A joint Tennessee Initiative
A Tennessee where no family walks through crisis alone.
The Human Flourishing Initiative is uniting state agencies, faith communities, and local nonprofits into county-level alliances — so every family has a coordinated team behind them, from crisis all the way to flourishing.
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Pilot counties already underway: Williamson, Knox, and Shelby — urban, suburban, and metro contexts.
The problem
A safety net built program by program,
crisis by crisis.
The federal anti-poverty system has grown into more than 80 programs spending over a trillion dollars a year — each with its own application, its own eligibility rules, its own definition of success.
WATCH:: What is the Human Flourishing Initiaitive?
A family in crisis doesn't see a system. They see a maze. And too often, they navigate it alone.
- Programs operate in silos. Each agency has its own intake, eligibility, and metrics. Families repeat their story dozens of times.
- Success is measured in services delivered — not in whether a family is actually thriving five years later.
- Public supports plateau at stability. They were never designed to help families move from surviving into flourishing.
For example A Tennessee family on an ordinary Tuesday.
Imagine a Tennessee parent whose car won't start one morning. They're late to work. After one too many warnings, their employer lets them go. Within a week, the rent is due that they can't pay. An eviction notice arrives. School starts in two weeks — the kids have outgrown last year's shoes. Groceries are running low.
None of these problems caused the others. But they're all happening at once, to one family that already had no margin.
Today, that family faces each problem at a different door. A housing application here. A food pantry there. A workforce program in another office. Each one with its own intake, its own waitlist, its own forms. The family tells their story over and over. Things fall through the cracks.
Through an HFI county alliance, the same family is met by one family advocate at the backbone organization. The advocate runs the diagnostic, then assembles the team:
- The local housing authority works with the landlord on rental assistance.
- A faith-based community partner closes the immediate gap on shoes, groceries, and other essentials.
- The Department of Labor and Workforce Development connects the parent to a Job Corps placement.
Every partner sees the same plan in Hope Hub. In 30 days, the advocate runs the assessment again — and the team adjusts based on what's working.
One family. One coordinated plan. One Tennessee showing up — together.
What makes HFI different
Every county follows the same six steps.
HFI isn't a new program layered on top of the existing ones. It's a methodology for connecting what already exists in a county — and giving families a single coordinated team instead of a maze of separate agencies. Here's exactly how it works.
Step One
01Identify a backbone organization.
Each county begins by selecting a non-governmental, community-based convener — typically a trusted local nonprofit or faith-based organization. The backbone doesn't have to provide direct services itself. What it must have is the relational capital and credibility to bring every other resource partner to the table.
Non-governmental · Community-based · Trusted convenerStep Two
02Map every local asset.
The backbone's first job is convening — identifying every community resource that touches a vulnerable Tennessean in the county. Nonprofits, clothing closets, faith-based ministries, state agency offices, local housing authorities, food pantries, workforce development programs. Each is invited to join the county's HFI Alliance.
The goal: paint a complete picture of every form of support already available, for every kind of vulnerability.
Step Three
03Train the alliance on Hope Hub.
Every alliance member is registered and trained on Hope Hub — a shared case management platform that holds everything in one place: client referrals, diagnostic assessments, sensitive family information, service coordination, and outcome tracking.
Each member has their own access. They can refer new clients into the system, and they can be assigned to clients who need the specific services or resources they provide.
Hope Hub in plain English
Think of it as the connective tissue of the alliance — the place where every partner sees the same picture of a family's needs, and where progress is tracked over time.
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Think of it as the connective tissue of the alliance — the place where every partner sees the same picture of a family's needs, and where progress is tracked over time.
Step Four
04Open the alliance for referrals.
Once the initial alliance is established, client referrals can begin. The alliance doesn't stop growing — new partners continue joining as they're identified — but families don't have to wait for the network to be "complete" to start being served.
Step Five
05Family advocates coordinate the response.
When a referral comes in, a dedicated family advocate at the backbone organization runs a comprehensive diagnostic — measuring need across 13 domains of self-sufficiency and well-being across 6. The advocate's job isn't to solve every problem themselves. It's to read what the assessment reveals and assemble the right team of alliance members around that specific family.
What this looks like in practice
A single family might be supported simultaneously by a local housing authority handling shelter, a parachurch ministry clothing closet meeting immediate material needs, and a Department of Labor Job Corps connection opening a pathway to employment — all coordinated through one shared plan.
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A single family might be supported simultaneously by a local housing authority handling shelter, a parachurch ministry clothing closet meeting immediate material needs, and a Department of Labor Job Corps connection opening a pathway to employment — all coordinated through one shared plan.
Step Six
06Reassess every 30 days.
Every 30 days, the family is reassessed on both axes — self-sufficiency and well-being. Hope Hub tracks the movement. The alliance can see whether their coordinated work is producing real change, or whether the plan needs to shift. This is how a county knows the difference between services delivered and lives moving.
Movement on both axes · Tracked in Hope HubHow we know it's working
Two questions.
Every thirty days.
Most safety net programs measure services delivered. HFI measures whether families are actually moving — across two dimensions, every month, for as long as they're with the alliance.
The first question
"What do you need?"
Self-sufficiency 13 domains Scored 1–5 Thriving Scale
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"What do you need?"
Self-sufficiency 13 domains Scored 1–5 Thriving Scale
The second question
"How are you doing?"
Well-being 6 domains Scored 0-10 Harvard Flourishing Index
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"How are you doing?"
Well-being 6 domains Scored 0-10 Harvard Flourishing Index
Every family is plotted on two axes. Self-Sufficiency measures what they need — the practical foundations of a stable life. Flourishing measures how they're doing — the lived experience underneath. Real progress means moving on both.
Question One · Thriving Scale
13 domains of self-sufficiency
Each domain is scored on a 5-point scale: In Crisis · At Risk · Situation Stabilizing · Stable · Thriving.
- Housing
- Recovery
- Employment
- Transportation
- Education
- Mental Health
- Physical Health
- Safety
- Dental
- Financial Stability
- Food
- Childcare
- Legal Assistance
Question One · Thriving Scale
13 domains of self-sufficiency
Each domain is scored on a 5-point scale: In Crisis · At Risk · Situation Stabilizing · Stable · Thriving.
- Housing
- Recovery
- Employment
- Transportation
- Education
- Mental Health
- Physical Health
- Safety
- Dental
- Financial Stability
- Food
- Childcare
- Legal Assistance
Question Two · Harvard Flourishing Index
6 domains of well-being
Twelve research-validated questions, two per domain, scored 0–10. Developed by Harvard's Human Flourishing Program.
- Happiness & Life Satisfaction
- Mental & Physical Health
- Meaning & Purpose
- Character & Virtue
- Close Social Relationships
- Financial & Material Stability
Question Two · Harvard Flourishing Index
6 domains of well-being
Twelve research-validated questions, two per domain, scored 0–10. Developed by Harvard's Human Flourishing Program.
- Happiness & Life Satisfaction
- Mental & Physical Health
- Meaning & Purpose
- Character & Virtue
- Close Social Relationships
- Financial & Material Stability
From assessment to action
The diagnostic doesn't just measure. It triages. Every gap reveals exactly which alliance member to bring into a family's plan — and every reassessment shows whether that connection is working.
A drop in housing pulls in the local housing authority. A new gap in recovery activates a treatment partner. A flat score in meaning and purpose surfaces the need for a faith community or mentorship connection. The alliance isn't theoretical — it's matched to the assessment, family by family, every thirty days.
Why this matters
We're bullish about outcomes.
Tennessee has measured services delivered for decades. HFI measures something different: whether families are actually moving — toward self-sufficiency on the X-axis, toward well-being on the Y-axis.
That data lives in Hope Hub. It updates every thirty days. And it's how a county can prove — not assert — that the alliance is working.
Who's at the table
An alliance of government, faith, and community.
HFI is built on the conviction that no single sector can do this alone. State agencies bring scale and resources. Faith communities bring relationships and presence. Local nonprofits bring trust and on-the-ground capacity.
State Agencies
Department of Human Services
Department of Children's Services
Department of Labor & Workforce Development
Office of Evidence and Impact
Research & Federal
Administration for Children & Families
University of Tennessee SWORPS
Harvard Human Flourishing Program
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Community & Faith
Restore Hope / 100 Families
Church of the City / The Village (Williamson)
Knoxville Leadership Foundation (Knox)
Agape Child & Family Services (Shelby)
For Others
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A joint Initiative
United Across Tennessee For Vulnerable Families
Led by the Governor's Faith-Based and Community Initiative (GFBCI), the TN Department of Human Services, the TN Department of Children's Services, the TN Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Restore Hope / Hope Hub, and community partners.
Human Flourishing Initiative
Impact Dashboard
May 2026 – September 2026
Momentum since May
Williamson tripled on its own, and Shelby and Knox added families and providers fast once they came online.
increase in families served
Fivefold growth in four months. Williamson tripled on its own, and the two newer counties added 68 families between them once they came online.
increase in alliance providers
Shelby built the fastest alliance in the state, from 10 providers in June to 153 by September, a fifteenfold rise driven by its August launch.
| County | Backbone organization | Launch | Families Served | Providers | Organizations | Alliance Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamson | Church of the City | May 13, 2026 | 126 | 148 | 63 | +74% |
| Shelby | Agape Child & Family Services | August 14, 2026 | 30 | 153 | 64 | +1,430% |
| Knox | Knoxville Leadership Foundation | October 1, 2026 | 38 | 35 | 14 | +250% |
| Tennessee total | 194 | 336 | 141 | +220% | ||
The alliance, county by county
Every county builds its own alliance: the organizations committed to working together, and the trained individuals inside them who serve families.
Williamson County
Launched May 2026- Community Care Fellowship
- Ella’s House
- Franklin Housing Authority
- Hope House of Tennessee
- My Friend’s House
- Oak Cottage for Women
- There’s Harmony in Housing
- Cul2vate
- GraceWorks Ministries
- One Generation Away
- Tennessee Alliance for Kids
- The Well Outreach
- 4:13 Strong
- Begin Anew
- Franklin Special District
- FrankTown Open Hearts
- Holladay Ventures
- InVocation, Inc.
- Summit Building Services
- Tennessee Alliance for Kids
- Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- UpRise Nashville
- Viable, Inc.
- Williamson County Schools
- AGAPE Nashville
- Alliance Women’s Clinic
- Gracey’s Hope Foundation, Inc.
- Mercy Community Healthcare
- NoahBRAVE Foundation
- Omni Family of Services
- Restore Small Groups
- S2L Recovery
- Tennessee Department of Health
- The Friend Foundation
- The Refuge Center for Counseling
- TK Health
- Together Nashville
- Volunteer Behavioral Health Care System
- Waves, Inc.
- Williamson County Health Department
- Williamson Prevention Coalition
- Agape Child & Family Services
- Embrace Grace
- Hope House of Tennessee
- Omni Family of Services
- Path United
- Preston Taylor Ministries
- Tennessee Department of Children’s Services
- The Contingent
- Young Life
- 21st Judicial District Public Defender’s Office
- Better Options TN
- CASA of Williamson County
- E.L.I.’s House
- Hope for Justice
- Oak Cottage for Women
- Restore Corps
- Tennessee Alliance for Kids
- Aspen Grove Christian Church
- CarePortal
- Church of the City
- ClearView Baptist Church
- Connection Hill Primitive Baptist Church
- Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative – Tennessee
- Hard Bargain Association
- Holladay Ventures
- Mechanics on a Mission
- Restore Hope
- Show Hope
- Southeast Financial Credit Union
- The Dignity Imperative
- United Ways of Tennessee
- UT SWORPS
Shelby County
Launched August 2026- Binghampton Development Corporation
- Fair Housing Council of Metropolitan Memphis
- Hospitality Hub
- Memphis Housing Authority
- MidSouth Genesis CDC
- Urban Strategies, Inc.
- Greater Harvest Economic Outreach CDC
- Life Building, Inc.
- Sycamore View Church of Christ: Compassion Ministry
- The Salvation Army of Memphis & the Mid-South
- Ace Consulting: All Children Excel
- Center for Employment Opportunities
- Christopher A. Pugh II Center
- Golden Technology Services, Inc.
- Goodwill Excel Center Midsouth
- HopeWorks
- IOTA Community Schools
- Karen Hearts Foundation
- Memphis Shelby County Schools
- Mid-South Employer Resource Network
- RISE Memphis
- Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- University of Memphis: SMART Center
- ABC’s Of Life, Inc.
- Alliance Healthcare Services
- Christian Psychological Center
- Church Health
- Nadia Care
- NoahBRAVE Foundation
- Tennessee Department of Health
- Wellness and Stress Clinic
- Agape Child & Family Services
- AGAPE Nashville
- CASA of Shelby County
- Early Success Coalition at Porter-Leath
- Families Matter
- Isaiah 117
- JIFF Youth
- Kindred Place, Inc.
- Memphis Child Advocacy Center
- Memphis Fathers Love
- Morning Center
- Omni Family of Services
- One by One Ministries
- One More Child
- Orphanos
- Raleigh Community Christian Child Care Center
- Restoration Time Family and Youth Services
- South Memphis Alliance
- Tennessee Department of Children’s Services
- UniverCity Family CDC
- Youth Villages
- Block By Block
- Juvenile Court of Memphis & Shelby County
- Memphis Police Department
- Perfect Paperwork Notary Services
- Restore Corps
- West Tennessee Legal Services
- Christ Community Baptist Church
- Hope Church of the Nazarene
- New Direction Christian Church
- New Heights Memphis
- Restore Hope
- Seeding Success
- The Contingent
- The Friend Foundation
- The Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative – Tennessee
- United Way of West Tennessee
- University of Tennessee, Social Work Office of Research and Public Service
Knox County
Launched October 2026- Cokesbury Church: Connection Center
- Goodwill Industries – Knoxville, Inc.
- Knoxville–Knox County Community Action Committee
- Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- TRIO Educational Opportunity Center at the University of Tennessee Knoxville
- NoahBRAVE Foundation
- Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services
- Agape Child & Family Services
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee
- Xander’s Place
- Knoxville City Court
- Knoxville Leadership Foundation
- Restore Hope
- The Contingent
- The Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative – Tennessee
- Office of Community Engagement and Outreach at the University of Tennessee Knoxville
- United Way of Greater Knoxville
- University of Tennessee, Social Work Office of Research and Public Service
What is changing for families
This is the measure that matters most: whether a family is actually more stable than when it walked in. Housing, food and childcare are where the movement is largest, and they decide whether everything else in a family’s life holds together.
Movement across all 13 care areas since intake
Growth in the stable-and-thriving cohort since intake, Williamson County
Shelby posted +100% in housing and +86% in childcare in its first full month. Knox launched October 1 and is still building its baseline. Repeat assessments at the 90-day mark will measure how far families move from intake across all six flourishing domains.
Families arrive with high Character and lagging Financial Stability. That is situational hardship, not a values crisis. The U.S. mean converts to 14.2 on this scale.
Employment gain since intake, from 48.98% to 61.22% currently employed
95.8%Retention once a job is achieved, Williamson
Shelby posted 100% retention in its first full month.
Growth in the stable-and-thriving housing cohort, Williamson
Housing shows the strongest movement of any care area in the portfolio, and it is the foundation the other twelve depend on. A family without stable housing cannot hold a job, keep childcare, or stay healthy.
On the ground
Three pilot counties.
Three Tennessee contexts.
HFI is being implemented across urban, suburban, and metropolitan settings — each led by a trusted local backbone organization with deep community roots.
Get involved
Could your county be next?
HFI is expanding into new counties across Tennessee. If your community has the leadership, the partnerships, and the capacity to anchor an alliance, we'd love to start a conversation.
Send us a message at staff@governorsinitiative.org
Just want to stay informed?
We'll send occasional updates as new counties join, results emerge, and ways to get involved take shape.
Jot us a note, and we'll add you to our email list.