Room In The Inn, Inc.

What Room In The Inn, Inc. does

Room In The Inn, Inc. is a Nashville-based 501(c)-style nonprofit founded in 1986 by Catholic priest Charles Strobel to serve people experiencing homelessness in Middle Tennessee. The organization operates a 48-unit Campus for Human Development at 705 Drexel Street that delivers year-round services including meals, laundry, case management, education and workforce programming through Hope University, peer support, recuperative care, addiction recovery via the Guest House, and permanent supportive housing.

Its flagship Winter Shelter program (November–March) is delivered not through a single owned facility but through a distributed network of more than 200 partner religious congregations across Middle Tennessee, which together provided over 29,000 beds during the 2018-19 season. The model has been replicated in more than 35 cities across the United States and Canada.

Revenue is generated entirely on a contributed basis — individual and corporate donations, foundation and corporate grants (e.g., Kroger's Zero Hunger Zero Waste), royalties from the posthumous memoir 'The Kingdom of the Poor' published by Vanderbilt University Press in 2024, and government per diem contracts (notably with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). Services to individuals experiencing homelessness are provided free of charge. The organization is governed by an independent board led by Bob Cooper (Board President) and Ryan Myers, with Rachel Hester serving as Executive Director since 2005.

Name

Room In The Inn, Inc.

Legal name

Room In The Inn

Website

https://roomintheinn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Room In The Inn is a Nashville nonprofit founded in 1986 that delivers year-round shelter, meals, education, healthcare, and permanent supportive housing to individuals experiencing homelessness in Middle Tennessee, distributing emergency shelter through a network of more than 200 partner congregations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless Services and Social Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

Keywords

• Homeless services
• Emergency shelter
• Supportive housing
• Social services
• Community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual and corporate donations solicited through website, events, and campaigns. Includes specific funds like The Charles Strobel Housing Fund for affordable housing expansion.
2. Book Royalties: All royalties from 'The Kingdom of the Poor' memoir by Charles Strobel go directly to Room In The Inn operations.
3. Grants: Foundation and corporate grants such as Kroger's Zero Hunger Zero Waste Grant for providing nutritious meals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Room In The Inn provides emergency shelter, year-round support services, education and workforce development, recuperative care, and transitional/permanent housing to individuals experiencing homelessness in Nashville, Tennessee. Services are delivered through its Campus for Human Development downtown and a network of more than 200 partner congregations running the Winter Shelter program each November through March, plus 48 permanent supportive housing units on site.

Product overview

Room In The Inn is a single-site continuum of care for unhoused people in Nashville offering emergency shelter and comprehensive support services. The organization operates the Winter Shelter program (November-March) partnering with over 200 congregations, provides year-round daily services at its Campus for Human Development including meals, laundry, haircuts, and case management, and offers educational programs through Hope University and classroom materials. The organization provides recovery services through its Guest House, and maintains 48 units of permanent supportive housing with expansion planned. The organization also publishes 'The Kingdom of the Poor,' a memoir by founder Charles Strobel, with all royalties supporting operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Love Your Neighbor, Y'all: A program and initiative focusing on community engagement and essential services including singing, dancing, yoga, and art.

Products and services

• Winter Shelter Emergency shelter program running November through March that partners with over 200 congregations across Middle Tennessee to provide nightly shelter to individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Support Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 48 apartments for permanent supportive housing at Campus for Human Development
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vanderbilt University PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublished 'The Kingdom of the Poor' memoir by Charles Strobel in 2024. All royalties from book sales benefit Room In The Inn.
• Friends LifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDay program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities that has partnered with Room In The Inn for 8-9 years, setting up weekly Community Dinners at the campus.
• Lipscomb UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent volunteers host Room In The Inn participants for overnight shelter in the Student Activity Center, run entirely by students.
• Department of Veterans AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates with VA to provide veterans per diem transitional program for homeless veterans at Room In The Inn.
• Station InnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for annual Bluegrass Benefit Concert for Nashville's Homeless, a beloved Nashville holiday tradition.
• Nashville SymphonyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDave Pomeroy's Nashville Unlimited Christmas Concert benefits Room In The Inn annually.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Salvation Army Nashville Area Command: Faith-based nonprofit operating shelter, transitional housing, addiction recovery, and social services in Nashville — competing for the same donor base and serving overlapping homeless and low-income populations in Middle Tennessee.
• Pine Street Inn: Boston-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, permanent supportive housing, workforce development, and street outreach for people experiencing homelessness — operates a comparable continuum-of-care model with a seasonal/emergency shelter emphasis.
• Nashville Rescue Mission: Faith-based nonprofit headquartered in Nashville providing emergency shelter, meals, recovery programs, and transitional housing for individuals experiencing homelessness — a directly comparable peer serving the same metro and population.
• Catholic Charities of Tennessee: Faith-based social services nonprofit in Tennessee providing shelter, housing assistance, refugee services, and case management — comparable mission, similar funding model, and overlapping service lines including emergency housing and homelessness prevention.

Broad incumbents

• National Health Care for the Homeless Council: National advocacy, training, and research organization addressing health care and homelessness — broader and more policy-focused than RITI but operates in the same domain of homelessness services and serves as a sector peer.
• National Coalition for the Homeless: National advocacy nonprofit focused on homelessness policy and awareness — operates in RITI's domain but at a national advocacy scale rather than direct service delivery, comparable as a sector peer for fundraising and policy positioning.

Emerging players

• Open Table Nashville: Nashville-based nonprofit focused on housing solutions, community building, and advocacy for people experiencing homelessness — operates in the same geography with overlapping beneficiary population and is a smaller, more advocacy-oriented peer.
• Lighthouse Recovery (Nashville): Nashville-based faith-affiliated nonprofit providing addiction recovery, transitional housing, and reentry services for men — adjacent service overlap with RITI's Guest House/recuperative care and recovery programming in the same geography.

Others

• Mary House (Catholic Charities USA affiliate): Catholic Charities USA is the national umbrella organization for faith-based social services including shelter and housing — RITI's faith-based model and origin in the Catholic parish system make this a natural umbrella peer for sector benchmarking and partnership opportunities.

Regional players

• Community Shelter Board (Columbus): Columbus, Ohio nonprofit that funds, coordinates, and operates shelter, housing, and homelessness prevention programs across a single metro — comparable single-market coordinated-entry model with similar reliance on public-private partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/roomintheinn
• Instagraminstagram.com/roomintheinn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/room-in-the-inn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Room In The Inn, Inc.