Nashville Rescue Mission
Hope Lives Here
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Homelessness is a growing issue in Nashville. According to the city's Point-In-Time count, 2,000 individuals experienced homelessness in 2020. At that same time, the Mission served more than 6,000 unique individuals. In addition, according to Metro Schools, over 3,000 school-aged children are homeless or do not have permanent housing. Nashville Rescue Mission looks to address this problem in a variety of ways. First, the Mission provides programs and services for those experiencing homelessness to meet their basic and urgent needs, like food, clothing, and shelter. Then, the Mission takes the next step by assigning a case manager to work with a guest to lead them out of their situation and move them into sustainable, independent living. The Mission also offers a long-term life recovery program to help those battling addiction by teaching them new coping strategies to better manage their lives. Different issues require different approaches.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Guest Services Ministries
HOPE FOR TODAY Emergency Services for Men, Women, and Mother’s with Children Meeting basic needs. Right here. Right now. Hope for Today is a hot meal for a hungry child. It is safe shelter for a single woman. It is case management for a homeless man. It is helping men and women in need prepare for employment. At Nashville Rescue Mission, we address homelessness and hopelessness in a way that is transformational and Christ-centered. We believe in order for someone’s heart to be open to change, we must first meet his or her most basic and immediate needs. With over 4,000 homeless individuals living on the streets of Nashville on any given night, Nashville Rescue Mission not only provides temporary assistance to the homeless, but truly gets to the root of the problems that lead to these broken lifestyles in the first place. Overview of Emergency Services Provided Free of Charge FoodShelterCase Management – provide assistance and referrals for employment, housing, aid, etc.Christian CounselingSecurityDayroom when environmental factors pose a risk (too hot, too cold, rain, snow)Hot Showers & Personal Hygiene Items ProvidedLockersDorm Room3 Hot Nutritious Meals a DayChapel ServiceClothing RoomComputers/InternetCelebrate RecoveryMental HealthBible StudiesJob Search AssistanceLegal Aid – Disability AssistanceVeterans AssistanceSmoking CessationPathways to Work**Worker’s Program**Guest Volunteer ProgramMother’s Room*Bright Spaces*Outdoor Playground* *Women’s Campus **Men’s Campus
Recovery Ministries
Residential Recovery Programs for Men, Women, and Mother’s with Children* (*limit on boys up to age 6) HOPE FOR TOMORROW Building a new life. Hope for Tomorrow is counseling for a man who is battling addiction. It is caring for a woman who has suffered abuse. It is giving a child a safe place to play while mom gets the help she needs. It is teaching men and women new skills that will equip them for a better future. At Nashville Rescue Mission, we assess each individual’s situation and develop a plan specifically for them that will take them out of the situation they are now in and help them make plans for a better tomorrow. We believe God has a plan and a purpose for every person. The Mission’s program focuses on a person’s entire life—physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, and social. We are committed to restoring the whole person through a Christian approach that helps the homeless and addicted learn how much God loves them and gain the biblical insight they need to lead a productive life in and for Christ. Overview of Life Recovery Program Services Provided Free of Charge FoodShelterCase Management – provide assistance and referrals for employment, housing, aid, etc.Gateway ProgramIndividual CounselingGroup CounselingDaily DevotionsBible ClassesLife Skills Classes (topics: sexuality, addictions, emotions, strongholds, personal finances, budgeting, Christian manhood, resume preparation, and job interviewing skills)Parenting ClassesWork TherapyHSE Classes (High School Equivalency, formerly GED)Students are in class at least 1 ½ hours a day, 5 days a weekHSE students have an additional 2 hours of class timeClothing RoomLibraryComputer Classes/Computer RoomMusic RoomCDL Classes (optional)Food Handling Classes (optional)Dayroom/TV RoomLaundryBarberFitness RoomPrayer RoomTransitional HousingWorker’s DormSeeds of Hope Garden*Bird and Butterfly Garden* *Women’s Campus **Men’s Campus
Where we work
Accreditations
Association of Gospel Rescue Missions 1964
Citygate Network 2020
Awards
Certified Best Christian Workplace 2021
Best Christian Workplaces Institute
Affiliations & memberships
Center for Nonprofit Management Excellence Network 2002
Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability 1988
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce 2008
Charity Navigator 2009
Giving Matters 2009
Tennessee Christian Chamber of Commerce 2020
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of homeless participants engaged in housing services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Nomadic people, Adults, Children and youth, Substance abusers
Related Program
Guest Services Ministries
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Context Notes
Number of unique individuals who received any housing services.
Number of homeless participants engaged in mental health services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Substance abusers, Economically disadvantaged people, Nomadic people
Related Program
Guest Services Ministries
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The number of individuals who have self-identified as having a mental health diagnosis.
Number of people using homeless shelters per week
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Adults, Substance abusers, Nomadic people
Related Program
Guest Services Ministries
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Context Notes
The average number of unique individuals who receive services at Nashville Rescue Mission each week.
Average number of service recipients per month
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Substance abusers, Economically disadvantaged people, Nomadic people
Related Program
Guest Services Ministries
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Context Notes
The average number of unique individuals who receive any kind of services at Nashville Rescue Mission each month.
Number of service recipients who have no past substance abuse
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Substance abusers, Economically disadvantaged people, Nomadic people
Related Program
Guest Services Ministries
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Context Notes
The total number of individuals who self-identified as not having a substance abuse disorder.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Mission’s first is to be an Employer of Choice. As an employer of choice, the Mission wants potential and existing employees who genuinely want to work for the organization; it means the Mission seeks to attract and optimize top talent. And its most superior employees choose to stay with the Mission throughout their careers.
The second is to be a Provider of Choice. This means guests and program participants choose the Mission for emergency and recovery care because of the Mission’s integrity, the high quality of its services and facilities, the reputation the Mission has built, and the credibility the Mission has established in the community.
The third is to be a Charity of Choice. This means volunteers and donors choose to support the Mission’s ministry because the Mission is a good steward of the resources they’ve been given; the Mission is well-respected because they fulfill their mission with honor and integrity. And the Mission is highly-visible within the community because they are established experts in what they do.
And fourth is to be a Best Practices Model of Choice. This means that other missions, ministries, and organizations providing recovery and compassionate care to those in need, turn to Nashville Rescue Mission, a proven leader and provider, for instruction and direction in the launch and development of their own ministry, administration, and financial management, emergency services, and recovery programs.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
To become an employer of choice, the Mission needs to recruit and retain quality employees capable of delivering on the organization’s mission. The first step was implementing an Employee Engagement Survey through Best Christian Workplaces. This has continued to be a valued resource of information regarding how employees feel about their work and has provided HR with actionable feedback to improve employee engagement. New initiatives include Onboarding, wellness program, hiring bonuses, retention bonuses, new payroll system, supervisor roundtable discussions, compensation studies leading to raises for key positions, to name a few.
To become a provider of choice, the Mission needs to enhance, improve, and maintain current properties, services, and equipment to provide an optimum environment for effective emergency care and recovery services. Strategies included:
A new mandatory background check for volunteers
Replacing telephone and voicemail systems
Moving to a cloud and network-based system
Participating in the Nashville Food Waste Initiative, resulting in hundreds of pounds of high-quality food being donated regularly
Additionally, acquiring new property adjacent to the women’s campus so as to move forward with a campaign to build a new campus for women and children.
Physical updates have included upgrading freight elevators, installing new washers and dryers, replacing water tanks, adding new equipment such as forklifts, pallet jacks, passenger bus and van. The Mission has also improved data collection methods and systems to measure and assess program and ministry impact. This assessment serves as the basis for expanding, discontinuing or adding new services.
Improved case management initiatives have improved the process for welcoming new guests and focusing on their specific needs. Thus, allowing the Mission to help those coming to us for assistance quickly and more effectively.
To become a charity of choice, the Mission has developed a stewardship plan for communicating with donors. Event sponsorship opportunities and major donor gatherings have been implemented to increase loyalty and commitment with individuals and corporations. Robust plans for donor acquisition and retention have been implemented. Cross-channel communication is more powerful as impact stories are utilized across different platforms, including direct mail, newsletters, social channels, and websites. The repetition of the story encourages investment in the story, leading to greater giving. The “I Had No Idea Tour” has become a highly successful way of engaging new and existing donors to learn more about the organization.
To become a best practices model of choice, the Mission has created and implemented various models, including a policy and procedure manual, risk assessment/management strategy program, developing a strategic plan in addition to an operating plan, differentiating between outputs and outcomes, to articulate expected results in each area of ministry.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Nashville Rescue Mission is highly capable of meeting its goals. With a long history, from its inception in 1954, the Mission is a solid, reliable organization with a strong presence in the community.
With frequently surpassing annual fundraising goals, the Mission is poised to focus on improving processes, implementing new initiatives while maintaining the quality of care it’s known for providing.
Fundraising support comes from various channels, giving the organization stability without fear of losing anyone donor and impacting the organization’s ability to operate.
A solid and diverse board of directors provides a depth and breadth of knowledge that the Mission can leverage to its benefit. Operating with solid leadership, the CEO has been at the helm for nearly 11 years.
With a strong brand reputation, the Mission is seen as a well-respected, highly effective organization in the community.
Solid partnerships with external vendors also increase the organization’s ability to meet its short and long-term goals.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since 1954, Nashville Rescue Mission has served hundreds of thousands of individuals who need help and hope. Some continue to work as employees of the Mission, giving a great testimony to the success these individuals have found through the Mission’s programs and services and their desire to pay it forward. Many of those who have stayed at the Mission have gone on to lead long, productive lives. Whether reconnecting with family or pursuing a new career, we continue to hear stories of success from those who have stayed at the Mission.
In 2020, the Mission served nearly 6,000 unique individuals, of which 277 were children. This accounts for over 424,178 meals served and 212,379 nights of safe shelter provided to those in need.
The Mission also enrolled 196 men and women in its residential life recovery program, with 87 fully completing and graduating from this long-term, 8-month program.
Through case management and other guest services programs, the Mission successfully transitioned 107 men and women from the Mission to independent and stable housing.
The Mission is committed to helping those in need by providing food, clothing, and shelter to those in need and offering case management, life recovery programs, and other services to those looking to better their future. The Mission is continually evaluating its programs and services best to meet the needs of those in the community.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Nashville Rescue Mission
Board of directorsas of 11/13/2023
Ms. LeEllen Philliops
Ingram Industries
Term: 2022 - 2023
Ann Davis
Retired, Physical Therapist
Chris Milam
Milam Optical Services
James Hiatt
University Professor/Dean
Anvil Nelson
QVS, Inc.
Andrew Jackson
Ghertner and Company
LeEllen Phillips
Ingram Industries
Mike Bishop
Retired, Pharmacist
Gary Cordell
Tennessee Sheriff's Association
Eric Ward
Diane LeBlanc
Renasant Bank
Ben Bonner
Scott Carroll
Echo Power
Mike Baas
Houchens Insurance Group
Dennis Chen
Belmont University
Tahirah King
Mars
Elizabeth Morrison
Tennessee Hospital Association
Ann Murphy
Jennifer Ogden
Brooks Smith
Caroline Smith
Joseph Woodson
Salesforce
Darren Wright
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/27/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.