GIFT has been helping many musicians and music people and their families in need, including some of Nashville's most loved performers, by providing financial aid to cover medical bills, senior living expenses, hospice care and other health related and emergency issues as well as donating to other non profit institutions that help with similar causes.

Our Mission

The following verses from Colossians 3:12 -17 are the GIFT Mission Statement:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

GIFT has been hosting events every first Tuesday of the month featuring guest speakers like legendary songwriter Dallas Frazier, artist Lionel Cartwright, TV personalities Tom Randles, Rudy Kalis and Megan Alexander, sports broadcaster Hope Hines, esteemed football coach Les Steckel and cartoonist Guy Gilchrist. GIFT has also hosted concerts, songwriter nights, golf tournaments and various other events to raise awareness for the cause and raise money.

GIFT is a 501(c)(3) Public Foundation and all donations are tax deductible.

About

GIFT, Giving In Faith Together was a result of a lunch meeting between Buzz Cason and Dickey Lee at a South Nashville Barbeque restaurant around 1996. While chatting about the need for musicians, singers and other music people to get together more often in a spiritual but casual atmosphere, Dickey asked, “Why don’t we start a Bible study group of some sort?” Buzz replied, “Why not?” and the idea for GIFT was born.

A hand full of guys would soon get together in a small office at Creative Workshop Recording Studio, for what became First Tuesday meetings each month. With only word of mouth and personal invites to bring folks to the lunch time gatherings, the attendance remained really small until Johnny Christopher, a songwriter and guitarist suggested that First Tuesday would attract more of their friends if the group featured a guest speaker or singer each month. With the help of various gifted performers, ministers and motivational speakers volunteering to be part of the program, the monthly events eventually took off and the group moved into the tracking room at the studio and the attendees grew to 30-40 folks. Many of the ladies would bring home cooked dishes and other baked goods providing a free lunch to all who attended.

The decision was made to form Giving In Faith Together as a non profit foundation to raise money for those in the music industry and others in need by assisting in paying bills and expenses they might have incurred from illnesses and other dire situations. The 501(c) (3) non profit corporation was formed, with a Board of Directors and a mission statement in place. The Board decided to use the following scriptures as the mission statement for GIFT and vowed that all funds received would be properly distributed to the recipients with no administrative fees taken out of the receipts.

After outgrowing the studio, the First Tuesday group moved with the help of Pastor Steve Flanigan to The Hope Center on 12th Avenue South for a brief time, then on up the street to The Cookery, where GIFT became supportive of Lambscroft, a ministry which trains homeless and out of work men and women in the field of culinary arts. In 2014, the Board voted to create The Gift Of Song songwriter events on a Friday night each month which feature new and upcoming songwriters and recording artists from Belmont University and other sources as well as veteran writers. These established writers have included Richard Leigh, Joe Allen, Parker and Parker, Steve Bogard and Austin Cunningham, in addition to performances by Buzz and Dickey. The monthly Friday events kick off with a free buffet dinner at 6PM with music at 7PM. Donations to GIFT are accepted and artists are encouraged to provide their music and other items for those wishing to purchase their merchandise.