Page Turner Book Bus

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Executive Summary

Page Turner Book Bus is a nonprofit in South Dakota that brings books, library cards and internet access to rural towns and apartment communities on a converted bus. A librarian and a driver visit set stops each week, where children, teens and adults can browse shelves, check out books and media, sign up for a library card, use laptops and Wi-Fi and join story times and reading clubs. Library services come to people who live too far from a library to visit.

Many rural residents live 20 or more miles from the nearest library. Children lose reading skills over the summer, older adults who no longer drive cannot get to a branch and families may not have a reliable internet connection. A book bus that comes to a school parking lot, a church or a housing complex can serve people who might otherwise be left out.

With this grant we will run 24 stops a week across three counties in Year 1, with about 9,000 visits and about 18,000 items checked out. We will lend about 40 Wi-Fi hotspots with library partners and sign up about 1,500 people for library cards. We do not replace libraries. We work with the library system to extend its reach, and we follow its rules for borrowing.

Our Year 1 budget is about $195,000, growing to about $220,500 by Year 5 as we add routes. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 3 paid staff in Year 1 and 4 by Year 3, with volunteers.

We are asking the Great Plains Reading Foundation for $60,000 for our Program Manager and Librarian and for books and media. The library system, counties, businesses, clubs and donors also give, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Lorraine Eide, the Executive Director. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Page Turner Book Bus is a small, independent nonprofit in South Dakota, organized as a 501(c)(3) public charity. We serve rural communities and housing complexes across three counties with a mobile library on a converted bus.

Our mission. To bring books, information and connection to people who live far from a library.

What we believe. Everyone deserves access to books and information. We treat every visitor as a library patron, protect privacy and offer a warm welcome. We choose materials to reflect the people we serve and ask them what they want to read.

What we offer:
- A mobile library. A converted bus with shelves of books, large-print titles, audiobooks and movies, with a ramp for wheelchairs.
- Library cards and borrowing. Help signing up for a library card and checking out materials through the partner library system.
- Internet access. Laptops and Wi-Fi on the bus and hotspots to lend.
- Programs at stops. Story times for children, a summer reading program, book clubs for older adults and short digital skills sessions.

Who we serve. Children, teens, adults and older adults in rural communities, small towns and apartment complexes without nearby libraries.

What we do not do. We do not charge fines to children, share borrowing records, replace the partner library's collection or run the bus without a licensed driver and a safety check.

How we are run. A volunteer board of seven governs the organization. I am the Executive Director. The Program Manager and Librarian plans routes, manages the collection and runs programs. A driver and outreach assistant drives and helps patrons, and a second assistant joins in Year 3. About 25 volunteers help.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from the library system, three county commissions, two school districts and several towns, quotes for a used step van and shelving and a library partnership agreement, vehicle safety plan and volunteer policy under review by an attorney. (Replace this with where you really are.)

Problem & Opportunity

For many rural residents, the nearest library is a long drive away. Some have no car, others cannot drive or have little time or money for gas. Children may go weeks without a new book, and older adults who cannot leave home miss library programs and large-print books. Families without reliable internet cannot download e-books, apply for jobs online or help children with homework.

Schools and libraries try to help, but small budgets and long distances make regular service hard. Mailing books can be slow and costly.

For a small nonprofit, the hard parts are the cost of a vehicle and its upkeep, hiring a driver and a librarian, keeping the collection fresh, planning routes that serve the most people and working safely in all kinds of weather.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Mobile libraries have long served communities that lack access, and they offer more than books. We will use the most recent local numbers on library access, broadband and population in our final plan. We do not know exactly how many people will use the bus at each stop, so our plan uses a first-year goal and will report what really happens.

Products & Services

Page Turner Book Bus will bring the library to people, on a regular schedule they can count on.

How it works, step by step:
1. Plan routes. With the library system, schools and towns, we choose 24 stops a week in places where people gather, such as school lots, churches, housing complexes and community halls.
2. Publish the schedule. We post a printed and online schedule, and send text reminders to people who sign up.
3. Prepare the bus. Before each route the driver inspects the bus, and the librarian loads books and media based on what each stop asks for.
4. Visit. At each stop, the bus opens its door and ramp. Patrons browse, check out items, get a library card, use laptops or Wi-Fi and join an activity.
5. Serve. The librarian helps patrons find books, answers questions and takes requests for items from the main library, which arrive at the next visit.
6. Lend hotspots. People can borrow a Wi-Fi hotspot under the library's lending rules.
7. Run programs. Story times, summer reading and book clubs happen at set stops.
8. Report. We track visits and items borrowed and ask patrons what they want.

Why this approach is strong. A regular schedule builds a habit, and bringing the library to people removes the biggest barrier. Local requests keep the collection useful.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: children, teens, adults and older adults in rural towns, small communities and apartment complexes in three counties who lack easy access to a library.

Our primary group is families with children and older adults who live far from a branch. Our secondary group is schools, child care centers and senior housing that want a regular library visit. We will use the most recent local numbers on library access, broadband and population in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan to run 24 stops a week in Year 1, with about 9,000 visits, about 18,000 items borrowed and about 1,500 new library cards. We grow to more stops in Year 2 and Year 3, with a second driver and outreach assistant in Year 3, and about 25,000 visits a year by Year 5. Our Year 1 budget is about $195,000 and our Year 5 budget is about $220,500.

Demand data. Letters of support from the library system, three county commissions, two school districts and several towns, and calls from residents asking for a stop, show a clear need. We do not count on any one stop.

We do not serve everyone. We refer people who need services the bus cannot offer, such as research help or meeting rooms, to the main library.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for rural residents, and what makes us different.

- Branch libraries. They offer the full range of services. We bring a smaller version to people who cannot get to them.
- School libraries. They serve students. We serve all ages and visit in the summer.
- Bookmobiles run by large library systems. They exist in some places. We serve areas they do not reach and coordinate with them.
- Mail-a-book programs. They are useful but slow. We offer browsing and a person to ask.
- School and church book giveaways. They help some children. We add borrowing, library cards and programs for all ages, so that books can be returned and shared again.
- Buying books or e-books. Many cannot afford it or lack internet. We offer free books and Wi-Fi.

What makes us different.
- Regular stops that people can count on.
- A librarian on board who can help with questions and requests.
- Internet access and lending hotspots.
- Programs for children and older adults at the stop.

What we do not claim. We are new. Larger library systems have bigger collections and a longer record. We plan to earn trust one stop and one family at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach the people we serve.

Schools and child care centers. We will send flyers home with children, offer a regular stop at schools and invite teachers to arrange class visits.

Churches and community halls. We will meet pastors and community leaders and ask them to host a stop and spread the word.

Housing complexes and senior centers. We will work with managers to set a stop in the parking lot or common room.

Towns and counties. We will ask local newspapers and websites to publish the schedule, and county offices to share it.

Online and text. A simple website and a text list, in English and Spanish where needed.

Library partners. We will ask the library system to share the schedule at branches and with library card holders.

Cost to patrons. Free. We follow the partner library's rules, and we do not charge fines to children.

Keeping the habit. We will give each child a bookmark with the next visit date, tell patrons what is coming next time and ask them what they want to see on the shelves, so that visits become a regular part of the week.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (summer): Buy the bus and convert it, sign the library partnership and stop agreements, hire and train staff and volunteers and buy the opening collection.
- Month 3 (late summer): Begin the first routes and sign up patrons.
- Months 4 to 11: Run 24 stops a week, hold story times and a summer reading program, lend hotspots and adjust the schedule.
- Month 12: Survey patrons and partners, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. The bus is stored in a rented lot with power for charging. Our small office is shared space in a community building.

Equipment. We buy about $58,000 of equipment once at the start: a used step van converted to a book bus ($46,000), shelving, a wheelchair-friendly ramp and an awning ($8,000) and laptops, tablets and hotspots for the bus ($4,000). We also buy an opening collection of books and media. Later years replace or add equipment.

Staffing. In Year 1, I serve as Executive Director. The Program Manager and Librarian, paid $46,000 a year, plans routes, manages the collection and runs programs. A driver and outreach assistant, counted as a full-time equivalent and paid $28,000 a year, drives and helps patrons. A second assistant joins in Year 3.

Safety. The driver holds the license the bus requires, the bus is inspected before every route and serviced on a schedule, and we follow a weather plan for snow, ice and storms. All staff and volunteers pass background checks, children under ten must be with an adult and a written plan for emergencies includes calling 911.

Privacy. We follow the library's privacy policy and never share borrowing records.

Costs. Books and media are about $14,000 in Year 1, bus fuel and maintenance about $12,000, vehicle insurance about $5,000, internet hotspot data about $5,000 and administration and insurance about $10,000.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the project.

Lorraine Eide, Executive Director. Fourteen years of nonprofit and library work, including eight years in a rural library system. She oversees the program, partnerships, fundraising and finances. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Program Manager and Librarian (from Year 1). Plans routes, manages the collection, runs programs and supports patrons. A librarian degree or library experience is required.

Driver and outreach assistant (from Year 1). Drives the bus, helps patrons and maintains the vehicle. A second joins in Year 3.

Volunteers. About 25 volunteers, including retired teachers and librarians.

Board and advisors. Seven volunteer board members, including a school librarian, a county commissioner and a rural resident who uses the bus, who meet every quarter. An attorney reviews our partnership and safety plan.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: Executive Director $54,000, Program Manager and Librarian $46,000 and driver and outreach assistant $28,000 per full-time equivalent. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

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

- Year 1: Run 24 stops a week, about 9,000 visits, about 18,000 items borrowed and about 1,500 new library cards. A balanced budget of about $195,000, with a small surplus of about $9,400. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 2: Add stops in a fourth county and increase visits to about 12,000. A balanced budget of about $197,500, with a small surplus of about $8,600. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 3: Add a second driver and outreach assistant and grow to about 16,000 visits. A balanced budget of about $214,500, with a small surplus of about $8,200. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 4: Grow to about 20,000 visits and add a digital skills class at every stop. A balanced budget of about $217,500, with a small surplus of about $7,500. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 5: Grow to about 25,000 visits and share our route planning and safety plan with other rural libraries. A balanced budget of about $220,500, with a small surplus of about $6,800. About 4 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Stops held and visits at each stop.
- Items borrowed and new library cards.
- Hotspots lent and used.
- Story times and program attendance.
- Patron requests filled.
- Patron and partner feedback.

How we review results. The Program Manager reviews visits and requests every month. Twice a year, staff and the board review all results and share them with funders and the library system. If a stop has low use, we change the day, the time or the outreach. 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: $60,000 from the Great Plains Reading Foundation for a Program Manager and books for the book bus, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Manager and Librarian salary, $46,000.
- Supplies: Books and media for the book bus, $14,000.

Other money in the program. This request is about 43% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $195,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $9,400 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $139,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), library system and county partner support $26,000, businesses, clubs and individual donations $30,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $54,000; program manager and librarian $46,000; driver and outreach assistant $28,000; books and media about $14,000; bus fuel and maintenance about $12,000; vehicle insurance about $5,000; internet hotspot data about $5,000; administration and insurance about $10,000; about $15,000 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $76,400 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $46,000 for used step van converted to a book bus; $8,000 for shelving, a wheelchair-friendly ramp and an awning; $4,000 for laptops, tablets and hotspots for the bus; $8,000 for opening collection of books and media; $2,600 for attorney review of the library partner agreement and vehicle safety plan; $5,400 for bus wrap, branding and a simple website; $2,400 for driver checks and first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($76,400), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $43,500, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. The cash used before it balances and the cushion come to about $43,500. In all, that comes to $120,000. We start with $26,000 of our own savings and $97,000 in startup support from a local reading foundation and our board, $123,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $195,000 in Year 1 to about $220,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $139,000, $129,500, $134,500, $125,500 and $116,500 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: library system and county partner support from $26,000 to $50,000 and businesses, clubs and individual donations from $30,000 to $54,000. We add stops and a second driver and outreach assistant in Year 3 as the program grows. Grants fall from about 71% of our income in Year 1 to about 53% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $80,200, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $5,850 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. The library system, counties, businesses, clubs and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Patrons share their stories, and sponsors can adopt a stop or a shelf by name.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- The bus breaks down. We keep a service plan, a repair fund and a back-up arrangement with a library van.
- Severe weather. We follow a written weather plan and post cancellations quickly.
- Low use at a stop. We change the schedule and outreach and move to a new stop when needed.
- A privacy problem. We follow the library's policy.
- A grant ends. We keep savings and grow partner and donor support 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: one route a week with a borrowed van, six stops and a volunteer driver, 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.
- Signed letters of support from the library system, counties and towns.
- Your library partnership agreement.
- Your bus quote and vehicle inspection plan.
- Your safety and weather plan.
- Your volunteer agreement and background check policy.
- Quotes for equipment and books.
- 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):
- Grant Revenue: $139,000 in Year 1, then $129,500, $134,500, $125,500 and $116,500.
- Library System and County Partner Support: $26,000 in Year 1, growing to $50,000.
- Businesses, Clubs and Individual Donations: $30,000 in Year 1, growing to $54,000.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive director $54,000, program manager and librarian $46,000, driver and outreach assistant (part-time) $28,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: books and media $14,000, bus fuel and maintenance $12,000, vehicle insurance $5,000, internet hotspot data $5,000, administration and insurance $10,000. These grow between 4% and 6% a year.
- Equipment: $58,000 at the start, then $4,000 to $5,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $76,400, paid once from $123,000 in startup money.
- Visits: about 9,000 in Year 1, growing to about 25,000 in Year 5. The bus is replaced or refit in later years as needed.
- About 3% 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