Thanks to the outstanding participation and support of this year’s Hike-a-Thon, the Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM) has awarded $25,000 to TennGreen Land Conservancy!

TennGreen was honored at CNM’s 29th annual Salute to Excellence Awards on October 20 in Nashville, TN. CNM’s Salute to Excellence Awards is the nation’s largest nonprofit awards ceremony. The night of celebration was presented by PNC Bank at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts and featured 12 award categories recognizing nonprofit excellence in Middle Tennessee. TennGreen received the cash prize for winning the 2022 Frist Foundation Revenue Development Award, which recognizes agencies that develop new or more effective ways to generate sustainable revenue, like the Hike-a-Thon.

Launched in 2021, TennGreen Land Conservancy’s annual Hike-a-Thon is a month-long, virtually-managed fundraising event that supports the protection of our natural areas and encourages people of all ages and abilities to explore the outdoors through friendly competition. In 2022, Hike-a-Thon participants shattered fundraising records by raising $149,485 for TennGreen Land Conservancy, nearly doubling the amount raised in the event’s first year. As the Hike-a-Thon is free to register, open to all fitness and experience levels, and not geographically-limiting, the event provides equitable participation opportunities for both individuals and teams. The Hike-a-Thon isn’t just for hikers, either—the event offers competitions for paddlers, climbers, mountain bikers, trail runners, and nature photographers as well. Nearly 300 outdoor enthusiasts participated in the 2022 event, completing 968 outdoor adventures and exploring 5,118 miles across Tennessee and beyond.

“We’re honored to receive this prestigious award—though we can’t take all the credit. This win wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of this year’s Hike-a-Thoners or without the hundreds of generous individuals and businesses who contributed to making the event a success. Saving land is expensive as it is urgent, and these prize funds ensure we can do more to protect the places that provide us all well-being and an unrivaled quality of life.” —Alice Hudson Pell, TennGreen’s Interim Executive Director

CNM’s Salute to Excellence has been a cornerstone event in Middle Tennessee, celebrating nonprofit leadership, impact, and innovation. Over the years, the event has honored more than 600 nonprofits and awarded more than $3.5 million to exemplary organizations and their leadership. This year’s award ceremony featured 34 finalists, both large and small, in diverse service areas supporting communities across Middle Tennessee. Panels of community volunteers selected finalists, and each award had its own unique panel who reviewed the specific criteria and deliberated to select the finalists and winners.

At the awards ceremony, Hudson Pell expressed gratitude to Hike-a-Thon lead sponsors, including Bearded Iris Brewing, The Bailey Company, and Cumberland Kayak & Adventure Company, as well as Mary Lynn Dobson of Rockwood, TN, who gave an inspiring matching gift to jumpstart Hike-a-Thon fundraising.

Save the date for TennGreen’s 2023 Hike-a-Thon, happening in APRIL! In its third year, this adventure-packed event will offer even more opportunities to win great prizes and feature new software for easy registration and participation. Learn more here.

“Thank you for all you’re doing to conserve TN’s natural places. Please be aware that in addition to the benefit that the Hike-a-Thon has for that, it also has a very positive impact on the lives of the participants. I see lots of healthier, happier and better connected people on my team.” —Hike-a-Thon 2022 Participant