The Center for Nonprofit Excellence of Middle Tennessee (CNEMT) announced the winners for its prestigious 2025 Salute to Excellence Awards presented by Amazon, which took place at the Music City Center. Johari Matthews and Wanda Lyle served as this year’s event co-chairs. The Salute to Excellence is the nation’s largest nonprofit awards ceremony, recognizing individuals and organizations dedicated to addressing critical social challenges. Over the past 30 years, the event has honored more than 600 organizations and distributed over $3.5 million in awards.
“The Salute to Excellence Awards celebrate the heart and soul of Middle Tennessee by recognizing the passion and resilience of the nonprofit organizations and individuals who continuously drive profound, measurable impact, ensuring vital resources and opportunities reach all corners of our region.” said Meagan Flippin, President and CEO of CNEMT.
The diverse recipients of the Salute to Excellence Awards embody the overarching idea that Middle Tennessee’s community strength is built upon visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to public service. Their collective impact focuses on fortifying core community pillars—strengthening nonprofit infrastructure, expanding mental health and recovery services, championing social justice and ensuring access to vital resources like food and immigrant empowerment—ultimately creating a more equitable, thriving and sustainable Middle Tennessee.
The Lewis Lavine President’s Award is a distinct honor given for a deep and lasting commitment to strengthening the nonprofit community and empowering nonprofits to excel, particularly through significant support for capacity-building and long-term sustainability.
Recipients, like Lewis Lavine himself, are celebrated for elevating the entire nonprofit sector.
This year, CNEMT is proud to announce that the HCA Healthcare Foundation has been named the winner of this prestigious award for its exceptional dedication and impact.
“The HCA Healthcare Foundation is profoundly honored to receive the Lewis Lavine President’s Award, which affirms the visionary legacy of Lewis in elevating the nonprofit sector,” said Whitney Weeks, HCA Healthcare Foundation assistant vice president. “This recognition validates HCA’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the infrastructure, leadership and capacity of Middle Tennessee’s nonprofits through service and good corporate engagement—principles that truly reflect Lewis’s transformative work and our core belief that strong organizations are the foundation of a strong community.”
Congratulations to the Salute to Excellence 2025 Award Winners:
Lewis Lavine President’s Award
Board Member of the Year Award
Rita McDonald, STARS
Pinnacle Financial Partners CEO of the Year Award
Amy Alexander, The Refuge Center for Counseling
CFO of the Year Award
Cindy Cunningham, Nashville International Center for Empowerment
Frontline Caregiver Award
Dawn Howard, Progress Inc.
UTK College of Social Work Social Justice Changemaker Award
Community Impact Award
New Generations Award
Sustainable Practices Award
Revenue Development Award
Leadership Award
The awards are a celebration where the finalists are recognized for not just doing good work, but for setting the standard for what it means to create real, lasting change in the community. Every organization celebrated is considered a winner, as they all represent the best of Middle Tennessee’s nonprofit sector and their dedication is a powerful reminder that everyone has a role to play in building a stronger, more compassionate society.
About Center for Nonprofit Excellence The Center for Nonprofit Excellence is Middle Tennessee’s longstanding leader in supporting, accelerating and championing the region’s nonprofit organizations. A seasoned advocate dedicated to maximizing the missions of their members, the Center for Nonprofit Excellence empowers Middle Tennessee nonprofits to excel by helping them build networks, strengthen best practices and navigate challenges in an ever-changing world. Building better nonprofits begins with the Center for Nonprofit Excellence.
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