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Executive Summary
Second Chapter Literacy Center is a nonprofit that helps adults in our county and the nearby towns learn to read, write and do math so they can get better jobs, help their children and take part fully in their community. We provide one-on-one tutoring in reading and math, GED preparation and help with everyday paperwork, with trained tutors and a coordinator who guides each learner.
Millions of adults across the country struggle with reading, writing or basic math, and many hide it out of shame. It can hold them back at work, at the doctor, at their child's school and everywhere else. Our program is private, respectful and free. Every adult learns at their own pace, with goals that matter to them.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 60 adults over the year. Our Year 1 budget is about $108,000, growing to about $184,000 by Year 5 as we grow from one literacy program coordinator to three. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Meridian Community Fund for $30,000, as part of the $97,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $11,000 in Year 1 comes from donations, which we plan to grow to about $36,000 a year by Year 5. Grant money pays for the literacy program coordinator, instructional materials and the record-keeping funders require.
We will measure how many adults we serve, how many reach their learning goals, how much their skills improve on standard assessments, and how many get a job, a raise, a GED or HiSET, or take a new step in their lives. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Second Chapter Literacy Center is a nonprofit organization in South Carolina. A 501(c)(3) public charity
Our mission. To help adults gain the reading, writing and math skills to reach their own goals.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2021 when a retired teacher started tutoring adults at a library. Since then we have helped about 60 adults, with 18 volunteer tutors helping each week.
What we do:
- Offer free classes and one-on-one tutoring in reading, writing and math for adults.
- Help adults prepare for the GED or HiSET high school equivalency tests.
- Teach practical skills like filling out forms, reading a lease or medicine label, and using a phone or computer.
- Train and support volunteer tutors, and match each learner with a steady tutor.
- Connect learners to job training, English classes, health care and other services.
Where we work. A library meeting room, weekday evenings and Saturday mornings.
Our partners. The county library (space), a community college (GED testing), a workforce center and two churches.
Our approach. Adults learn best when learning is tied to goals they care about: a better job, helping a child with homework, passing a driving test. We start with the learner's goals.
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.
Many adults in our county and the nearby towns did not get the reading, writing or math skills they needed in school. Without them, it is hard to fill out an application, read a lease, help a child with homework or get a good job. Most adults hide this from their families and employers, and many do not know that free help exists.
Facts about our community. According to the U.S. Many adults in our county do not have a high school diploma, which limits the jobs and training open to them.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Shame. Many adults are embarrassed and never ask for help.
2. Access. Classes may meet during working hours, be far away, or have waiting lists.
3. Cost. Private tutoring and many classes cost money.
4. Fit. Many programs were designed for teenagers, not adults with jobs and families.
5. Support. Adults need steady encouragement, and many have never had it.
What we have seen ourselves. Many adults told us they have hidden the fact that they could not read well from their employers and even their families for years.
Who we serve first. Adults who read, write or do math below a high school level, parents who want to help their children and workers who want a better job, in parents of school-age children and workers who are seeking a better job, in the east and south neighborhoods.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. A private, respectful start. Each learner meets with the coordinator for a friendly conversation and a short, low-pressure skills check. We ask about goals before anything else.
2. A plan based on goals. The learner and coordinator write a simple plan, such as passing the GED, reading with a child or getting a promotion.
3. Classes and one-on-one tutoring. Learners attend classes, work with a tutor, or both. About $8,000 in Year 1 pays for books, workbooks, practice tests and other materials.
4. Practical skills. Lessons use real documents, like job applications, pay stubs, forms and bills.
5. Next steps. We help learners move on to a job, more training, a GED or HiSET, or college.
How we will measure results. We give each learner a standard skills assessment at the start and at regular intervals (for example TABE or CASAS, which many adult education programs use). We track hours of instruction, goals reached and next steps such as a job or GED. We report honestly and note that gains vary from person to person. Our goals for Year 1: serve 60 adults; have 40 improve their reading, writing or math level; help 15 pass the GED or HiSET or a part of it; and help 20 reach a goal such as a job, raise or driver's license.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve adults in our county and the nearby towns, especially parents of school-age children and workers who are seeking a better job, in the east and south neighborhoods.
How we know people need this. We have a waiting list of 30 learners, and the library and two employers refer adults to us each month.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 60 adults over the year. The share of adults without a high school diploma and the share who read at a low level are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from one literacy program coordinator to three, we expect to serve more adults each year.
How learners reach us. The library, a workforce center, local churches and employers.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- Public adult education programs at community colleges and school districts offer classes and the GED. We partner with them and offer more personal, flexible support. We refer learners to the community college for GED testing, and they refer people to us for tutoring.
- Libraries often offer literacy help. We work with them and share learners and volunteers.
- English language programs help people learn English. We refer learners who need those and serve adults who speak English but need to improve their reading and writing.
- Workforce programs help with jobs. We help learners build the skills they need to join them.
- Other literacy nonprofits serve different areas. We share what works and avoid competing for the same volunteers.
What makes us different: private one-on-one tutoring, flexible evening hours and lessons built around each learner's own goals
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from workforce centers, libraries, churches, health clinics, probation, shelters and employers.
- Posters and cards in places where adults go, with simple language and a phone number that can be called or texted.
- Word of mouth from learners who tell friends and family.
- Employer partners who offer help to their own workers.
Funding sources. Public adult education funding passes through each state, often to community colleges and nonprofits that compete for it. Learn how your state does this and what the rules are for assessments and reporting.
Volunteers. Retired teachers, church groups, college students and local employers.
Raising money beyond grants. Donations are planned at about $11,000 in Year 1, growing to about $36,000 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 learner moves through the program:
1. A friendly first meeting and a short skills check.
2. A written plan with the learner's goals.
3. Classes and tutoring, with a steady tutor.
4. Progress checks every few months, and a celebration of milestones.
5. Help with next steps, such as a job, a GED or more training.
A first meeting. We have a friendly chat over coffee, ask what the person wants to be able to do, do a short skills check and agree on a first lesson.
Respect. Tutors treat learners as adults. We use age-appropriate materials, protect privacy and never call people out. Tutors do not pressure anyone about their reading level.
Privacy. Learner information is kept strictly private. We share it only with signed permission or when the law requires it, and funders get totals, never names.
Equipment. In Year 1 we buy about $3,000 in equipment (laptops, a printer, shelves and learning supplies), then about $1,000 to $1,500 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. One literacy program coordinator in Year 1, then one in Year 2, two in Year 3, three in Year 4 and three in Year 5. The coordinator trains tutors, schedules classes and keeps learner records.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $9,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Anthony Carter, 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: $52,000 a year.
Literacy program coordinators. Meet with learners, make plans, train and support volunteer tutors, schedule classes, run assessments and keep records. One position in Year 1, growing to three by Year 5, at a planned salary of $36,000 each. Qualifications we look for: experience in teaching or tutoring adults, strong organizational skills and a patient manner.
Volunteers. Volunteer tutors give regular time to one learner or a small group. They are trained and screened before they work with learners.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including Patricia Johnson, 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:
- Recruit and train our first group of volunteer tutors.
- Hire our first literacy program coordinator and set up assessments.
- Serve about 60 adults over the year.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for skills gains, GED or HiSET progress and next steps.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $108,000.
Year 2: one literacy program coordinator; budget of about $108,000.
Year 3: two literacy program coordinators; budget of about $146,000.
Year 4: three literacy program coordinators; budget of about $183,000.
Year 5: three literacy program coordinators; budget of about $184,000.
Over the five years: grow to three literacy program coordinators, add classes in more neighborhoods and evenings, and build partnerships with employers. Instructional materials costs grow about 5% a year.
How we will check our results. For each learner we record hours of instruction, assessment results and goals reached. We follow up on next steps like jobs and GED completion. Staff and the Board review results and share them with funders.
Funding Request
What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $30,000 from the Meridian Community Fund for our first literacy program coordinator's salary, instructional materials for 60 learners and the costs of reporting results, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $108,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $97,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Donations: $11,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director: $52,000. - Literacy program coordinators: $36,000. - Instructional materials (workbooks, practice tests, software, supplies): $8,000. - Office costs (bookkeeping, insurance, reporting): $9,000. - That is about $105,000 in costs. The remaining $3,000 or so goes into savings. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $3,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The next five years. Our budget grows from about $108,000 in Year 1 to about $184,000 in Year 5 as we grow to three literacy program coordinators. Grants and contracts are planned at $97,000 in Year 1, $92,000 in Year 2, $124,000 in Year 3, $154,000 in Year 4 and $148,000 in Year 5. Donations grow from $11,000 to $36,000, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time. Savings. We start with about $12,000 of our own plus $42,000 in startup support, and we add to savings each year. Important for grants and public funds. Some adult education funding is paid on reimbursement, and some depends on assessment results. We plan for that wait and keep careful records. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated space, volunteer tutor hours, donated books and supplies, and partner classrooms are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Free classroom space at the library (about $4,500 a year in rent value), about 1,800 volunteer tutor hours a year and donated books 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 library or church, train a small group of volunteer tutors, begin with a few learners and track results carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants and contracts easier to win.
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.
- Letters of support from libraries, workforce centers, schools or other partners.
- Your tutor training and screening policies, and a sample learner plan.
- Your assessment tools, and a sample progress report.
- Your participant numbers from the past year, if you have them.
- 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 $52,000; each literacy program coordinator $36,000, growing from 1 to 3.
- Instructional materials about $8,000 in Year 1, rising about 5% a year
- Office costs about $9,000 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.