COOKEVILLE – The Highlands Economic Partnership (HEP) has been awarded the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, a nonprofit reporting firm gauging transparency for nonprofit organizations.
In July, the Highlands Economic Partnership, a program of the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, received the highest level of transparency awarded to non-profits in North America by GuideStar. This highly coveted seal allows community leaders and Highlands’ investors clear access to the Highlands’ financial and community-wide efforts and progress across the four-county region.
"The Highlands Economic Partnership represents the purest form of community impact that exists. With this Platinum Seal of Transparency, our foundation is now in a prime position to support our initiatives while encouraging the participation from individuals in our community,” commented Chamber President and CEO Amy New. “All funds that go to the Highlands Foundations will go toward making a difference with our existing workforce and bolstering the pipeline for future employees through K-12 career exploration. We are proud of this accomplishment and are eagerly looking to the future with intentional focus on providing value to the citizens of the four-county region and to the businesses who support our mission."
To obtain such a designation, a non-profit organization is evaluated by its mission, board of directors’ involvement, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion impact, funding sources and priorities, strategic goals, annual metrics and community impact programs. Non-profits who receive GuideStar’s Platinum Seal of Transparency are ranked in the top 0.1% of non-profits across North America.
Highlands’ Director of Investor Relations, Adam Poe, commented, “we are beyond excited to achieve this elite status of transparency across all non-profits in North America. The HEP is continuing to impact lives across our four-county region and remaining a key player in the growth of economic and workforce prosperity. This is a natural next step in the organization’s evolution and expansion.”
The Highlands Economic Partnership is a collaborative, public/private sector program designed to boost economic, workforce, and community development in Jackson, Overton, Putnam and White counties.
