Maclellan Foundation: Strengthening Chattanooga’s Capacity for Mission

Canaan Group & Associates has been honored to partner with The Maclellan Foundation since 2020. The Chattanooga-based foundation isn’t one of our typical nonprofit or church clients. Instead, we work with the foundation to support its grantee organizations.

The foundation isn’t only focused on funding; Maclellan cares deeply about helping each grantee build its capacity for mission through integrated business, fundraising, and growth practices. Therefore, the foundation has hosted a variety of group training sessions for local grantees and invited CG&A to share our expertise on proper board governance, board-led fundraising, strategic roadmaps and financial plans, and organizational assessments.

Two Chattanooga-based nonprofits supported by Maclellan that we worked with are Neigh’tions and First Things First.

Neigh’tions serves refugees and immigrants by providing English classes, services, community, and sharing the love of Christ, and this nonprofit attended the CG&A board training in early 2025.

Board Director Emily Lambright reflected, “As someone relatively new to the nonprofit world, I have a lot to learn. CG&A did an incredible job sharing a wealth of great information in an accessible way. They encouraged us to start where we were and grow from there. Through the training, we were able to revise and implement stronger board job descriptions and structure to our meetings. We also learned helpful information on how to intentionally invite in new board members as we focus on growing our board. The information I learned helped me to move forward with more confidence and clarity in working with our board and cultivating a positive and impactful board culture.”

First Things First completed the training in 2021. This nonprofit serves economically disadvantaged and at-risk families in Chattanooga and beyond who have experienced cyclical trauma and dysfunction, and lack access to resources.

In 2022, President and CEO Lauren Hall reflected, “We didn’t know

what we didn’t know. CG&A helped us clearly define the steps we needed to take to get our board and our organization in a more structured place, primed and ready for growth. They provided easy-to-use templates and were able to answer even the most complex questions.”

While recently reflecting on First Things First’s growth, Lauren added, “Over the last four years, we’ve developed and implemented board job descriptions, including clearly defined roles for committees, committee chairs, and officers. This has provided more clarity and buy-in from all board members. We’ve also been more intentional about the diversity of time, talent, and treasure represented on the board, ensuring that the mission of First Things First is at the forefront of the board, rather than just the need for fundraising. We’ve also carefully trimmed our board size to make it more manageable and effective overall.”

Hearing that the training helped these boards reach a better place to further their missions is delightful news for both us at CG&A and The Maclellan Foundation team.

Tyler Haar, VP of Programs at The Maclellan Foundation, noted, “Our role is not only to provide funding, but to walk alongside our partners as they grow stronger and more sustainable. When local ministries strengthen their leadership and governance, Chattanooga flourishes. We are grateful for the work of CG&A; they have been a valuable partner in many ways.”

Learn more about the Maclellan Foundation here.