Board Connector moves to Nonprofit Resource Center

Board Connector, the Chattanooga civic leadership platform founded in 2017, has transitioned to the Nonprofit Resource Center to broaden access to board service and strengthen local nonprofit governance. The move aims to expand the pipeline of civic leaders while preserving the platform’s role in matching professionals with board opportunities.

Why it matters: - Board Connector is meant to turn civic interest into board service for Chattanooga professionals who want to help nonprofits but lack a clear entry point. - The transition gives the platform a nonprofit home with existing governance support and broader community reach. - The move could widen access to board opportunities across the 17-county, tri-state Greater Chattanooga area.

What happened: - Wade Hinton, CEO of Hinton & Company, announced that Board Connector has transitioned to the Nonprofit Resource Center. - Hinton founded Board Connector in 2017. - The platform is now under the Nonprofit Resource Center’s umbrella. - Hinton and the Nonprofit Resource Center worked with RadWork to handle the technical and operational handoff.

The details: - Board Connector was created because Chattanooga had professionals with civic talent who wanted to serve but had no easy path to nonprofit boards. - The platform also aimed to help nonprofits reach beyond their existing networks and bring more diverse perspectives into governance. - Over time, Board Connector facilitated direct board placements. - The platform also encouraged more people to pursue board service outside the program itself. - Participants have gone on to chair boards, lead governance committees and become sought-after civic leaders in the region. - The Nonprofit Resource Center provides education, support and shared resources to nonprofits across Greater Chattanooga. - Phil Trammell, executive director of the Nonprofit Resource Center, said Board Connector made board service more visible and accessible and is an essential part of the center’s board training classes. - Benwood Foundation, Lyndhurst Foundation and the Community Foundation have supported Board Connector since its founding.

Between the lines: - The transition suggests Board Connector has moved from a founder-led initiative to a more durable institutional platform. - Locating the program inside the Nonprofit Resource Center may help standardize board recruitment and training alongside other nonprofit support services. - The backing from major Chattanooga foundations signals that local philanthropy sees board pipeline development as part of civic infrastructure.

What's next: - Professionals interested in nonprofit board service can visit Board Connector or the Nonprofit Resource Center. - Nonprofits looking for qualified board candidates are also being directed to those sites. - The Nonprofit Resource Center is expected to continue and expand Board Connector’s role in developing the next generation of nonprofit board leaders. - Wade Hinton said the platform’s new home gives the work the relationships, infrastructure and support to go further.

The bottom line: - Board Connector is not ending; it is being folded into a larger Chattanooga nonprofit support system designed to extend its reach and longevity.