For Immediate Release October 30, 2015 Baltimore, MD – The Alliance for Better Nonprofits, a membership-based organization headquartered in Knoxville, TN serving nonprofits in 25 East Tennessee counties, is the newest Replication Partner of the Standards for Excellence Institute. The Standards for Excellence^® is a national initiative designed to promote the highest standards of nonprofit governance, management, and operations. As a Replication Partner, Alliance for Better Nonprofits (ABN) will deliver the Standards for Excellence educational resources, expertise, and programming to East Tennessee’s nonprofit community. ABN President, Chris Martin said, “Once a nonprofit joins, ABN provides a unique opportunity for members to learn, grow and engage. They’ll have a chance to connect with nonprofit peers, experts and supporters committed to making this community stronger.” Nonprofits of all sizes can benefit from the content-rich training, assessment tools, resource materials, and technical assistance provided through Standards for Excellence program. ABN’s courses, programs, and consulting services are designed to enable progress in the Standards for Excellence criteria. Alliance for Better Nonprofits is offering a Standards for Excellence assessment to their members at no cost ($500/Non-Members). The assessment provides a road map for nonprofits to strengthen their organization through targeted training and consulting. Additionally, organizations in eastern Tennessee who are interested in demonstrating they recognize and abide by the Standards for Excellence code can apply for accreditation through ABN. Nonprofit organizations in the region must be members of ABN to pursue Standards for Excellence accreditation. In January 2016, a free workshop will be offered to ABN members that will provide an overview of the six major topic areas in the Standards for Excellence ethics and accountability code. The class will also review the application process for nonprofits interested in pursuing accreditation. Nonprofits in East Tennessee can learn more at www.betternonprofits.org or contact Dan Myers, Interim Consulting Director, at (865) 524-2774 or dmyers@klf.org. For more information on the Standards for Excellence Institute, contact Amy Coates Madsen, Director at (410) 727‐1726 ext. 2314 or at acmadsen@standardsforexcellence.org. About Alliance for Better Nonprofits (ABN) The goal of Alliance for Better Nonprofits is to walk with nonprofits in the eastern Tennessee region on their journey toward efficiency and effectiveness through training, consulting and resources, including the nationally recognized Standards for Excellence program. Several East Tennessee philanthropic institutions partnered with community leaders to create ABN. Knoxville Leadership Foundation (KLF) is spearheading the startup with lead partners the United Way of Greater Knoxville and the East Tennessee Foundation. Additional supporters include The Haslam Family Foundation, Pilot Flying J, Clayton Foundation, Trinity Health Foundation of East Tennessee, Cornerstone Foundation of Knoxville, Jenny and Randy Boyd, Scripps Networks Interactive, Home Federal Bank and the University of Tennessee. ABN’s services and programs are modeled after three nonprofit centers across the country, including the Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM) in Nashville, Greenlights in Austin, TX and Standards for Excellence with Maryland Nonprofits. ABN will focus on training, consulting and networking for nonprofit staff, board members and volunteers. Read the official press release [wpdm_package id='13610']