Our Largest Operating Budget  

Thanks to our amazing supporters, we had the largest operating budget in our organization’s history last Fiscal Year, which allowed us to improve both the services offered and the resources provided to families. This year, we provided over 502 families with in-home support, nearly a 25% increase from the previous year. Additionally, 146 families graduated from our parenting classes—a 40% increase from the previous year. We are proud to be able to show significant positive change within our organization and hope to continue this trend of improvement in the years to come.

Our Helpline Capacity Expansion

Nurture the Next offers 24/7 support for individuals in crisis, including immediate connections to safety, support, and resources. We believe all children have the right to be protected from violence, exploitation, and abuse, which is why we invest significant resources in managing both the statewide domestic violence helpline and the statewide parenting helpline. This year, we added text and chat support services to our crisis helpline, establishing a digital resource for new moms and creating options for survivors to seek help. We built on that success by also adding capacity to our original helpline, enhancing our ability to maintain this critical lifeline to Tennesseans in all 95 counties.

And the impact shows. After adding the program, our text-based support helped a survivor escape a violent relationship. Because she feared for the safety of her child, a local mother needed a way to reach out discretely for help. Our incredible team gave her the emotional support she needed over text and connected her with local domestic violence resources. After receiving support from our helpline, this woman was able to secure bus tickets to flee from the violence.

But this is just one example of many. We responded to 12,313 individuals on our helpline this year, an 18% increase from the year before.

Night with Nurture the Next Events 

Night with Nurture the Next was a resounding success in both Nashville and Chattanooga. At the local Nashville establishment The Standard, we broke our fundraising record, raising over $130,000 during the incredible evening of fun with supporters, friends, and partners. In Chattanooga, we hosted our first ever in-person fundraising event and are beyond excited to continue building our relationships in this community.

Parent Connection Events

Throughout the year, Nurture the Next hosted parent connection events that honor parents graduating from our programs and provide parents who are still enrolled in our programs an opportunity to form social connections and be inspired by those who’ve walked before them. It’s also a time for children to participate in learning experiences that they may not otherwise have access to, such as with our Zoo Day and Discovery Center events. Thanks to our volunteers and their support, participating parents got to encourage one another and enjoy a unique experience with their children.

Staff Retention and Fulfillment

Our passionate and dedicated staff is what has made all the difference. This past year, in an incredibly competitive market, Nurture the Next had relatively low staff turnover. We attribute this to the exceptionally high feedback we received from our team about their connection to our work. Nearly 90% of our entire team say they feel connected to our mission and inspired by their work. We are proud of this accomplishment, and it provides much-needed stability to the families we serve.