2024 Grantee Organizations
Ella’s House supports pregnant and parenting student mothers, ages 18-24 years-old, who are attending one of the twenty colleges and six community colleges in the greater Nashville area. Thanks to the incredible band, I’m With Her, who donated royalties to support our grantmaking, the foundation granted $15,000 to Ella’s House to support their work.
Tennessee Justice for our Neighbors provides compassionate immigration legal services to our neighbors seeking humanitarian relief. They received a $10,000 grant to support their work as part of of our Hello from the Hills benefit concert in January 2024.
Muhlenberg Music Mission is a group of Muhlenberg County business owners and musicians who provide instruments and lessons to all children in the area that qualify depending on need. As a collaborative gift with Hope in the Hills, they received a $5,000 grant to support their work as part of of our Hello from the Hills benefit concert in January 2024.
The mission of ALPHA House of Pinellas County is to prevent the cycle of homelessness and child abuse by providing a safe residence and supportive services to homeless pregnant women and babies. ALPHA House received a $5,000 grant thanks to proceeds from an April 2024 trio of tribute concerts that were held in the Gulfport & Tampa Bay areas of Florida.
The foundation provided a $5,000 grant to Muhlenberg County Long-Term Disaster Recovery Fund in the wake of devastating tornadoes and severe storms that ravaged the area in May 2024.
The foundation provided a $5,000 grant to Color Me Country to support representation of Black voices in folk, Americana, and country music. The grant supported travel expenses for CMC musicians to perform at The Long Road Festival in the UK.
In February 2024, the foundation hosted a screening of Ramin Bahrani’s incredible documentary If Dreams Were Lightning as a fundraiser for the Health Wagon, which provides compassionate, quality health care to the medically underserved people in the mountains of Appalachia. $5,000 in funds were donated to support the Health Wagon’s critical work.
Musicares provides a safety net of critical health and welfare services to the music community in the areas of mental health & addiction recovery, health services, and human services. They received a $10,000 grant to support their work as part of of our Hello from the Hills benefit concert in January 2024.
Actors Bridge Ensemble received a $10,000 grant for Act Like a GRRRL, an autobiographical writing and performance program that inspires female-identifying teenagers (ages 12-18) to write about their lives and transform their thoughts into monologues, dances, and songs for public performance. As GRRRLS find their voice and speak their truths on stage, they develop the self-confidence, personal agency and leadership skills to live more empowered lives.
The Gulfport Multipurpose Senior Center actively seeks to support the independence and increased quality of life of its participants by encouraging involvement in programs and activities that promote health, welfare, safety and dignity. A $5,000 grant to the Senior Center was possible thanks to proceeds from an April 2024 trio of tribute concerts that were held in the Gulfport & Tampa Bay areas of Florida.
The Circle of Friends of the Gulfport Library works to enhance the development of Gulfport’s library facilities and services, community building, and provides support for literacy and learning. A $5,000 grant to the Library was possible thanks to proceeds from an April 2024 trio of tribute concerts that were held in the Gulfport & Tampa Bay areas of Florida.
The foundation provided a $2,500 grant to Woodsongs, which assisted with recovery for Western Kentucky musicians who lost their beloved instruments during May 2024’s severe storms and tornadoes.
The foundation provided a $5,000 sponsorship to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America for their annual fundraising event in Nashville. HDSA is the premier nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of everyone affected by Huntington’s disease.
Thanks in part to a matching campaign from generous donors all over the world, the Foundation provided $127,500 in grant funding to First Contact, which is facilitating direct cash relief payments to hospitality workers and entertainers in the Gulfport, Florida, area who were severely affected by the dual disasters of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. First Contact is also disbursing additional cash relief to seniors affected by the hurricanes. For more information on these efforts, click here.
The foundation provided $2,500 to the Nashville Peace and Justice Center to help with purchase, transport, and distribution of lifesaving supplies, along with needed medic/repair/cleanup work via a network of mutual aid for Georgia and North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
The Foundation is in the process of distributing $50,000 in direct disaster relief payments to low-income families in Gulfport, Florida, who had near or total losses in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. As of 11/18/24, we have distributed $20,800 of this funding and are still at work contacting parents. We are grateful to the Pinellas County School system and the social workers embedded in the schools for helping us identify and collaborate with these parents. To learn more about these efforts, click here.
The foundation provided a $5,000 grant to Hope in the Hills and Healing Appalachia to sponsor their first annual Raising Lazarus Awards, which provided financial support to crucial members of the community working daily to help save lives and fight the opioid epidemic.
Thanks in part to a matching campaign from generous donors all over the world, the Foundation provided a $5,000 grant to the Gulfport Senior Center Foundation, to provide disaster relief assistance to the senior community in Gulfport and Pinellas County in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. For more information on these efforts, click here.
The foundation supported Distribute Aid with a $2,610 grant to help transport, store, and distribute necessary disaster relief supplies for Western North Carolina, including blankets, tarps, drinking water, sleeping bags, hygiene kits, and shelf-stable food in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
2023 Grantee Organizations
Renewal House provides specialized addiction treatment to women and their children. It is the only long-term family residential program in Middle Tennessee that treats women and their children together. They provide residential treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, recovery housing, and telehealth support. Renewal House was a recipient of $25,000 in funding for general operations.
The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans is the resource and technical assistance center for a national network of community-based service providers and local, state and federal agencies that provide emergency and supportive housing, food, health services, job training and placement assistance, legal aid and case management support for hundreds of thousands of homeless veterans each year. NCHV was a recipient of $25,000 in funding for general operations.
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition is a statewide, immigrant and refugee-led collaboration with a mission is to build power, amplify voices, and organize communities to advocate for immigrant and refugee rights. Their vision is a stronger, more inclusive Tennessee where people of all nationalities, immigration statuses, and racial identities can belong and thrive. TIRRC was a recipient of $25,000 in funding for general operations.
Porter’s Call offers a service of counsel, support, and encouragement to recording artists and their families, and provides a safe and confidential refuge for artists in need of support, all free of charge. Porter’s Call was a recipient of $25,000 in funding for general operations.
Rise and Shine TN is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to building a culture of civic engagement so every Tennessean can be safe, live free, and have a chance to thrive. Rise and Shine TN was a recipient of $10,000 in funding for general operations.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum collects, preserves, and interprets the evolving history and traditions of country music. The CMHoF’s Words and Music Program was a recipient of $15,000 in funding.
Thistle Farms, one of the first HITF grantees, received a $1,575 grant for Giving Tuesday.
HITF provided a $1,000 event sponsorship to the Community Resource Center of Nashville in September 2023.
Capstone Community Action supports individuals and families in Central Vermont to achieve stability and rise out of poverty. Hello in There granted $10,000 to support Capstone’s Emergency Response Fund, for flood relief efforts to provide food and other resources to Central Vermont residents affected by the July 2023 disaster.
Through healing comfort sessions with dogs, Comfort Connections provides connection and comfort to people who are hurting and need extra love. The Hello in There Foundation provided $15,000 to Comfort Connections to assist with their work in helping children and families affected by the Covenant tragedy in Nashville.
Hello in There provided $100,000 to Inclusion Tennessee to support their programs in the wake of anti-LGBT legislation in our state. Inclusion Tennessee works to connect people, opportunities, and resources to enrich and enhance the multi-faceted LGBTQIA+ community.
CARE is an international humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and world hunger by working alongside women and girls. HITF provided a $22,500 grant to CARE for disaster response in the wake of catastrophic earthquake in Syria and Turkey.
The Hello in There Foundation provided $17,500 in grant funding to Conexión Américas, who works to build a welcoming community and create opportunities where Latino families can belong, contribute, and succeed. Funding supported disaster relief for families experiencing hardship due to several devastating apartment complex fires in Nashville.
The Central Vermont Council on Aging supports Central Vermonters to age with dignity and choice, offering programs and services for people aged 60+, caregivers, and their families. A grant of $10,000 from Hello in There will directly benefit older adults who are affected by the July 2023 flood along with the nutrition sites which provide nourishing meals in the community.
Mosaic Changemakers weaves a better South by supporting, growing and connecting leaders of color. Hello in There supported Mosaic with a $25,000 grant to support their Fellowship program, which brings together changemakers of color for a year-long program to strengthen their individual and collective power to lead boldly and confidently in a multiracial society.
Room in the Inn provides programs that emphasize human development and recovery through education, self-help and work, all centered in community and long term support for those who call the streets of Nashville home. The foundation provided a $10,000 grant to honor the work of their beloved founder, Charles Strobel. One of the first HITF grantees, RITI also received a $1,041 grant on Giving Tuesday.
Conexión Américas received $2,500 to support disaster relief for families experiencing hardship due to a December tornado that affected Nashvillians.
Humanity and Inclusion is an aid organization working alongside people with disabilities and populations experiencing situations of extreme hardship. HITF provided a $22,500 grant to Humanity and Inclusion for disaster response in the wake of catastrophic earthquake in Syria and Turkey.
Love Welcomes is a creative social enterprise that helps refugee women begin to stitch their lives back together. Today it works in multiple locations supporting refugees in camps and those who have been resettled. The Hello in There Foundation provided $10,000 to support Love Welcomes in their programming.
2022 Grantee Organizations
Hello in There is proud to support Musicians on Call with a $50,000 grant in 2022. MOC delivers the healing power of music to patients in healthcare facilities. They are the nation’s leading provider of live music in hospitals, serving individuals in facilities ranging from children’s hospitals to adult facilities, VA hospitals, and hospices.
Hello in There provided a $50,000 grant to the Keep A Breast Foundation in 2022. Keep A Breast's mission is to reduce breast cancer risk and its impact globally through art, education, prevention, and action. Specifically, Hello in There supported KAB’s Give Back Grant program, which provides direct support to BIPOC women who are breast cancer survivors or have been diagnosed with breast cancer.
In 2022, HITF donated $25,000 to Thistle Farms, a nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to helping women survivors recover and heal from prostitution, trafficking, and addiction. Specifically, the foundation supported Thistle Global, an aligned international network of artisan survivor enterprises supporting women’s dignity and economic freedom.
Room in the Inn received a $25,000 grant in 2022. The organization provides programs that emphasize human development and recovery through education, self-help and work, all centered in community and long term support for those who call the streets of Nashville home.
HITF made a $15,000 grant to A Step Ahead in 2022. A Step Ahead Foundation of Middle Tennessee helps to empower women by partnering with clinics, social workers, schools, community centers, and other organizations to promote awareness and access to free, long-acting reversible contraception.
Through strategic partnerships, Raphah Institute confronts the root causes of societal harm and takes a uniquely crafted approach to create transformative healing for all. Its flagship program, the Restorative Justice Diversion Program, focuses on healing both persons harmed and responsible youth using restorative justice principles. The Raphah Institute was a featured nonprofit for the "Hello from the Hills" benefit concert, and received a $10,000 grant from the Hello in There Foundation in December 2022.
Healing Housing is a nonprofit residential recovery program serving women with limited resources throughout Middle Tennessee who are healing from addiction. They provide women a stable home and extensive support services rooted in love, acceptance and the power of community, to women transitioning from drug and alcohol treatment. Healing Housing was a featured nonprofit for the "Hello from the Hills" benefit concert, and received a $10,000 grant from the Hello in There Foundation in December 2022.
CARE is an international humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and world hunger by working alongside women and girls. HITF made a $16,000 grant in May 2022 to CARE’s Ukraine Crisis Fund.
In December 2022, the Hello in There Foundation made several $2,500 year-end gifts to small and/or grassroots organizations led by Women of Color who are doing important work in Nashville. Those organizations included:
Brooklyn Heights Community Garden
Girls on the Run Middle Tennessee
East Nashville Hope Exchange
The F.I.N.D. Design
Moves and Grooves
Nashville Freedom Schools
Tennessee Justice for our Neighbors
HITF provided a $2,500 event sponsorship to the Community Resource Center of Nashville in September 2022.
HITF provided a $1,000 gift to World Central Kitchen in December 2022.
EASTERN KENTUCKY DISASTER RELIEF
The Hello in There Foundation mobilized resources among our generous fan community to raise funding for Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief, and in August 2022 provided $15,000 in grant funds to the community organizations below. Oh Boy Records and the Prine Family matched donations up to $15,000, for a total of $30,000 to disaster relief efforts.
The Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center is a nonprofit law firm that fights for justice in the coalfields by using a high-impact three-pronged strategy for change: litigation, advocacy, and organizing. HITF donated $5,000 in August 2022 to help with disaster relief around Eastern Kentucky flooding.
The Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund was established by Governor Beshear to assist those impacted by the floods of July 2022. HITF donated $5,000 to assist with flood relief in August 2022.
Hope in the Hills/Healing Appalachia is dedicated to helping connect and grow communities of recovery and healing in Appalachia, raising funds and awareness to combat opioid addiction through a wide array of projects and programs from youth prevention, healthy lifestyles and wellness to recovery houses and recovery to work. HITF supported Hope in the Hills with a $5,000 grant in August 2022 to support their work in helping rebuild the Perry Cline Emergency Shelter in Pikeville, KY in the wake of catastrophic flooding.
Hello in There also partnered with Hope in the Hills and Healing Appalachia in January 2023 for the “Hello from the Hills” benefit concert, to raise resources and visibility for organizations working in recovery communities across in both Middle Tennessee and Appalachia.
2021 Grantee Organizations
Room in the Inn provides programs that emphasize human development and recovery through education, self-help and work, all centered in community and long term support for those who call the streets of Nashville home. HITF supported Room in the Inn in December 2021 with a $25,000 grant.
For 25 years, Thistle Farms has worked with women survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction, helping to provide healing and hope through safe housing, healthcare, counseling, and employment. In 2021, HITF supported Thistle Farms with a $25,000 grant in December 2021 for their Thistle Farms Global Program.
HITF provided a $1,000 grant to Nashville Children’s Theatre in 2021.
HITF provided a $1,000 grant to Make the Road NY in 2021.
WESTERN KENTUCKY DISASTER RELIEF
The Hello in There Foundation provided several small grants to Western Kentucky community organizations, particularly around the Prine family homeland in Muhlenberg County in the wake of devastating tornadoes which ravaged the region in December 2021.