Compass Autism Family Resource Center

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Executive Summary

Compass Autism Family Resource Center is a nonprofit in Arizona that stands beside families from the first worry about a child's development through the school years and into adulthood. We help families find their way through evaluations, services, schools and insurance, give parents practical tools while they wait for help, offer respite so caregivers can rest, and connect autistic young people and adults with mentors who understand their world. Autistic adults help lead the center and shape everything we do.

When a family first suspects autism, or receives a diagnosis, the road ahead can feel like a maze. Evaluations can take many months to schedule. Services are scattered across agencies, schools and clinics, each with its own forms and rules. Parents are often told what is available only after they have lost precious time, and many do not know their child's rights at school. Some families are exhausted and isolated, and siblings often go unnoticed. Our center is the single, friendly place where a family can start, get honest information and meet others who understand.

With this grant we will open the center and provide one-on-one Family Resource Navigation to about 150 families in Year 1. About 90 families will join our While You Wait parent coaching groups, which give practical strategies for communication, routines and sleep while a family waits for an evaluation or services. About 40 families will use respite care vouchers for about 1,200 hours of care by trained, background-checked providers. We will also hold about 12 workshops for about 300 parents, grandparents and teachers, including how to prepare for a school meeting about a child's education plan, and about 8 trainings for first responders and school staff. We do not diagnose or provide therapy. We connect families to licensed providers, and we respect each family's choices.

Our Year 1 budget is about $307,500, growing to about $395,500 by Year 5 as we add navigators and an autistic mentor. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 5 paid staff in Year 1 (three full-time and two part-time) and 7 by Year 4. State and county family support contracts and local donors add steady support, so grants fall from about 76% of our income in Year 1 to about 61% in Year 5.

We are asking the Desert Sky Family Foundation for $75,000 for one Family Resource Navigator, respite care vouchers, interpretation and translation, and workshops and outreach. Other grants, contracts and donors cover the rest, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Priya Raman, the Executive Director and the parent of an autistic teenager. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Compass Autism Family Resource Center is a nonprofit organization in Arizona. We are a 501(c)(3) public charity (or a program of one, through a fiscal sponsor), governed by a volunteer board of directors. We will provide our IRS determination letter, board list and most recent financial statements with this proposal.

Our mission. To make sure that every autistic person and every family has information, support and a community, from the first question through adulthood.

What we believe. Autism is a natural variation in how people think, communicate and experience the world. It comes with real strengths and real challenges, and every autistic person has dignity and a right to a say in their own life. Families are experts on their own children. Services work best when they are early, easy to reach and shaped by autistic people themselves, and the rule is "nothing about us without us." We listen first and respect each family's culture, language and choices. We use the words each person prefers: many autistic people prefer to be called autistic, others prefer person with autism, and we ask.

How we started. Compass began when a group of parents met in a library meeting room to share what they had learned about evaluations, the school system and state services. Over three years the group grew to more than 200 families. Every month we heard the same story: the waits were long, the paperwork was confusing and no one told them where to start. An autistic adult joined as a volunteer mentor and teenagers began asking to meet her. Two pediatricians and a school district special education director asked whether we could serve as the place they send families first. This proposal asks for support to turn that volunteer effort into a staffed family resource center.

What we offer:
- Family Resource Navigation. A Family Resource Navigator meets with a family, listens to their questions and concerns, and helps them take the next steps: getting an evaluation, finding early intervention or school services, understanding insurance and state disability services, and finding a pediatrician or specialist. The Navigator stays in touch until the family is connected.
- While You Wait parent coaching. Small groups led by a trained staff member that offer practical, evidence-informed strategies for communication, daily routines, sleep and challenging moments, while a family waits for an evaluation or services. This does not replace an evaluation or therapy.
- School support. Workshops and one-on-one help preparing for meetings about a child's education plan (often called an IEP), understanding special education rights and communicating with school staff. We do not give legal advice, and we refer families to the state's protection and advocacy agency or an attorney when they need it.
- Respite care vouchers. Money paid directly to trained, background-checked providers so caregivers can rest, attend appointments or care for other children.
- Safety support. A family safety plan, safety kits and community trainings about wandering, water safety and how first responders can support autistic people.
- Peer support. Parent, grandparent, father and sibling groups, in English and Spanish, and mentoring from autistic adults for teens and young adults.
- Planning for adulthood. Workshops and one-on-one help for teens age 14 and older and their families on planning for work, school, housing and adult services.
- A lending library. Books, visual schedules, communication tools and sensory items families can borrow and try.

What we do not do. We do not diagnose autism, provide therapy or give medical advice. We do not recommend treatments that lack evidence, and we do not promote any single approach, because families and clinicians decide together what is best. We do not promise any outcome for any child or adult.

How we are run. A seven-member volunteer board of directors oversees the organization and approves the budget each year. At least three board members are autistic adults or parents of autistic children. The board includes a pediatrician, a special education administrator, an autistic self-advocate, a parent, a bilingual community leader, a local business owner and a certified public accountant. The Executive Director manages the organization, the Navigators and mentor work with families, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from two pediatric practices, a school district, a state disability services office and three parent groups. We have a letter of intent for a 1,600 square foot suite on a bus line with a small family room, a calm sensory room and two offices. Before we sign the lease, an attorney will review it and our privacy policies.

Problem & Opportunity

Why this program is needed.

Autism is common, and families who are looking for help often face a system that is hard to understand. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks how many children are identified with autism, and the numbers have grown as awareness and screening have improved. Many children are still diagnosed later than they could be, and many families, especially those with limited income, who speak languages other than English or who live far from specialists, face the longest waits and the fewest services.

The gaps we see:
1. Long waits for evaluation. In many places families wait many months to see a specialist. During that time, a child may not receive supports that could help, and parents are left on their own.
2. A maze of services. Early intervention for children from birth to age 3, special education from age 3, health insurance, state disability services and community programs each have different rules and offices. Families often do not know what exists or how to apply.
3. School challenges. Many parents do not know their child's rights under federal special education law or how to prepare for a school meeting. A parent who walks in without information is at a disadvantage.
4. Caregiver exhaustion. Parents may be up at night, missing work and without any break. Many cannot find or afford a respite provider who is trained to support an autistic child.
5. Safety worries. Some autistic children wander or run from a safe place, and many families live with fear about water, traffic and strangers. Few communities have trained first responders or a family safety plan.
6. Isolation. Families often feel judged and alone. Siblings, fathers and grandparents often need support too.
7. The cliff at adulthood. Many services end when a young person leaves school. Teens and families often have little guidance about work, further education, housing or adult services.
8. Gaps for families who are underserved. Families who are new to the country, who speak languages other than English, or who face discrimination may be less likely to be identified and connected to care.

How we know people want this. Our volunteer parent group grew from 12 to more than 200 families in three years without any advertising. The two pediatric practices that wrote letters of support told us they refer about 15 families a month who do not know where to turn next.

How we will show the need. Before we submit this proposal, we will add the most recent CDC estimate of how many children are identified with autism, the number of children receiving early intervention and special education services under the autism category in our county from the state education department, the typical wait for an evaluation at local providers (which we will check by calling), the number of providers who accept Medicaid, and the number of families on our own volunteer list.

Who benefits first. Families of children and young people from birth to age 21 who are autistic or whose families are worried about autism, especially families with limited income, families who speak languages other than English, families waiting for an evaluation and families approaching the transition to adulthood. Also autistic adults who want to connect with others.

Products & Services

What the grant will pay for and what we will do.

1. Open the center. We lease and prepare a welcoming suite with a family room, a calm sensory room and two offices, and open with an Executive Director, two Family Resource Navigators, a part-time Autistic Self-Advocate Mentor and a part-time Program Coordinator.

2. Provide Family Resource Navigation. A family can call, text, walk in or be referred. A Navigator meets with the family, listens to their story and concerns, and together they write a simple plan with next steps, such as:
- Asking the pediatrician for a developmental screening or a referral for an evaluation, and getting on every waiting list at once.
- Applying for early intervention (birth to age 3) or special education evaluation through the school district (age 3 and older).
- Understanding what insurance and the state's disability services office may cover.
- Finding therapists, doctors and programs that accept the family's insurance.
- Writing questions for the next appointment.
The Navigator follows up by phone, helps fill out forms and goes with the family to a first meeting when asked. About 150 families receive navigation in Year 1, with each Navigator carrying a caseload of about 75 families.

3. Run While You Wait parent coaching groups. Six-session groups for about 8 families each, led by a trained staff member with an autistic mentor, covering how autistic children communicate, building routines, supporting sleep, managing challenging moments and taking care of the caregiver. About 90 families take part in Year 1. This is education and support, not therapy.

4. Help families work with schools. Workshops on special education rights and how to prepare for a meeting, and one-on-one help preparing a list of questions, understanding a report and following up. We refer families who need legal help to the state's protection and advocacy agency or an attorney.

5. Provide respite. Respite care vouchers pay trained, background-checked providers directly for hours of care. A family may use about 30 hours in a year, and about 40 families use about 1,200 hours in Year 1. Families choose their provider from our trained list or bring one for us to train and approve.

6. Make families safer. A family safety plan written with the Navigator, a safety kit with items such as door chimes and identification tags, and trainings for first responders and school staff on how to recognize and support an autistic person. About 8 trainings reach about 150 people in Year 1.

7. Build community. Monthly sensory-friendly family events, parent, grandparent, father and sibling groups, and a mentoring program connecting autistic teens and young adults with an autistic adult mentor. Groups meet in English and Spanish.

8. Prepare for adulthood. Workshops for teens age 14 and older and their families on work, further education, housing, adult services and decision-making supports, with one-on-one planning help. We do not give legal advice about guardianship or other legal arrangements and refer families to an attorney.

9. Lend what helps. A lending library of books, visual schedules, communication tools and sensory items.

How we will measure results. We count families served, time from first contact to a first evaluation or service, referrals completed, workshop and group attendance, respite hours used, safety plans completed and trainings held. Parents complete short surveys at the start and end of coaching about their knowledge and confidence. We ask families and autistic participants for feedback twice a year and share what we learn. We measure how well we supported the family, and we do not measure or promise any change in a child's diagnosis or abilities.

Our Year 1 goals:
- About 150 families receive Family Resource Navigation.
- At least 80% of families who ask for an evaluation or services have a referral or application submitted within 30 days.
- About 90 families complete While You Wait coaching, with at least 75% reporting greater knowledge and confidence.
- About 40 families use about 1,200 hours of respite.
- About 12 workshops reach about 300 people, and about 8 trainings reach about 150 first responders and school staff.
- At least 90% of families say they were treated with respect.
These are goals, and we will report our real results to the Foundation, including where we fall short.

Market Analysis

Who we serve and how many.

The people. Families of children and young people from birth to age 21 who are autistic or who are worried about autism, and autistic adults who want to connect. We welcome every family, whether or not a child has a diagnosis, and whether or not a family has insurance. We reach out especially to families with limited income, families who speak Spanish or other languages, families waiting for an evaluation, families in rural parts of our service area, grandparents raising children and families approaching the transition to adulthood.

Where we work. Our center is in a leased suite on a bus line. Navigators also meet families at libraries, schools, clinics and in their homes when asked, and by phone and video. In Year 3 we begin offering Saturday hours and weekly group meetings at a second location in an outlying town.

How many we will reach:
- Year 1: about 150 families in Navigation, about 90 in While You Wait coaching and about 40 in respite.
- Year 2: about 220 families in Navigation, about 120 in coaching and about 55 in respite.
- Year 3: about 300 families in Navigation with a third Navigator, about 160 in coaching and about 70 in respite.
- Year 4: about 380 families in Navigation, about 200 in coaching and about 85 in respite, with a second Autistic Self-Advocate Mentor.
- Year 5: about 450 families in Navigation, about 240 in coaching and about 100 in respite.
Over five years we expect about 1,500 families in Navigation. Many families return, and some take part in several programs.

Who else benefits:
- Autistic children and adults. They gain access to supports, a voice and community.
- Siblings, grandparents and caregivers, who are often overlooked and who get their own groups and respite.
- Pediatricians, schools and agencies. They gain a place to send families who need help beyond what their office can offer.
- First responders and school staff, who gain training to support autistic people safely and respectfully.
- The community. Autistic people who are supported and included contribute their strengths as neighbors, workers and friends.

How we will size the need before we submit. We will add the most recent CDC estimate, the number of children in our county in early intervention and in special education under the autism category, the number of providers who do autism evaluations and their wait times, the share of families in our service area who speak a language other than English, and the number of families on our volunteer list. These come from the CDC, the Arizona Department of Education and the state's disability services agency.

Competitive Landscape

Other places families can turn, and how we fit.

- Autism evaluation and treatment providers. Clinics, hospitals and therapy providers do essential clinical work. We do not compete with them. We help families reach them sooner and use their services well.
- The state's disability services and early intervention programs. They provide and fund important services, but eligibility and applications are complex, and each agency has its own process. Our Navigators help families apply and follow up.
- School districts. Special education teams provide services at school. Parents often need help understanding the process and preparing. We partner with district staff and never replace them.
- National autism organizations. They provide excellent information and advocacy. We use their materials, and we offer what they cannot: a local person who knows the agencies and will sit with a family.
- Parent support groups. Many are lively and valuable. We host and support them, and we offer staffing, language support and training they often lack.
- Respite programs. Some agencies provide respite, often with waiting lists and eligibility limits. We offer vouchers for families who do not qualify elsewhere or who are waiting.
- Other family resource centers and disability organizations. We coordinate and refer to them so no family falls between programs.

The gap we fill. In our service area, no program offers autism-specific navigation, parent coaching during waits, school support, respite, safety training and peer mentoring from autistic adults in one place, with autistic adults as part of the leadership.

Our partners:
- Two pediatric practices and a children's hospital clinic, which refer families and accept our referrals.
- A school district and its special education office, which refer families and share information.
- The state's disability services office and the protection and advocacy agency.
- Three parent groups and several faith communities, which host groups and share flyers.
- A university program in special education and occupational therapy, which places student interns with us in later years.
- A local fire department and police department, which take part in safety trainings.
- An association of autistic self-advocates, which advises us and helps recruit mentors.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How families will find us and how we keep them engaged.

Reaching families:
- Pediatricians, schools and clinics. A one-page referral form and a direct phone line for professionals, and a card that doctors and teachers can hand to a family.
- Early childhood programs. Preschools, child care centers, early intervention teams and libraries share our information with families who may be worried.
- Community channels. Churches, community centers, clinics, WIC offices, food pantries and neighborhood groups share flyers and invite us to speak.
- Word of mouth. Parents tell other parents, and our volunteer group already has more than 200 families.
- A simple website and a text number in English and Spanish, with plain-language information, a short contact form and an easy way to ask for help.
- Social media pages with respectful stories, shared only with permission, and with autistic voices at the center.
- Events. Monthly sensory-friendly family events, open to everyone, are a welcoming way to meet us.

Making it easy to come:
- No diagnosis, referral or insurance is required to ask for help.
- Every service is free to families. Voluntary donations are welcome.
- The center is welcoming for children, with a calm room and a family area, and visits may be at home, at a library or by phone and video.
- Materials and interpretation are available in Spanish and other languages.
- Families can bring a grandparent, a friend or an interpreter.

Keeping families engaged:
- Each family has one Navigator who knows their story.
- Navigators follow up after each step, and no family is dropped. If a family goes quiet, we reach out kindly.
- Parent groups and mentoring give families connections beyond a single visit.
- We ask families and autistic participants for feedback and share what we change.

Reaching supporters. Pediatric practices, businesses and faith communities are invited to sponsor respite hours, a workshop or an event. We share results twice a year with funders and partners, using totals and never names.

Outreach budget. Workshops, training and outreach together are about $9,000 a year in Year 1, growing about 4% a year. Interpretation and translation are about $6,000 a year in Year 1. The sign, welcome brochures and website are paid for once from startup money ($2,000).

Operations Plan

How the center will operate.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 to 3: Attorney review of the lease and privacy policies, sign the lease, prepare the suite and sensory room, hire two Family Resource Navigators and an Autistic Self-Advocate Mentor, recruit and train respite providers, set up the secure records system and sign referral agreements with partners.
- Month 4: Staff training on autism, communication, trauma-informed care, privacy, safety planning and mandatory reporting. Soft opening for referral partners.
- Months 5 to 8: Open to families. Navigation begins. First While You Wait groups, workshops and sensory-friendly family events.
- Months 9 to 12: Respite vouchers expand, first first-responder trainings and the teen mentoring program begin. Review of results and family feedback, a year-end report to funders and planning for Year 2.

Space. A leased suite of about 1,600 square feet on a bus line, with two offices, a family room with a play area and kitchenette, a calm sensory room, a small meeting room and an accessible restroom. Rent and utilities are about $24,000 a year in Year 1. Paint, flooring and sound dampening with safe, rounded finishes are a one-time cost of $7,000.

Equipment. We buy about $12,000 of equipment once at the start: calming sensory room items such as a swing, weighted blankets, lighting, soft seating and tactile panels ($5,000), family room furniture, a play area and a small kitchenette ($3,500), and four laptops and a projector for workshops and remote visits ($3,500). After Year 1, we set aside about $2,000 to $2,500 a year to replace and add equipment.

Lending library, sensory tools and safety supplies cost about $8,000 a year in Year 1, with a first stock of $3,000 in startup money.

Staffing. In Year 1: an Executive Director, two Family Resource Navigators, a part-time Autistic Self-Advocate Mentor and a part-time Program Coordinator. A third Navigator joins in Year 3, and a second Autistic Self-Advocate Mentor in Year 4. At least one Navigator speaks Spanish. Navigators are trained in autism, special education basics and community resources, and receive regular supervision.

Respite quality and safety. Respite providers complete a background check, first aid and CPR, and our training on supporting autistic children before they are approved. A provider is introduced to each family before the first visit, and the family leads in setting out the child's routines, communication and safety needs. Each family chooses their own provider from our list or brings someone for us to approve. Vouchers are paid directly to the provider, never as cash to a family. Respite is provided in the family's home or another agreed location, and we follow a written policy on emergencies, medications (providers do not give any unless a family has given written instructions and the law allows it) and reporting.

Safety at the center. Children are always supervised by a parent, guardian or approved adult. Staff and volunteers who work with children complete background checks. The center has secure exits, door chimes and a written emergency plan, and staff are trained in first aid and CPR. We follow clear rules on physical contact and on restraint: staff never use physical restraint, and we call a parent or, in an emergency, 911.

Respect and choice. Every autistic person is treated as the expert on their own experience. We never share a person's diagnosis or story without permission. Autistic adults are on the staff, board and advisory group and review our materials.

Privacy. Family information is kept in a locked cabinet and a secure, password-protected system, shared only with the family's written permission, except where the law requires otherwise, such as reporting suspected abuse or neglect of a child. We report results to funders only as totals. An attorney reviews our policies to confirm which privacy laws apply.

Reporting and insurance. Staff are trained to report suspected abuse or neglect as the law requires. We carry general liability, property, professional and abuse and molestation liability insurance, and workers' compensation once we hire. Insurance is about $5,000 a year in Year 1. Grant money is tracked separately so we can show each funder how their money was spent, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Management & Organization

Who leads the organization.

Priya Raman, Executive Director. Priya leads the organization, raises money, manages grants and partnerships, supervises staff and reports to the board. She is the parent of an autistic teenager, spent 9 years as a pediatric nurse care coordinator, and started our volunteer parent group. Planned salary: $62,000 a year.

Family Resource Navigator. Meets with families, helps them take next steps, leads While You Wait groups and follows up. This role requires experience in social work, education, health care or community work, and training in autism and special education basics, and a background check. Bilingual in English and Spanish is a strong plus. Two in Years 1 and 2 and three from Year 3, at a planned salary of $46,000 each. The Desert Sky Family Foundation grant would support the first Navigator.

Autistic Self-Advocate Mentor (part-time). An autistic adult who leads the mentoring program for teens and young adults, helps train staff and reviews our materials, about 25 hours a week. One in Years 1 to 3 and two from Year 4, at a planned pay of $22,000 each.

Program Coordinator (part-time). Handles scheduling, referrals, respite vouchers, the lending library, data and events, about 25 hours a week. Planned pay: $24,000 a year.

Pay figures include payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance.

Staff in each year: 5 paid staff in Years 1 and 2 (three full-time and two part-time), 6 in Year 3 and 7 from Year 4 on.

Volunteers. About 25 trained volunteers in Year 1 who help at events, groups and workshops. Volunteers complete a background check and orientation, and are never alone with a child.

The board. A seven-member volunteer board approves the budget, reviews results twice a year and helps raise money. Board members serve three-year terms. At least three members are autistic adults or parents of autistic children. The board's certified public accountant chairs the finance committee.

People who help us. An outside accountant who reviews our books every year, an attorney who reviews our lease, privacy policies and agreements, an insurance agent who understands programs for children, a pediatrician and a special education administrator who advise on referrals, and an advisory group of autistic adults, parents and siblings who meet each semester to tell us what is working.

Training. All staff and volunteers complete training in autism, communication, trauma-informed care, privacy, mandatory reporting and cultural humility before starting, and again each year.

Money management. Grant money is tracked separately for each funder. The Executive Director and a board member must both approve any payment over $2,500.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals for each year and how we will measure them.

- Year 1: Open the center, serve about 150 families in Navigation, about 90 in While You Wait coaching and about 40 in respite (about 1,200 hours), and hold about 12 workshops and 8 first responder and school trainings. A balanced budget of about $307,500, with a small surplus of about $8,100. 5 paid staff.
- Year 2: Serve about 220 families in Navigation, about 120 in coaching and about 55 in respite. Launch teen planning for adulthood. A balanced budget of about $312,000, with a small surplus of about $8,000. 5 paid staff.
- Year 3: Add a third Navigator and a second location in an outlying town, serving about 300 families in Navigation. A balanced budget of about $363,500, with a small surplus of about $8,500. 6 paid staff.
- Year 4: Add a second Autistic Self-Advocate Mentor and serve about 380 families in Navigation. A balanced budget of about $390,500, with a small surplus of about $8,500. 7 paid staff.
- Year 5: Serve about 450 families in Navigation and about 240 in coaching, with state and county contracts covering about 25% of our budget. Share what we have learned with other communities. A balanced budget of about $395,500, with a small surplus of about $8,100. 7 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Families served by program, and how they heard about us.
- Days from first contact to a referral or application submitted, and to a first evaluation or service.
- Workshop, group and mentoring attendance and parent knowledge and confidence surveys.
- Respite hours used and satisfaction with providers.
- Safety plans completed and trainings held.
- Whether families felt respected and whether autistic participants felt heard.
- Cost per family served.

How we review results. The Executive Director and Navigators review caseloads and wait times every month. Twice a year, staff, the board and our advisory group review results and family feedback together, and we change what is not working. We share results with funders and partners as totals. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $75,000 from the Desert Sky Family Foundation for one Family Resource Navigator, respite care vouchers, interpretation and translation, and workshops and outreach, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Family Resource Navigator salary, $46,000.
- Other: Respite care vouchers, $20,000 (other funds add $4,000).
- Other: Workshops, training and outreach, $5,000 (other funds add $4,000).
- Contractual: Interpretation and translation, $4,000 (other funds add $2,000).

Other money in the program. Other grants, state and county family support contracts and local donors pay the other $10,000 of those lines, plus the Executive Director's salary ($62,000), the second Family Resource Navigator ($46,000), the Autistic Self-Advocate Mentor ($22,000), the part-time Program Coordinator ($24,000), sensory-friendly events and social groups ($8,000), the lending library, sensory tools and safety supplies ($8,000), rent and utilities ($24,000), insurance ($5,000) and evaluation, accounting and administration ($13,000).

Year 1 budget: about $307,500, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $8,100 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $232,500 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), state and county family support contracts $50,000 and donations and local sponsors $25,000. Year 1 costs: Executive Director $62,000; two Family Resource Navigators $92,000; Autistic Self-Advocate Mentor $22,000; Program Coordinator $24,000; respite care vouchers about $24,000; sensory-friendly events and social groups about $8,000; lending library, sensory tools and safety supplies about $8,000; workshops, training and outreach about $9,000; interpretation and translation about $6,000; rent and utilities about $24,000; insurance about $5,000; evaluation, accounting and administration about $13,000; and about $4,200 a year for the wear on equipment.

About the contracts. State and county agencies buy family support services for families of people with developmental disabilities. The state agency has invited us to apply. The amounts in this plan are our planning estimates, not promises, and the agencies may change their budgets and rules. We plan for grants to cover the gap if they do.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $37,100 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $12,000 of equipment (sensory room items, family room furniture, laptops and a projector), $7,000 for paint, flooring and sound dampening, $5,000 for the lease deposit and first month of rent, $3,000 for the lending library's first stock, $600 for the business license and permits, $4,500 for an attorney's review of the lease and privacy policies, a background check system and accounting setup, $2,000 for the sign, brochures and website, and $3,000 for background checks, first aid training and the first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($37,100), the cash we need to cover the wait for the first payments (about $8,000) and a cash cushion of about $74,300, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. That comes to $119,500. We start with $20,000 of our own savings and $105,000 in startup support from a family foundation, a pediatric practice's community fund and our board, $125,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $307,500 in Year 1 to about $395,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $232,500, $215,000, $243,500, $252,500 and $239,500 in Years 1 to 5. State and county family support contracts grow from $50,000 to $100,000, and donations and local sponsors grow from $25,000 to $56,000. We add a third Navigator in Year 3 and a second Autistic Self-Advocate Mentor in Year 4. Grants fall from about 76% of our income in Year 1 to about 61% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $105,100, at the end of Year 1. Contract and grant payments often arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $18,450 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Our plan is to grow state and county contracts as agencies see results, to invite pediatric practices, hospitals and employers to sponsor respite hours and workshops, and to grow individual donors, including families we have helped. We will also explore insurance and Medicaid payment for parent training and family support services where the state allows it. Autistic mentors and trained parent volunteers help us do more at a low cost.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- Families do not come. We build trust through referral partners, parents and autistic mentors, and we meet families where they are.
- A Navigator leaves. Notes and family plans are kept in our secure system so another Navigator can step in, and the Executive Director can cover.
- A respite provider has a problem. Providers are screened and trained, families choose their own, we have a written emergency and reporting policy, and we respond right away to any concern.
- Contracts are delayed or reduced. We plan with a cash cushion, stage hiring so costs follow funding and apply to other funders.
- The center cannot meet every need. We refer families to partner programs and never promise services we do not provide.
- A grant ends. We keep savings and grow funders and donors each year.

If you are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status through a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for you and passes them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Another way is to start smaller: a monthly family resource night in a donated library or church room, led by experienced parents and one autistic mentor, with a printed resource guide, tracked carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach with this proposal:

- Your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current year budget.
- A list of your board members and what each one does, including which members are autistic adults or parents.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and job descriptions for the Navigators and the Autistic Self-Advocate Mentor.
- Letters of support from pediatric practices, the school district, the state disability services office and parent groups.
- The letter of intent for the lease, or a letter from the landlord.
- Your navigation intake form, family safety plan and respite provider training outline.
- Your privacy policy, confidentiality notice, mandatory reporting policy and emergency plan.
- Your list of resources for families, shown as a sample.
- Proof of liability insurance, or a quote.
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):
- Grant Revenue: $232,500 in Year 1, then $215,000, $243,500, $252,500 and $239,500.
- State and County Family Support Contracts: $50,000 in Year 1, growing to $100,000.
- Donations and Local Sponsors: $25,000 in Year 1, growing to $56,000.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): Executive Director $62,000, Family Resource Navigator $46,000 (two in Years 1 and 2, three from Year 3), Autistic Self-Advocate Mentor (part-time) $22,000 (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4), Program Coordinator (part-time) $24,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: Respite Care Vouchers $24,000 (about 1,200 hours at about $20 an hour), Sensory-Friendly Events and Social Groups $8,000, Lending Library, Sensory Tools and Safety Supplies $8,000, Workshops, Training and Outreach $9,000, Interpretation and Translation $6,000, Family Resource Center Rent and Utilities $24,000, Insurance $5,000, Evaluation, Accounting and Administration $13,000. These grow between 4% and 5% a year.
- Equipment: $12,000 at the start, then $2,000 to $2,500 a year.
- Startup costs: $37,100, paid once from $125,000 in startup money.
- About 6% of each year's income is still owed to us at year end.
- Tax: none, as a nonprofit.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs