From Abandoned Mall to New School: How KIPP Nashville Proved Possibility & Changed a Community
In Antioch, Tennessee, an abandoned Macy's department store sat empty at an old mall—a symbol of decline in an underserved Nashville suburb. But today, that same building houses three thriving KIPP schools serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade, complete with science labs, a gymnasium, an auditorium, and sports fields that many public charter schools can only dream of.
This transformation didn't happen by accident. It required strategic vision, a $25 million capital campaign, and the kind of perseverance that turns doubt into possibility. Over 14 years, DBD Group partnered with leaders at KIPP: Nashville, and together we helped reshape how the organization approaches fundraising, donor relationships, and community engagement.
As DBD Group celebrates 20 years of supporting nonprofit leaders, KIPP: Nashville's story demonstrates what becomes possible when mission-driven leaders receive the strategic partnership they need to turn a bold vision into reality.
KIPP: Nashville is part of the “Knowledge is Power Program,” a network of public charter schools committed to expanding educational opportunity in underserved neighborhoods.
The KIPP model combines college-ready academics, character development, and skill-building in a rigorous but supportive environment. As a public charter school, KIPP operates under the same accountability standards as traditional public schools but receives less per-student funding. This funding gap is where philanthropy becomes essential. Berry Brooks, Managing Director of Development, has spent two decades bridging this gap through strategic fundraising and deep community partnerships.KIPP: Nashville's mission isn't just about academics—it's about disrupting the systems that limit opportunity based on zip code or family circumstance. Berry's role includes connecting donors with the KIPP community of students and families and helping them understand the systemic inequities in education.
When KIPP: Nashville was founded in 2003, it had one school with 300 students. For eight years, there was no growth. But when Berry joined—just six months before the second school opened—everything accelerated. Today, KIPP operates 10 schools serving 4,000 students. Each day, students walk into spaces where joyful learning and big goals are a reality, showing how accessible education can change lives and futures.
Remarkably, KIPP's impact extends beyond its own students. Some of the innovative practices KIPP pioneered are now used in schools across the district, including traditional public schools.
By 2012, KIPP: Nashville had a bold vision to serve more students in under-resourced communities, with sights set on converting an abandoned mall into a fully functioning school. But their passion and vision alone couldn’t make this a reality. The funding challenges were real. Potential supporters didn't understand how charter schools are funded differently from traditional public schools, and some donors were confused about what set KIPP apart.
In addition to donor perceptions, Berry carried the weight of the fundraising load on his own, and their success was dependent on his relationships and energy. As he reflects, he admits that he was "not as strategic" in those early years, relying on passion and people skills rather than a structured strategy. Berry knew he needed a partner who could help them think bigger about their campaigns and provide honest counsel during difficult decisions.
The scope to convert the abandoned building into a thriving campus was ambitious. The full project cost approximately $60 million: $10 million for building purchase and $40 million for renovation and build-out. They needed to raise $25 million in private funding, with the remaining funds provided by other sources.
To achieve this goal, Berry knew he needed a partner who could provide wisdom and perspective—someone who understood both the mechanics of capital fundraising and the psychology of donor relationships. He needed someone to help KIPP see the path forward and help execute, especially when the vision started to feel cloudy.
That’s when Berry began connecting with DBD Group’s founder, Bruce Berglund, who generously offered advice and a listening ear. Soon, this connection launched a 14-year partnership that would reshape KIPP’s fundraising strategy and growth.
Rather than jumping into a capital campaign immediately, DBD Group recommended a phased approach. Over a decade, DBD Group provided:
Our team knew that strategic clarity, honest feedback, and permission to try a different approach to fundraising—one grounded in curiosity and relationship rather than transactions—would be what it would take to help Berry and his team achieve their ambitious goals.
A feasibility study is an essential planning tool used by nonprofits before launching a major campaign, such as building a new school. It involves interviewing key stakeholders—donors, community leaders, board members—to test proposed ideas, clarify the project’s scope, and gauge support for the campaign’s goals and fundraising targets.
In KIPP Nashville’s case, the feasibility study helped them refine their plans before asking for support. As they considered launching a campaign to expand their schools, DBD Group led confidential discussions with donors and parents to determine what would inspire giving.
It was uncomfortable clarity. But if they hadn't tested some of their ideas first, KIPP would have launched a full campaign, thinking donors wanted to fund something they didn't. The feasibility study became an early warning system—catching assumptions before they became costly mistakes.
One of DBD's most valuable contributions was helping KIPP frame its campaign effectively. Berry learned a key principle from Bruce: "People give to the size of your vision." So, rather than focusing solely on the $25 million private fundraising goal, Bruce coached Berry to talk about the full $60 million transformation. This shift in perspective helped donors understand they were part of something bigger.
Helping people understand the vision extended to vision tours as well. Berry and his team carefully designed visits to the construction site so potential donors could walk through the old Macy's and see the school’s potential firsthand. The emotional connection was powerful.
Throughout the campaign, we also tested new strategies for meaningful donor recognition. Traditionally, schools will name new spaces after major donors. But most of KIPP's donors didn't spend time on campus, so this approach didn’t resonate as much.
Instead, KIPP decided to name spaces after donors' favorite teachers, coaches, or mentors—the people who had shaped donors' own lives. This changed the entire giving experience into an opportunity for donors to honor those who had impacted them.
Perhaps the most exciting and nerve-wracking experiences in the campaign came when Bruce counseled Berry to revisit a major donor who had already given a sizeable gift and encourage this donor to give a significantly larger gift later in the campaign. As the campaign faced a $1.1 million gap, Bruce helped Berry think through this donor's mindset, position, and capacity. Together, they prepared for a conversation that felt risky. What if the donor said no?
But through Bruce’s coaching, Berry focused on making the donor feel like a hero in the story, not just a source of funds. They discussed how this donor could be a caretaker of a legacy, not simply a funder of a building. And when Berry made the ask, it landed. The donor said yes!
By the end of the campaign, KIPP: Nashville successfully raised $25 million in private commitments, closing the funding gap and enabling one of Nashville's most transformational real estate projects. But numbers alone don't tell the full story of impact.
In addition to 7 schools across Nashville, KIPP: Nashville now operates another three schools in the renovated Macy's building. With the space and parking that the old mall provided, KIPP created features many schools can't afford: sports fields, science labs, a gymnasium, and an auditorium.
The ripple effect goes beyond education, too. Today, portions of the mall house community assets, including a public library, a Nashville Predators practice facility, and a Vanderbilt University learning center. What was once an abandoned, dead space in the community became a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization.
When KIPP was founded 21 years ago, there were just two charter schools in Nashville. Today there are 30. In fact, nearly one in four Nashville students attends a charter school.
Through their generous spirit to share what they’re learning so others can benefit, KIPP's innovations are spreading across Nashville. Their strategies benefit all 80,000 students in Nashville public schools, not just the 4,000 in KIPP schools.
Berry's 14-year partnership with DBD has yielded several valuable insights about fundraising and leadership:
At DBD Group, our goal is to provide more than consulting expertise—our goal is to offer the wisdom, encouragement, and perspective that allows nonprofit leaders to persevere when doubt appears and to see above the mountaintops when they're in the valley.
When asked what he'd tell other nonprofits considering DBD Group, Berry's said, “It starts and ends with the people. DBD is about people in every single way. If you want to find a place that's going to meet you where you are and help you reach the next level—both professionally and organizationally—to achieve a greater mission, then this is the group that can help you do it."
KIPP: Nashville's story reminds us that when you work alongside mission-driven leaders with authenticity, curiosity, and strategy, you can bring a great vision to life. The old Macy's stands today not just as a school building, but as evidence of what happens when vision persists through doubt, when strategy honors relationships, and when fundraising becomes an opportunity to invite people into a bigger story.
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If your organization has a bold vision but needs strategic partnership to bring it to life—whether navigating capital campaigns, building major gift relationships, or telling your story in ways that resonate with funders—know that you don't have to figure it out alone. Connect with DBD Group can help you carry your vision forward and thrive.