Annual Report & Finances
For nearly 30 years, Thistle Farms has worked to change the way people see, understand, and support the systems that exploit women, including addiction, incarceration, poverty, and trafficking. It is hard work, but it is also heart work because we know that love is the most powerful force for change in the world - and that is what keeps this community strong for every woman we have served and all those we have yet to meet.
A Note from Tasha & Becca
Dear Friends,
We were walking the highlands of Guatemala to visit the source of our latest effort, a mud mask. As we climbed, we both tried to describe the depth of gratitude we share for the community of Thistle Farms. The best we could manage was that love changes everything. How we give, heal, and serve one another. So it is fitting as we write this letter that we offer deep gratitude to you and the sacred spaces we’ve nurtured together where healing takes root.
At the heart of our work is a simple but powerful belief that love changes everything and binds us to one another. With love at the core, everyone can be seen, supported and held. This year, we deepened our commitment to fostering belonging through the ancient, transformative practices of circle keeping and radical hospitality.
In circles, we sit as equals. We listen without judgment. We bear witness to each other’s truths. Whether in recovery meetings, staff gatherings, or in community, our circles are where walls come down and connections grow. They are places where trauma begins to loosen its grip, where silence gives way to voice, and where love leads.
We extend this spirit beyond our doors. Every candle we pour, every cup of tea we serve, and every welcome at our café is an invitation into a healing community. We’ve seen how the simple act of welcoming someone—fully, joyfully—can remind them that they matter.
This year, women at Thistle Farms:
- Found safe housing and built new lives after years on the streets.
- Earned income, education, and confidence through job training, professional development and meaningful employment.
- Facilitated weekly circles in our residential homes and in communities all over the world.
- Welcomed thousands of guests to our Nashville campus—each one met with dignity and joy—to learn more about Thistle Farms and the global movement for women's freedom.
All of this is possible because of you. Whether you are a donor, a customer, a volunteer, or a quiet champion cheering us on—you are part of the circle. You are why we know that love changes everything.
As we look to the future, we carry the stories of every woman we’ve walked with this year. We carry the candlelight of shared hope.
And we carry the deep conviction that love is the strongest force for change in the world.
Thank you for helping us light the way home.
In gratitude,
Tasha Kennard, CEO
Becca Stevens, Founder & President
2024 - 2025
Annual Report
Love is simple, but it can be revolutionary and serves as the foundation of our justice work. Our story began nearly thirty years ago with a single house and the belief that love could stand firm against the systemic injustices blocking the path for women survivors. We do this through a four pillar approach:
House. Heal. Employ. Respond.
In the past fiscal year, we:
- Provided 9,017 nights of housing across 26 residential program beds
- Held 631 psychoeducational classes for survivors in our two-year residential program
- 86,329 hours of meaningful employment were made possible for graduates and residents, thanks to our customers
- Supported 44 Shared Trade partners in 28 countries across the globe
- Celebrated 495 training hours in job readiness cohorts by 23 participants
- Championed Tennessee’s Ink of Hope Act, providing tattoo artists with brief training to identify and report potential trafficking
- 416 businesses across Tennessee enrolled in Tennessee Businesses Against Trafficking, a collaborative program with the Tennessee Secretary of State's Office
Audited Financial Statements
IRS 990 Filings
Donor Privacy Policy
We collect, use and disclose a donor’s personal information only for specific internal use. This includes: establishing and managing a relationship with a donor, providing information on Thistle Farms news and events, soliciting funds that help us reach our financial goals, and processing gifts and returning appropriate receipts.
To publicly recognize and thank them for their generosity, we occasionally publish the names of our donors. All who wish to remain anonymous will be honored. Individuals who donate or volunteer their time to Thistle Farms and share with us their personal information may be added to future mailing lists, including an email list for our monthly newsletter.
We will not sell, share, or trade our donors' names or personal information with any other entity, nor send mailings to our donors on behalf of other organizations. This policy applies to all information received by Thistle Farms, both online and offline, on any Platform ("Platform", includes the Shopify, Kindful, and Square as well as mobile applications), and any electronic, written, or oral communications.
To the extent any donations are processed through a third-party service provider, our donors’ information will only be used for purposes necessary to process the donation.