Tommy Elliott Fund, Leadership Louisville Center honor Elliott’s memory with new storytelling training for local nonprofits

Tommy Elliott Fund, Leadership Louisville Center honor Elliott’s memory with new storytelling training for local nonprofits

Storytelling competition will award $12,000 to winning nonprofit(s) next spring

LOUISVILLE, KY (August 19, 2024) — Louisville-area nonprofits can hone their storytelling skills and win thousands in grant money thanks to a new partnership between the Tommy Elliott Fund for Community Leadership and the Leadership Louisville Center. The new Tommy Elliott Fund Storytelling Program honors one of Louisville’s great communicators and furthers his mission of community service.

For 20 years, the Leadership Louisville Center’s Ignite Louisville program has created teams of next-generation leaders who partner with nonprofits seeking strategic and tactical support. This fall, Ignite Louisville will launch a new component to its program: the Tommy Elliott Fund Storytelling Program to honor the spirit of Tommy Elliott, who died during the mass shooting inside Old National Bank in April 2023. Elliott had a long history of service to local nonprofits, including the American Heart Association, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky and Kentucky Educational Television (KET).

“The range and depth of nonprofits across the Louisville area is astounding and inspiring,” said Maryanne Elliott, the wife of Tommy Elliott. “Imagine if every nonprofit could tell a compelling story that captivates and inspires people to support their mission. Good storytelling is a must have for every nonprofit leader to really sell their work. Stories fuel the connections that build our community.”

“We are so excited to partner with the Tommy Elliott Fund on this initiative,” said Cynthia Knapek, President and CEO of the Leadership Louisville Center. “Tommy had such a huge impact on our community, and the nonprofits that partner with our Ignite Louisville teams will not just benefit from their project work, they will get to learn vital lessons in storytelling to help advance their missions.”

Interested nonprofits can apply now for the opportunity to be one of seven nonprofits paired with a team of leaders from the Ignite Louisville program this fall. For six months, the Ignite Louisville team will assist these nonprofits with strategic initiatives. Participating nonprofits will also benefit from the new Tommy Elliott Fund Storytelling Program.

At the spring graduation, a representative from each nonprofit will participate in a storytelling competition to showcase their new skills in communicating their organization’s mission and purpose. The winner of the storytelling competition will be determined based on their storytelling prowess combined with the traits that Tommy Elliott exemplified: positive attitude, grit, strong work ethic, curiosity, champion for diversity and an endless pursuit to connect people.

The winning storytelling organization will be awarded a $6,000 grant to enhance the Tommy Elliott Fund’s mission of connecting and inspiring people for the greater good. The Tommy Elliott Fund for Community Leadership and the Leadership Louisville Center will further support the winning organization by offering additional community storytelling opportunities throughout 2025.

The current Ignite Louisville Leadership Challenge will also conclude at the program graduation, with one of these seven nonprofits winning a separate $6,000 prize based on their team’s ability to demonstrate sustainable outcomes from their work and how they used the skills from Ignite Louisville to move that nonprofit organization forward. A total of $12,000 will be awarded to one or two winning nonprofits courtesy of the Tommy Elliott Fund for Community Leadership and the Ignite Louisville program.

In the spirit of storytelling, Maryanne Elliott has recently published “Tiny Book on Grief”, available via free download on the Fund website.

More information about Ignite Louisville and can be found at https://leadershiplouisville.org/ignite-louisville/.  Applications for nonprofits interested in participating are open now through September 1, 2024. Applicants will complete a form at https://leadershiplouisville.org/community-acceleration-teams.  While only seven nonprofits will be selected for the fall class of Ignite Louisville, there are additional opportunities for strategic support from the Encore Louisville program, also offered by the Leadership Louisville Center.

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About The Tommy Elliott Fund for Community Leadership
The Tommy Elliott Fund for Community Leadership is a tribute to Tommy’s remarkable life and unwavering spirit. The mission of the Fund is to inspire individuals to build community by bringing together people of diverse backgrounds and points of view to achieve greater societal benefit. The Fund annually provides a grant to support the civic work of an individual who connects people across demographics. For more information, visit https://www.tommyelliottfund.com/.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Lilli Dubler, ldubler@c2strategic.com – 720-947-9733

Emily Trujillo, etrujillo@leadershiplouisville.org – 502-753-6506