Freedom Reigns Ranch
Igniting Hope with the Help of a Horse
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
We are searching for 25-40 acres of land on which to build our "forever home." With the current limitations of a leased property behind us (8 acres, 3 operating days, limited number of horses) a permanent ranch home will exponentially increase the ministry’s impact on young lives. Currently, over 100 applications for sessions representing children and young persons in crisis are on the waiting list. With more than a year's wait, these applicants are blocked from accessing the ministry when they need it the most.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Individual Sessions
Intentional and undivided one-on-one time for a participant with a leader and a horse. Providing a safe space for participants to learn to rebuild trust, gain confidence, and learn their inherent value through ranch activities such as riding, groundwork with horses, and barn chores.
Junior Ranchers
Junior Ranchers is a small group mentorship for youth ages 9-24. Participants are put in groups of no more than 8 based on age, gender, and life-circumstance. Together they learn leadership, teamwork, creative problem solving, and practice relational skills through horsemanship, interacting with peers, and engaging in practical application Bible study.
Family Sessions
Family Sessions are an opportunity for families dealing with inter-relational challenges to step outside of their routine in the Ranch setting. Initiated by a request from a parent/foster parent/guardian, and facilitated by a Ranch mentor, the session can focus on topics including teamwork, respect, communicating emotions, problem-solving, and boundaries... or the time can simply be used as a "bright spot" in the midst of family turmoil.
After time with the horses, discussion around a campfire (complete with s’mores!) is used to bring closure to the session and encourage continued healthy interaction amongst family members.
Special Circumstance Group Sessions
Group Sessions are a “unique circumstance opportunity” in which groups who relate to, work with, and interact with each other outside of Freedom Reigns are brought to the Ranch for an extended 2-hour session that includes working with horses as well as a discussion/debrief time. The time can be used as a devotional, team-building activity, or be a chance for groups to have a fun afternoon together.
Groups come from a variety of circumstances including foster family cohorts, grief and trauma groups in counseling, marriage groups, support groups in counseling for a variety of circumstances (bullying, eating disorders, addiction recovery, etc.), and co-workers or teammates experiencing communication challenges.
Where we work
Awards
Top-Rated Nonprofit 2021
Great Nonprofits
Best of Parenting Winner 2021
Williamson Parent
Top-Rated Nonprofit 2022
Great Nonprofits
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Average number of service recipients per month
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Young adults, Foster and adoptive children, Children and youth, At-risk youth, Victims and oppressed people
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Continuously growing in capacity to provide additional one-on-one and group sessions from caring adults who have been equipped in providing trauma-informed, Christ-centered mentorship.
Number of direct care staff who received training in trauma informed care
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
All of our mentors receive training in providing trauma-informed mentorship, building trust, and providing motivational and caring support from a LCSW with 20+ years of clinical experience.
Hours of mentoring
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Young adults, Foster and adoptive children, At-risk youth, Victims and oppressed people
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Hours of mentorship that have been provided free-of-charge to children and young adults in Middle Tennessee.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn 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?
A permanent ranch will allow for the realization of these growth milestones:
Immediately Reduce wait list and welcome several wait-listed participants with additional operating days. Increase the number of session horses.
Year 2027 (Five Year Goal) 120+ bi-monthly participants in one-on-one and group sessions, 100+ participants in family and large group sessions, twenty horses, individual mentors/volunteers, and 7,850 mentorship hours
Year 2032 (Ten Year Goal) 175+ bi-monthly participants in one-on-one and small group sessions, 150+ participants in family and large group sessions, twenty-eight to thirty horses, individual mentors/volunteers, and 10,000+ mentorship hours
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The strategy is to secure $500k that can be used as a match incentive so at closing 1m will be paid, and the remaining $650,000 be financed in a mortgage with a monthly payment similar to our current lease. This is what we feel is financially responsible.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
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 bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, 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 take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, 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
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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
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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.
Freedom Reigns Ranch
Board of directorsas of 06/12/2023
Penelope Butler
Everett Simmons
Amy Springer
Advents Occupational Health
Elizabeth St Clair
Carissa Ramsdell
Freedom Reigns Ranch
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 -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
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
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data