Our Selection Process: Bringing Isaiah 117 House to Your Community

Important: This selection process begins only after our Resource Center has determined that your county is a fit for an Isaiah 117 House expansion. That decision is based on factors such as organizational capacity, regional growth plans, and the needs of your area.

Why our process is thorough

Bringing an Isaiah 117 House to a community is one of the most meaningful things a person can do, and one of the most demanding. Children on the hardest day of their lives will walk through the doors you help open. Caseworkers will trust us. Donors will trust us. Your community will trust you.

Because of that, we take the time to get this right. We want to be honest with you: this process is intentionally thorough. Each step lets us get to know you, and lets you get to know us, far beyond what an application can show.

What to expect

The full process takes roughly four to six months. You'll move to the next step only after completing the one before it.

1. Information session and reflection. Learn about the mission, the role, and our non-negotiables.

2. Written application. Provided by our Expansion Administrator.

3. Screening conversation. A short call with our team to talk through expectations together.

4. Field assignment and "why" video. Instructions will be provided by our Expansion Administrator.

5. Interview. A longer, virtual conversation with two members of our team, including questions about your past experiences and how you'd handle some real-life situations.

6. References and background check. We'll speak with the people who know you best.

7. Storytelling presentation. Instructions will be provided by our Expansion Administrator.

8. A day with us in Tennessee. Tour our local homes, meet our location staff, have lunch with our leadership team, and sit down with them for an interview. This day will be scheduled by our Expansion Administrator. Travel and accommodations will be your responsibility.

9. Decision. Our team and Executive Board reviews everything together and makes a careful, prayerful decision.

10. Commitment conversation. If approved, we'll walk through the Expansion Coordinator Agreement with you line by line before you sign.

What we're looking for

Skills like fundraising, public speaking, and event planning can be learned, and we'll train you in them. We look even more closely at character:

• Deep roots in your community. This work grows through relationships you already have with local churches, leaders, and families, so we look for coordinators who are well established where they live.

• A story others will follow. Every Isaiah 117 House talk begins with the speaker's own story. How you share yours, with honesty and heart, is often what moves people to join you.

• Relationships. You build genuine connections with people you don't yet know.

• Humility. You understand that we are one organization serving one mission together. This work is not yours or ours alone; it belongs to the children we serve.

• Coachability. You receive feedback with openness and put it into practice.

• Unity in conflict. You work through disagreements directly and kindly, protecting the team.

• Follow-through. You do what you say you'll do on time.

It's also important that you understand from the start: serving as Expansion Coordinator does not guarantee becoming the Location Leader or a paid position, and if someone else is selected, you'll hand off the work and take a season of rest.

Our commitments to each other:

What we ask of you:

• Complete each step fully and on time.

• Be honest with us, including about your hesitations.

• Trust the process, even when it feels slow. We will not speed it up or skip steps.

How you approach this process tells us a great deal about how you'll approach the role.

What you can expect from us:

• Clear communication at every stage.

• Honest, caring feedback.

• Respect for your time.

• A decision made carefully and prayerfully. If the answer is "not now," we'll tell you plainly and kindly.

Before you begin

Take a moment with these questions:

• Am I well established in my community, with relationships in local churches, schools, and organizations I could invite into this work?

• Can I give significant time, including evenings and weekends, for at least the next 12–18 months?

• Am I ready to receive feedback and be coached?

• Can I build something and hand it to someone else with joy?

• Am I willing to follow an established process, even when I might do it differently?

• Am I already working for or running a local non-profit?

If this sounds like more than you expected, that's okay. Many people discover through this process that the timing isn't right, and that is a good outcome too.

If you read this and feel even more drawn to the work, click here to complete our online inquiry form.