Tommy Elliott was a gifted storyteller, friends and family say. Now, the foundation bearing his name is working to help Louisville nonprofits find their voice.
The Tommy Elliott Fund for Community Leadership, named after the longtime Old National Bank executive killed in a mass shooting downtown last year, is partnering with the Leadership Louisville Center to put together a training program for nonprofits in the city that want to bring their story to a bigger audience.
The work will culminate with a community event next spring, according to organizers, where members from organizations that participate can share a story that represents their nonprofit’s “mission and purpose” in a storytelling competition. One or two nonprofits that stand out will split $12,000 from the Tommy Elliott Fund and Leadership Louisville Center’s Ignite Louisville program when it’s over.
“Stories are the connection that build our community,” said Maryanne Elliott, Tommy’s widow and the founder of the foundation formed in his name. “Last April I said that Tommy’s story was not finished, and it is not. This fund and the community collaboration represents hope for all of us, because this act of violence will not have the last say.”
Elliott, a 63-year-old father of four, was one of five victims in the fatal shooting 16 months ago at Old National Bank’s downtown Louisville branch. The shooter was shot and killed by Louisville Metro Police officers at the scene.
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The four other victims were were Jim Tutt Jr., 64; Josh Barrick, 40; Juliana Farmer, 45; and Deana Eckert, 57. Eight other people were injured, including LMPD officer Nick Wilt, who is still recovering after being shot in the head.
Aimee Jewell, leadership development manager at the Leadership Louisville Academy, said officials with the Tommy Elliott Fund worked with her organization to set up the new event, which Elliott hopes will continue in coming years and build a following similar to The Moth, a popular monthly forum where attendees share stories about a chosen theme on an open mic.
Seven nonprofits that apply will get “six months of really intensive help from a group of young professionals to help them really amplify and move the needle on a project that they currently are experiencing, or a problem they’re currently experiencing,” Jewell said. “This will not only help them move the needle for their organization, but also amplify their ability to tell their own story.”
Nonprofits of all sizes are eligible to apply, organizers said, but time is running short — the deadline is Sept. 1. The form to apply is available on the Leadership Louisville Center’s website.
Elliott said she wants the event to bring “light from something so dark” and honor her husband’s legacy while helping organizations around Louisville share their message with the city.
“One thing that was important to me was to have an experience that was dynamic and that gave more opportunity to help or make a difference,” she said. “Money’s a great difference maker, but we can help in many different ways.”
Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com.
