ll all make in the future.”
