5 ORGS · 72 ACTIVITIES ← all strategies ·
theory of action →

Hope-Centered Healing

By cultivating hope, joy, and personal agency through emotionally affirming experiences, organizations improve psychological and physical well-being, because positive emotional states activate resilience, neuroplasticity, and engagement in recovery and care. This strategy centers emotional transformation—not just clinical treatment—as the catalyst for health and recovery. It unites diverse organizations that prioritize subjective well-being (e.g., through wishes, joy models, narrative reframing, or peer hope) by intentionally designing interventions that generate hope, meaning, and anticipation. Unlike symptom-focused or purely medical models, this approach treats emotional experience as a primary driver of change, not a secondary outcome.

5
orgs running it
72
activities of those orgs
12
clusters touched
who runs it

organizations running this strategy · 5

what it looks like in practice

activities of orgs running this strategy

A sample of programmatic activities from the orgs above. These are what the strategy looks like on the ground.

  • Conduct research on the impact of wishes MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL
    research
    Published groundbreaking research in 2024 on the impact of wish fulfillment on children with critical illnesses and their families.
  • Conducting research on wish impact MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL
    research
    Publishes research on the impact of wishes on children with critical illnesses and their families, with a ground-breaking study released in 2024.
  • Grant wishes to children with critical illnesses MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL
    direct service
    Grants wishes to children aged 3 to 17 diagnosed with life-threatening progressive, degenerative, or malignant conditions who have not previously received a wish from Make-A-Wish or a similar organization. The organization has granted over 650,000 wishes worldwide since 1980, including more than 16,000 wishes in FY24 across nearly 50 countries.
  • Granting wishes to children with critical illnesses MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL
    direct service
    Grants wishes to children aged 3 to 17 diagnosed with life-threatening progressive, degenerative, or malignant conditions who have not previously received a wish from Make-A-Wish or a similar organization. The organization has granted over 650,000 wishes worldwide since 1980, including over 16,000 in FY24, across nearly 50 countries.
  • Support and expand international network of affiliates MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL
    capacity building
    Supports an international network of Affiliates and Licensed Territories in nearly 50 countries and territories by helping them develop resources, administer programs, navigate policies, and advance their brand. Launched Make-A-Wish Tanzania in 2025, the first network member based in Africa.
  • Supporting an international network of affiliates MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL
    capacity building
    Supports an international network of Affiliates and Licensed Territories in almost 50 countries and territories by helping them develop resources, administer programs, navigate policies and guidelines, and advance their brand. This includes launching new affiliates, such as Make-A-Wish Tanzania in 2025.
  • Operate sober living homes for women and individuals in recovery SUNLIGHT OF THE SPIRIT
    direct service
    Provides structured, recovery-focused housing for women and individuals overcoming substance use disorders, supporting sobriety through lived experience, spiritual guidance, and community rebuilding. The homes operate with a weekly rent of $250 and a one-time $200 move-in fee.
  • Operate sober living homes for women and individuals in recovery SUNLIGHT OF THE SPIRIT
    direct service
    Provides structured, recovery-focused housing for women and individuals overcoming substance use disorders, emphasizing spiritual guidance, peer support, and community connection to support long-term sobriety and life rebuilding.
  • Operating a Sober Living Home for Women SUNLIGHT OF THE SPIRIT
    direct service
    SUNLIGHT OF THE SPIRIT operates a recovery home specifically for women, providing affordable housing and a supportive environment to maintain sobriety through lived experience and spiritual guidance. Residents pay a weekly rent of $250 and a one-time move-in fee of $200.
  • Operating a Sober Living Home for Women SUNLIGHT OF THE SPIRIT
    direct service
    SUNLIGHT OF THE SPIRIT operates a recovery home specifically for women, providing affordable housing and a supportive environment to maintain sobriety through lived experience and spiritual guidance. Residents pay a weekly rent of $250 and a one-time move-in fee of $200.
  • Provide affordable housing with low-cost rent and move-in fees SUNLIGHT OF THE SPIRIT
    direct service
    Offers affordable housing to residents in recovery at a weekly rent of $250 and a one-time $200 move-in fee, reducing financial barriers to stable living environments.
  • Annual Ruck Event for Community Engagement HOPE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
    direct service
    Organizes an annual honorary ruck event featuring 5K and 10K ruck walks or runs, aimed at engaging community members, active duty military, veterans, and first responders, with a goal of attracting 800 participants at Horseshoe Equestrian Park in Queen Creek, AZ.
  • Community Mental Health Workshops HOPE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
    direct service
    Offers no-cost community workshops tailored to address pressing societal mental health needs.
  • Community Workshops HOPE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
    direct service
    Provides no-cost community workshops tailored to societal needs.
  • Community Workshops HOPE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
    direct service
    Provides no-cost community workshops tailored to societal needs.
  • Financial Assistance for Mental Health Therapy HOPE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
    direct service
    Provides financial sponsorships, up to $3,000 per individual, to cover the cost of mental health therapy sessions for youth, young adults, and parents in Arizona who are experiencing financial instability or inadequate insurance coverage. The organization has awarded over 3,300 therapy sessions.
  • Financial Assistance for Mental Health Therapy HOPE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
    direct service
    Provides financial sponsorships, up to $3,000 per individual, to cover the cost of mental health therapy sessions for youth, young adults, and parents in Arizona who are experiencing financial instability or inadequate insurance coverage. The organization has awarded over 3,300 therapy sessions.
  • Financial Sponsorship for Mental Health Therapy HOPE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
    direct service
    Provides financial assistance, up to $3,000 per individual, to cover the cost of mental health therapy sessions for youth, young adults, parents, and others in Arizona who face financial instability or inadequate insurance coverage. Requires applicants to have an existing relationship with or a scheduled intake session with a qualified mental health professional.