Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.
Executive Summary
Forever Family Adoption Services is a nonprofit, state-licensed adoption agency in our county and the surrounding region that helps children find safe, permanent, loving families. We provide home studies and training for adoptive families, free support for birth parents and help after placement, with ethical practices and respect for everyone involved: the child, the birth parents and the adoptive family.
Every child deserves a permanent family. Adoption can be a good path for some children, but it must be done carefully and ethically. Birth parents need honest counseling and support, free of pressure. Families need training, a thorough home study and support after placement. Our program is built around the child's best interests, with fees on a sliding scale so cost does not stop good families.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 30 home studies and 10 placements. Our Year 1 budget is about $145,000, growing to about $299,000 by Year 5 as we grow from one adoption caseworker to four. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Hartwell Foundation for $20,000, as part of the $20,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $125,000 in Year 1 comes from adoption service fees, which we plan to grow to about $237,000 a year by Year 5. Grant money helps pay for adoption caseworker time, support for birth parents and the legal compliance and record-keeping licensing requires. Most of our income comes from adoption service fees, charged on a sliding scale.
We will measure how many children we help place with permanent families, how many families complete their home study, how many birth parents receive support, how long placements take, and how families and birth parents say they were treated. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Forever Family Adoption Services is a nonprofit organization in Oregon. A 501(c)(3) public charity
Our mission. To help children find safe, permanent, loving families, while treating everyone in the adoption with respect.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2021 when a group of social workers and adoptive parents started helping families complete home studies. Since then we have completed about 40 home studies and supported 12 placements.
What we do:
- Complete home studies and training for families who want to adopt, as required by state law.
- Offer free counseling and support to birth parents, separate from the agency's interest in placing a child.
- Match children with families, with the child's needs and best interests first.
- Support families before, during and after placement.
- Provide education about adoption to families, schools and the community.
Where we work. A donated office, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., plus home visits as required.
Our partners. An adoption attorney, a counseling center, the state child welfare agency and two churches.
Our approach. We follow the law and a strict code of ethics. We never pressure a birth parent, we are honest about costs and timelines, and we do not guarantee any placement. Fees are clear and in writing.
How we are run. A volunteer Board of Directors (a small group of community members who oversee the organization) meets regularly, approves the budget, reviews the finances and oversees the Executive Director.
Problem & Opportunity
Why this program is needed.
In our county and the surrounding region, there are children who need permanent families and families who want to adopt, but the process can be confusing, slow and expensive. Some families cannot afford agency fees. Birth parents often feel pressured or alone. Without good support, placements can disrupt, which is harmful for children.
Facts about our community. According to our state child welfare agency, many children in our state are waiting for adoptive families.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Cost. Adoption fees can be very high, and many good families cannot pay.
2. Ethics. Birth parents sometimes do not get independent counseling and a clear explanation of their rights.
3. Support. Families need help after placement, and many do not get it.
4. Understanding. Many families do not understand the process, timelines or the needs of adopted children.
5. Children waiting. Some children, especially older children and sibling groups, wait a long time for a family.
What we have seen ourselves. Many families told us they had to stop their adoption because the fees were far more than they expected.
Who we serve first. Children who need permanent families, birth parents who are considering adoption, and families who want to adopt, in older children, sibling groups and families with moderate incomes who cannot afford high fees.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. Thorough home studies and training. Families complete an assessment, background checks and training, as state law requires.
2. Real support for birth parents. Birth parents receive free counseling and information about all their options, including parenting, before any decision. About $16,000 in Year 1 pays for this support.
3. Careful matching. We match children and families based on the child's needs and best interests, with the birth parents' input where appropriate.
4. Support after placement. We visit and check in with families and children after placement, as the law requires, and for as long as they want help.
5. Clear, fair fees. Fees are based on a sliding scale, listed in writing and refundable under clear terms.
How we will measure results. We track placements, time to placement, home studies completed and the support provided to birth parents. We ask birth parents and families, in confidential surveys, whether they felt respected and well informed. We report openly about disruptions and what we learned. Our goals for Year 1: complete 30 home studies; help place 10 children with permanent families; give support to every birth parent who asks; and have 90% of families say they were treated fairly and clearly informed.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve children, birth parents and families in our county and the surrounding region, especially older children, sibling groups and families with moderate incomes who cannot afford high fees.
How we know people need this. We have a waiting list of 20 families, and two attorneys and a counseling center refer families to us.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 30 home studies and 10 placements. The number of children waiting for adoption in our state, the number of families completing home studies and local demand for services are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from one adoption caseworker to four, we expect to serve more families each year.
How people reach us. Attorneys, counseling centers, churches and the state child welfare agency.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- The state child welfare agency handles adoption of children in foster care, often at no cost to families. We work with it and refer families who want to adopt from foster care. We are a licensed child-placing agency and work with the state on referrals.
- Other licensed adoption agencies place children. We follow high ethical standards and coordinate where we can.
- Attorneys handle some private adoptions. We work with them on legal steps.
- Adoption support groups and counselors offer help after placement. We refer families to them.
- Faith communities and foster care agencies offer support. We partner with them.
What makes us different: fees on a sliding scale, free and independent support for birth parents and follow-up that continues long after placement
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from social workers, clinics, schools, churches, attorneys and other agencies.
- Information sessions for prospective families, in person and online.
- Word of mouth from families we have helped.
- Respectful, clear information for birth parents, available any time and with no pressure.
Licensing and standards. Adoption agencies must be licensed by the state as child-placing agencies, and must follow state and federal law, including rules on interstate placements and on children who are members of a tribe. Learn your state's licensing rules first. Agencies that place children from other countries need additional accreditation, which we do not plan in Year 1.
Volunteers. Adoptive families, church groups and social work students.
Raising money beyond grants. Adoption service fees are planned at about $125,000 in Year 1, growing to about $237,000 by Year 5, through a yearly giving campaign, business and community partners, a community event and online giving. Raising more of our own money means we depend less on any one grant or contract.
Operations Plan
How the program runs.
How a placement moves through the agency:
1. A family completes an information session and an application.
2. A home study, background checks and training.
3. A match with a child, with all legal steps taken.
4. Placement and required visits after placement.
5. Finalization and support afterward, as long as the family wants it.
Birth parents. At any stage, birth parents can get free, independent counseling and support, and information about all their options.
An information session. We explain how adoption works, what it costs and what the timeline looks like, and families can ask any question before deciding to apply.
Law and ethics. We follow state adoption law, the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children where it applies and the Indian Child Welfare Act for children who are members of a tribe. We do not pay birth parents for placing a child, we only cover expenses when state law allows it, and we keep full records.
Privacy. Information about children, birth parents and families is kept strictly private and locked. Adoption records are confidential under state law. We share information only as the law allows, and funders get totals, never names.
Equipment. In Year 1 we buy about $5,000 in equipment (laptops, a secure records system, locking file cabinets and office furniture), then about $1,500 to $2,000 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. One adoption caseworker in Year 1, then two in Year 2, two in Year 3, three in Year 4 and four in Year 5. Caseworkers are trained social workers or similar professionals, and are supervised closely.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $16,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Diane Lopez, Executive Director.
The Executive Director leads the organization, raises money and manages grants and contracts, builds partnerships, oversees the finances and reports to the Board. Planned salary: $62,000 a year.
Adoption caseworkers. Complete home studies, counsel birth parents, match children and families, make post-placement visits and keep records. One position in Year 1, growing to four by Year 5, at a planned salary of $48,000 each. Qualifications we look for: a licensed social worker with at least two years of experience in child welfare and a compassionate, careful manner.
Volunteers. Volunteers help with events, education and support groups. They do not have access to adoption records.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including Angela Rodriguez, who brings nonprofit finance experience.
Money management. Grant and contract money is tracked separately so we can show each funder exactly how their money was spent. An outside accountant reviews our books every year.
Milestones Narrative
Our goals and how we will measure them.
Year 1:
- Complete state licensing and set up our legal compliance and records.
- Hire our first adoption caseworker and build partnerships with attorneys and counselors.
- Serve about 30 home studies and 10 placements.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for home studies, placements and birth parent support.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $145,000.
Year 2: two adoption caseworkers; budget of about $196,000.
Year 3: two adoption caseworkers; budget of about $197,000.
Year 4: three adoption caseworkers; budget of about $248,000.
Year 5: four adoption caseworkers; budget of about $299,000.
Over the five years: grow to four adoption caseworkers, add post-adoption support groups and training, and extend our reach to more counties. Birth parent support grows about 5% a year.
How we will check our results. We track home studies, placements, time to placement and birth parent support. We ask families and birth parents how they were treated. Staff and the Board review results, including any disruptions, and share them with funders.
Funding Request
What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $20,000 from the Hartwell Foundation for our first adoption caseworker's salary, free counseling for birth parents and the costs of legal compliance and reporting, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $145,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $20,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Adoption service fees: $125,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director: $62,000. - Adoption caseworkers: $48,000. - Birth parent support services (counseling and support, offered free to birth parents): $16,000. - Office costs (bookkeeping, insurance, legal compliance, reporting): $16,000. - That is about $142,000 in costs. The remaining $3,000 or so goes into savings. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $5,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The next five years. Our budget grows from about $145,000 in Year 1 to about $299,000 in Year 5 as we grow to four adoption caseworkers. Grants and contracts are planned at $20,000 in Year 1, $29,000 in Year 2, $39,000 in Year 3, $50,000 in Year 4 and $62,000 in Year 5. Adoption service fees grow from $125,000 to $237,000, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time. Savings. We start with about $25,000 of our own plus $85,000 in startup support, and we add to savings each year. Important for fees and grants. Placement timing is uncertain, so income from fees can vary from year to year. We plan for that by keeping a reserve, and we do not count on a specific number of placements. Some grants pay after the work is done. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated space, volunteer hours, donated legal and counseling services and partner support are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Donated office space from a church (about $6,000 a year in rent value), donated legal advice on adoption law and about 300 volunteer hours a year If we are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status. One way is a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that agrees to receive grants for you and pass them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Many funders accept this. Another way is to start smaller: partner with a licensed agency in your state, begin with home studies and post-placement support, and track results carefully. Ethics and compliance come before growth. Strong results from a small start make larger grants and contracts easier to win. Adoption service fees are $125,000 of the $145,000 Year 1 income, but the plan does not list a fee schedule. Add the fee for a home study and for a placement, and check that they add up to this figure.
Appendix Notes
Documents to attach with this proposal:
- Your IRS 501(c)(3) letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current budget.
- A list of your Board members and what they do.
- Your state license as a child-placing agency, or the steps and timeline to get it.
- Letters of support from attorneys, social workers, counselors or other partners.
- Your policies on birth parent support, fees, ethics and records.
- Your numbers from the past year, if you have them (home studies, placements).
- Resumes for your Executive Director and key staff. If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.
The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Staff pay: Executive Director $62,000; each adoption caseworker $48,000, growing from 1 to 4.
- Birth parent support about $16,000 in Year 1, rising about 5% a year
- Office costs about $16,000 in Year 1, rising about 4% a year.
- Grants and contracts set so each year's budget balances with a small amount saved.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your organization's real budget.