Tennessee Respite Coalition

Tennessee Respite Coalition, doing business as Tennessee Caregiver Coalition, is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization based in Nashville, Tennessee, that operates as a prime recipient of federal grants focused on respite care and caregiver support services. The organization does not hold federal contracts but derives its entire federal footprint from grant awards—54% as a prime grant recipient and 46% as a sub-recipient under state-level grants flowing from federal parent agencies.

The organization's capability portfolio centers on deploying AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers aged 55 and older to deliver in-person respite services to homebound older adults and individuals with disabilities across Tennessee. Core services include friendly visits, music and memory activities, accompaniment to medical appointments and social events, and light meal preparation. The organization also operates the Tennessee Respite Helpline, a toll-free referral service for families seeking respite information and support. Tennessee Respite Coalition's work addresses social isolation, provides caregiver relief, and supports vulnerable populations in maintaining dignity and independence within home and community settings. Representative prime grant work includes a $121,179 AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program award from the Corporation for National and Community Service Office of Grants Management (CFDA 94.016) dated July 1, 2026, running through June 30, 2029 with a statutory match requirement of 10% and a budgetary match of 33.16%; a 2022-2024 AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Demonstration Program grant of $107,192 in the Rutherford County region; and earlier Senior Companion Program awards dating to at least 2023.

Federal customer concentration is concentrated in four agencies. The Corporation for National and Community Service Office of Grants Management leads the portfolio with 5 awards; the Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living each account for 3 awards. In its sub-recipient role, Tennessee Respite Coalition receives funding flows from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (Respite Voucher Program and helpline operations) and the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability (Lifespan Respite Program sub-awards dating from September 2025, December 2025, and April 2026). Activity has grown modestly — two awards in 2026, three in 2025, declining to one in 2024 — with $3.4 million combined dollars obligated across all 13 awards in the source data window. The organization's federal engagement spans from at least 2011 but concentrates in recent years, reflecting an emphasis on AmeriCorps Seniors grant vehicles and state-level respite sub-grant flows rather than federal contract competition or government-wide acquisition vehicles.