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Executive Summary
Open Doors Homeownership Center is a nonprofit that helps working families in our county and the surrounding towns find, buy and keep an affordable home. We provide homebuyer classes, one-on-one housing counseling and down payment help, with certified housing counselors who guide each family from the first question to the closing table and beyond.
For most families, a home is the biggest way to build wealth and stability. But many working families cannot afford the down payment, do not know how the process works or have been steered into bad loans. Others own a home but cannot afford repairs, or are at risk of losing it. Our program gives families honest guidance and help, so they can buy a home they can keep.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 120 families over the year. Our Year 1 budget is about $158,000, growing to about $351,000 by Year 5 as we grow from one certified housing counselor to five. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Meridian Community Fund for $60,000, as part of the $138,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $20,000 in Year 1 comes from lender partnerships and donations, which we plan to grow to about $62,000 a year by Year 5. Grant money pays for housing counselor time, down payment and repair assistance and the record-keeping funders require.
We will measure how many families we counsel, how many complete homebuyer education, how many buy a home, how many avoid foreclosure or complete needed repairs, and how many are still in their homes a year later. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Open Doors Homeownership Center is a nonprofit organization in Kansas. A 501(c)(3) public charity
Our mission. To help working families buy and keep affordable homes.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2021 when a credit union and a church started homebuyer classes on Saturday mornings. Since then we have counseled about 120 families and helped 25 buy homes, with eight volunteers helping each month.
What we do:
- Offer homebuyer education classes and one-on-one counseling.
- Help families build credit and savings and get ready to apply for a mortgage.
- Provide down payment assistance, in partnership with lenders and public funds.
- Help homeowners with budgeting, foreclosure prevention and small home repairs.
- Connect families to trusted lenders, real estate and legal professionals.
Where we work. A credit union meeting room, Saturday mornings for classes, and counseling by appointment on weekdays.
Our partners. A credit union, the state housing finance agency, a title company and two real estate agents who treat our clients fairly.
Our approach. A good home purchase is one the family can afford to keep. Our counselors give honest advice, including when we say wait or do not buy. We do not build or sell homes in Year 1.
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 towns, home prices and rents have risen faster than wages. Working families struggle to save for a down payment, and many have been turned down for loans or offered costly ones. Older homeowners, on fixed incomes, may be unable to repair roofs and heating, and risk losing their homes.
Facts about our community. According to the U.S. Many households in our county spend a large share of their income on housing, which leaves little for food, health care and savings.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Down payment. Saving thousands of dollars is a major barrier for working families.
2. Knowledge. The home buying process is complicated, and mistakes are costly.
3. Credit. Many families have thin or damaged credit and do not know how to improve it.
4. Predatory lending. Some families have been steered into loans they could not afford.
5. Repairs. Many older homes need repairs that owners cannot afford, which can lead to loss of the home.
What we have seen ourselves. Many families who came to our classes were told by a lender they could buy a more expensive home than they could actually afford.
Who we serve first. Working families with moderate or low incomes, first-time buyers and older homeowners in need of repairs, in working families earning 50% to 80% of the area median income, first-time buyers and older homeowners in need of repairs.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. Certified counseling. Housing counselors, certified to HUD standards, meet one-on-one with families to review income, credit, savings and goals, and make a step-by-step plan.
2. Homebuyer education. Classes cover budgeting, credit, mortgages, inspections, closing and how to be a homeowner.
3. Down payment and repair help. About $35,000 in Year 1 pays for down payment assistance at closing and urgent home repairs paid to contractors. We follow program rules about who qualifies and how funds can be used.
4. Trusted partners. We connect families to lenders, agents, inspectors and attorneys who have agreed to treat our clients fairly.
5. Staying in the home. We help homeowners facing financial trouble to talk to their lender, make a plan and avoid foreclosure.
How we will measure results. We record families counseled, classes completed, homes purchased, foreclosures avoided and repairs completed. We follow up at 12 months to ask whether families are still in their homes and how they are doing. Our goals for Year 1: counsel 120 families; have 80 complete homebuyer education; help 20 buy a home; and help 15 homeowners avoid foreclosure or complete critical repairs.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve families in our county and the surrounding towns, especially working families earning 50% to 80% of the area median income, first-time buyers and older homeowners in need of repairs.
How we know people need this. Our class has 20 seats and a waiting list of 45, and three lenders refer families to us.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 120 families over the year. The gap between local home prices and typical incomes, the number of foreclosure filings and the share of homeowners who spend more than 30% of income on housing are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from one certified housing counselor to five, we expect to help more families each year.
How families reach us. Banks and credit unions, employers, churches and the city housing office.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- Banks and mortgage lenders offer loans and some education. We work with them, and offer unbiased advice with no loan to sell. We are an approved counseling partner of the state housing finance agency.
- Real estate agents help families find homes. We partner with agents who treat our clients well.
- Other HUD-approved housing counseling agencies operate in the region. We coordinate to avoid overlap.
- The state housing finance agency offers down payment programs. We help families apply.
- Habitat for Humanity and community land trusts build or provide affordable homes. We refer families and partner when we can.
What makes us different: unbiased counseling with no loans to sell, down payment help and follow-up for a full year after closing
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from banks and credit unions, employers, churches, schools and other nonprofits.
- Workshops at workplaces, libraries and community centers.
- Word of mouth from families we have helped.
- A simple sign-up on paper, by phone or online.
Approval and funding. To offer housing counseling funded by HUD, an agency must be approved by HUD, and counselors must pass the HUD certification exam. Funding for down payment programs often comes through the state housing agency, local government, the Federal Home Loan Bank's Affordable Housing Program (through member banks) and local lenders. We learn these rules before we apply.
Volunteers. Lenders, real estate agents, attorneys, retired professionals and church groups.
Raising money beyond grants. Lender partnerships and donations are planned at about $20,000 in Year 1, growing to about $62,000 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 family moves through the program:
1. A sign-up and a first counseling meeting.
2. A review of income, debts, credit and savings, and a plan.
3. Homebuyer education class and a savings plan.
4. Pre-approval with a trusted lender, a home search and down payment help.
5. Closing, then follow-up at 3, 6 and 12 months.
A first counseling meeting. The counselor listens to the family's goals, reviews income and debts and creates a simple plan with the first two steps, like checking credit and starting a savings goal.
Honest advice. Counselors do not earn commissions and do not sell loans. They follow HUD standards for housing counseling, and are clear about what each family can afford. We follow fair housing and lending laws and never steer families by race or any other protected group.
Privacy. Financial and personal information is kept 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 $5,000 in equipment (laptops, a printer, a projector and office furniture), then about $1,500 to $2,000 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. One certified housing counselor in Year 1, then two in Year 2, three in Year 3, four in Year 4 and five in Year 5. Counselors keep up with changing loan programs, and each family gets individual attention.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $15,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Priya Diaz, 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: $60,000 a year.
Certified housing counselors. Counsel families one-on-one, teach classes, manage assistance and keep records. One position in Year 1, growing to five by Year 5, at a planned salary of $44,000 each. Qualifications we look for: certified or ready to be certified as an HUD housing counselor, with experience in mortgage lending or social services.
Volunteers. Volunteers, including lenders, agents and attorneys, help teach classes and answer questions. They follow our rules about not soliciting business from participants.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including Linda Reyes, 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:
- Apply for or confirm HUD housing counseling approval and get our first counselor certified.
- Sign agreements with our first lender partners and down payment programs.
- Counsel about 120 families over the year.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for classes, homes purchased and foreclosures avoided.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $158,000.
Year 2: two certified housing counselors; budget of about $206,000.
Year 3: three certified housing counselors; budget of about $254,000.
Year 4: four certified housing counselors; budget of about $302,000.
Year 5: five certified housing counselors; budget of about $351,000.
Over the five years: grow to five certified housing counselors, add a home repair program, and explore partnering on new affordable homes. Down payment and repair funds grow about 7% a year.
How we will check our results. For each family we record counseling, classes, results and a 12-month follow-up. 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: $60,000 from the Meridian Community Fund for our first housing counselor's salary, down payment assistance for 10 families and the costs of reporting results, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $158,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $138,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Lender partnerships and donations: $20,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director: $60,000. - Certified housing counselors: $44,000. - Down payment and home repair assistance funds (paid at closing or to contractors): $35,000. - Office costs (bookkeeping, insurance, reporting): $15,000. - That is about $154,000 in costs. The remaining $4,000 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 $158,000 in Year 1 to about $351,000 in Year 5 as we grow to five certified housing counselors. Grants and contracts are planned at $138,000 in Year 1, $177,000 in Year 2, $215,000 in Year 3, $252,000 in Year 4 and $289,000 in Year 5. Lender partnerships and donations grow from $20,000 to $62,000, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time. Savings. We start with about $25,000 of our own plus $90,000 in startup support, and we add to savings each year. Important for government and lender funds. Many housing funds are paid on reimbursement or only at closing, and come with rules about who qualifies and how funds can be used. We plan for the wait and keep careful records. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated space, volunteer hours, donated lender and legal services and partner contractors are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Free class space at a credit union (about $4,000 a year in rent value), about 500 volunteer hours a year from lenders and agents and donated printing 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 HUD-approved agency in your region, offer homebuyer classes with volunteer lenders, 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 lenders, local government, the state housing agency or other partners.
- Your HUD approval or the steps and timeline to get it, and your counselors' certifications.
- Your counseling procedures, fair housing and conflict-of-interest policies.
- Your numbers from the past year, if you have them (families counseled, homes purchased).
- 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 $60,000; each certified housing counselor $44,000, growing from 1 to 5.
- Down payment and repair assistance funds about $35,000 in Year 1, rising about 7% a year
- Office costs about $15,000 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.