Caregiver Relief Network

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Executive Summary

Caregiver Relief Network is a nonprofit in Minnesota that supports people who care for a spouse, parent or child with an illness, disability or frailty. A caregiver navigator helps families find services and benefits, we run caregiver support groups, and we pay for short breaks, called respite, with vouchers that are paid directly to screened care providers.

Family caregivers give countless hours and often put their own health and jobs last. Many do not know what help exists, and many cannot afford a few hours of care so they can rest, go to a medical visit or run an errand. With this grant we will pay a caregiver navigator and fund respite vouchers so more families can get help. We do not provide medical care and we do not promise any result.

What we are asking for. Our program has a Year 1 budget of about $187,000. We are asking for $50,000 from a metropolitan community foundation to a caregiver navigator salary and respite vouchers paid to screened providers. The rest of the budget comes from other grants, sponsors and donors that are listed in the funding section. Every dollar amount in this plan is an estimate and none of it is a promise of any result for the people we serve.

Company Description

Caregiver Relief Network is a nonprofit organization recognized under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, governed by a volunteer board that meets monthly. The board approves the budget, reviews financial statements and oversees the executive director. A new organization without its own determination letter can use a fiscal sponsor, explained in the funding section.

What we believe. Caregivers are the backbone of our health system and deserve support. We treat caregivers and the people they care for with dignity, protect privacy and put safety first.

What we do:
- Caregiver navigation. A navigator listens to a caregiver, makes a plan and connects the family to benefits, programs and services.
- Respite vouchers. A voucher pays a screened provider directly for a few hours of care so the caregiver can rest or take care of their own needs. No cash goes to families.
- Support groups and training. Groups and short classes on caregiving skills, stress and self-care.
- Volunteer friendly visitors. Screened volunteers visit for companionship but do not provide medical care.

What we do not do. We do not provide medical care, give medical or legal advice, handle money or medicine for families or make decisions for the person receiving care.

Who we serve. Unpaid family caregivers in our service area, with priority for caregivers with low incomes, caregivers who work and caregivers of people with dementia or disabilities.

Our board has at least five members, including at least one person who has used our services or lives in the community we serve, and only a minority of board members may be related to each other or paid by the organization.

We keep a written conflict of interest policy, a whistleblower policy and a record retention policy, and the board reviews them every year.

Problem & Opportunity

Caregivers often carry heavy burdens with little help.

1. Exhaustion and health problems. Caregivers often delay their own medical care and report high stress.
2. Lost income. Many cut back work hours or leave jobs to provide care.
3. Complicated systems. Benefits and services are hard to find and apply for.
4. Few affordable breaks. Respite care is costly and hard to find.
5. Isolation. Caregivers often lose contact with friends and community.

Why it matters now. People are living longer with chronic conditions, and more families are providing care at home. When caregivers burn out, the person they care for is more likely to need costly care outside the home.

How we know the need is real. We talked with 40 caregivers, reviewed the number of older adults and people with disabilities in our area, and asked clinics and area agencies on aging about waiting lists for respite. Caregivers said that a knowledgeable person to call and a few hours of reliable relief would help the most. We share the numbers in the appendix.

We update these facts every year using public data, partner reports and what the people we serve tell us, and we change the program when the facts change. If a need turns out to be smaller than we thought, we will say so and put the money where it is needed most.

Products & Services

What the funded project will do. With this grant we will fund a caregiver navigator, a volunteer coordinator and respite vouchers for a full year.

How a caregiver takes part:
1. Contact. A caregiver calls, is referred by a clinic or hears about us from a friend.
2. Assessment. The navigator talks with the caregiver about their needs, health, work and the needs of the person receiving care.
3. Plan. The navigator helps the caregiver find benefits, programs and local services and make a simple plan.
4. Respite. If the caregiver qualifies, the navigator issues a respite voucher. We pay a screened provider directly for the hours and never give cash to the family.
5. Support and follow-up. The caregiver can join a support group and receives regular check-ins.

What the grant pays for. The request covers the caregiver navigator's salary and part of the respite vouchers.

What we do not promise. We do not promise that every caregiver will get a voucher or that any benefit will be approved. We explain eligibility honestly and track results.

Safety. If a person is in danger, we call 911. If a caregiver or anyone else is thinking of suicide, we direct them to 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. We report suspected abuse or neglect as the law requires, and the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 is one place families can find local services.

We start small, check what works and grow only when we can do the work well. Every few months we review the numbers and the stories from the people we serve and change the plan where it is not working.

We write plain-language handouts for every step so people know what to expect, what it costs and who to call with questions, and we ask each person at the end whether the help was useful and what we could do better.

Market Analysis

Who benefits from this project are unpaid family caregivers in our service area and the people they care for.

Who we serve. Most are adults caring for an older parent, a spouse or an adult child with a disability, and some are older adults caring for grandchildren. Many work, many have low incomes and many have never asked for help.

How many people we plan to serve. In Year 1 we plan to work with about 150 caregivers through navigation and to issue respite vouchers to about 60 families. By Year 5 we plan to work with about 300 caregivers a year. We chose these numbers from the capacity of one navigator at first and two by the fourth year, and from the voucher budget.

Where we serve. The county and nearby communities, with outreach in rural areas where services are far apart.

Who else benefits. The people receiving care, who stay at home longer with a rested caregiver, employers whose workers can stay on the job, and clinics that see healthier caregivers.

How we will be careful. We collect only the information we need, keep it locked and ask for consent before we share anything. We never make caregivers feel judged for needing help.

We choose how many people to serve from the number of staff, hours and rooms we really have, not from the size of the need. If we reach fewer people than planned, we will report it and explain why.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices caregivers have in our area.

1. Area agencies on aging. They provide information and some services, but have limited respite funds and long waits.
2. Home care agencies. Provide care but are costly for most families.
3. Adult day programs. Provide a safe place, but have limited openings.
4. Faith communities and volunteer groups. Provide support, but not a navigator or respite funds.
5. Online communities, which provide support but not local help.

What makes us different. We combine a personal navigator with real respite funds that go directly to providers, and we offer support groups and friendly visitors in one program. We do not duplicate other services, and we refer caregivers to them whenever they fit.

How we avoid duplication. We meet quarterly with the area agency on aging and other groups to share information and agree on referrals, and we use a shared referral form.

We keep a written list of every other organization that does similar work in our area and review it each year. If another group can serve a person better, we refer the person and say so plainly. Funders can expect us to tell the truth about overlap, to share what we learn and to work as part of a larger network of help.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach the caregivers we serve once the project is funded.

Partners. Clinics, hospitals, area agencies on aging, adult day centers, faith communities and employers will refer caregivers, and we will give each partner a short guide and a direct phone number.

Community outreach. We will present at senior centers, libraries and community meetings, and set up information tables at health fairs.

Word of mouth. Caregivers who have received help tell others. With permission, we share their stories anonymously.

Digital outreach. A simple website and social media will explain how to reach a navigator and apply for respite. We will not post identifiable photos or stories without written permission.

Access. We will offer phone, video and in-person meetings, evening hours and materials in English and in the other languages our community speaks.

Measuring outreach. We will track how each caregiver heard about us and adjust our outreach where it is not working.

Marketing budget. Outreach and printing are part of the program budget and we use low-cost materials and partner channels.

Most people hear about services from someone they already trust, so we spend more time with partners and neighbors than on advertising. We write our materials in plain language, test them with a few people from the community and fix anything that confuses them.

Operations Plan

How the project will be carried out, in plain terms.

Timeline for Year 1. Months 1 and 2: hire the navigator, finalize the provider screening process and partner agreements and set up the voucher system. Months 3 to 12: serve caregivers, issue vouchers, run support groups and train volunteers.

Space. The navigator works from a small office and meets caregivers by phone, video or in their communities. Groups meet in libraries and faith communities.

Respite providers. Providers are screened with background checks, reference checks and proof of required training and insurance. We pay providers directly by check or transfer after a family confirms the care was provided. We never give cash to families and never let the same person provide and approve care.

Safety and privacy rules. We follow written policies on privacy, consent and mandated reporting. Staff and volunteers pass background checks and are trained to recognize abuse and neglect. We call 911 in an emergency and direct anyone in crisis to 988. Friendly visitors never give medical care, handle money or medicine or drive clients alone.

Records and reporting. We track caregivers served, vouchers issued and hours of care in a secure system and report to funders each quarter.

Training. Staff and volunteers receive training in caregiver support, dementia awareness, privacy and mandated reporting.

We write down every step of the project in a short manual so that any trained staff member can carry it out the same way. We hold a short team meeting every week to review problems, safety concerns and numbers, and we ask the people we serve for feedback at least twice a year.

Management & Organization

The executive director leads the organization and manages the budget and partners. The caregiver navigator works directly with families, and the volunteer coordinator recruits, screens and supports volunteers and manages support groups.

The team. Pay figures include payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance. The numbers in parentheses are how many people we plan to have in Years 1 through 5.
- Executive Director: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 (Years 1 to 5), about $56,000 a year each.
- Caregiver Navigator: 1, 1, 1, 2, 2 (Years 1 to 5), about $45,000 a year each.
- Volunteer Coordinator (part-time): 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 (Years 1 to 5), about $22,000 a year each.

Governance and money controls. A volunteer board of directors oversees the budget and the executive director. Two people review every payment, the board reviews financial statements every month, an outside accountant prepares the yearly tax return and audit-ready records, and every grant is tracked in its own budget line. We screen staff and volunteers who work with the people we serve, train everyone on privacy and safety and keep written policies on conflicts of interest and complaints.

Staff and advisors. We seek a navigator with experience in aging or disability services and welcome people with lived experience as caregivers. An advisory group of caregivers, a nurse, a social worker and an employer meets quarterly. We post a clear complaint process for families.

Feedback and complaints. Anyone we serve can give feedback or a complaint by phone, in writing or in person, and can ask to speak with the board chair. We reply within five working days, keep a log of every complaint and report the themes to the board each quarter. No one loses services for speaking up.

Milestones Narrative

Goals for each of the first five years and how we will measure results. These are goals, not promises.
- Before the grant starts (2 to 3 months before the grant starts): hire the navigator, finalize the provider screening and voucher process, sign partner agreements and set up a secure records system
- Year 1: serve about 150 caregivers and issue respite vouchers to about 60 families. The budget is $187,000.
- Year 2: add support groups and grow volunteers. The budget is $190,000.
- Year 3: expand rural outreach and add evening hours. The budget is $193,000.
- Year 4: add a second navigator and employer partnerships. The budget is $242,500.
- Year 5: serve about 300 caregivers a year and publish a plain results report. The budget is $246,000.

How we will measure results: caregivers served, vouchers issued, hours of respite provided, caregivers' own ratings of stress and support, benefits applications supported and caregivers who say they would recommend the program. We report results to funders in the same plain numbers we use here, and we say honestly when a goal was missed and what we changed.

We report to funders every quarter and send a short plain-language summary to our board each month. At the end of each year we review all of the goals, publish a short results report and update the plan for the next year.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $50,000 from a metropolitan community foundation for a caregiver navigator salary and respite vouchers paid to screened providers, for January through December 2027.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Caregiver Navigator salary, $40,000.
- Contractual: Respite vouchers paid to screened providers, $10,000 (other funds add $2,000).

Other money in the program. This request is about 32% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $187,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $7,000 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grant revenue $155,000; individual donations $20,000; corporate and community sponsors $12,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $56,000; caregiver navigator $45,000; volunteer coordinator (part-time) $22,000; respite vouchers paid to screened providers about $30,000; caregiver training and support groups about $6,000; outreach and printing about $6,000; background checks and screening about $4,000; administration and insurance about $10,000.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $13,600 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $3,200 for laptops and a locking cabinet for confidential files, $1,800 for meeting room furniture and a projector for support groups, $2,400 for provider screening system and background check setup, $2,800 for policy review and legal setup, $2,200 for brochures, signs and a simple website, and $1,200 for opening training materials.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($13,600), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $44,800, which is about 3 months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $58,500. We start with $11,000 of our own savings and $49,000 in startup support from a local foundation and our board, $60,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $187,000 in Year 1 to about $246,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $155,000, $151,000, $147,000, $189,500, $186,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows as sponsors and donors join. The program plans a small surplus each year, about $7,000, $6,800, $6,400, $7,400 and $7,200 in Years 1 to 5, which we put into savings.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $55,500, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $7,480 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Individual donors and community sponsors grow each year, so grants become a smaller share of the budget. Employers and clinics may contribute funds and in-kind help, and volunteers expand what a small staff can do.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A provider may not meet our standards. We screen carefully, pay only after care is confirmed and replace providers quickly.
- Demand may exceed funds. We set clear criteria, keep a waiting list and seek more funds.
- A grant may end. We grow donors and sponsors each year and keep savings.
- Caregivers may not reach us. We use partners and many outreach channels.
- A privacy mistake could occur. We limit what we collect, lock records and train everyone.

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 with one site or one staff member and track results carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this proposal:

- Your IRS determination letter showing 501(c)(3) status, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your board list and board minutes approving the application.
- Your most recent budget and financial statements.
- A list of other funders and what each has given or been asked to give.
- Your provider screening policy and a sample voucher form.
- Written agreements with clinics and area agencies on aging.
- Your privacy policy, consent form and volunteer handbook.
- Letters of support from caregivers and partners.
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: $155,000 in Year 1, growing to $186,000 in Year 5.
- Individual Donations: $20,000 in Year 1, growing to $36,000 in Year 5.
- Corporate and Community Sponsors: $12,000 in Year 1, growing to $24,000 in Year 5.
- Staff pay is shown in the management section and includes payroll taxes and workers' compensation.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: respite vouchers paid to screened providers $30,000, caregiver training and support groups $6,000, outreach and printing $6,000, background checks and screening $4,000, and administration and insurance $10,000. These grow between 4% and 6% a year as the program grows.
- Grant and partner payments arrive after we bill, so about $7,480 (4% of Year 1 income) is owed to us at the end of Year 1.
- The program does not pay income tax. Any surplus stays in the program.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your organization's real numbers.

Plain words used in this proposal:
- Grant: money given for a specific purpose that does not have to be paid back, as long as it is spent as promised.
- Request: the part of the budget we are asking this funder to pay for.
- Surplus: money left over after a year's costs. A small surplus is healthy because it builds savings for slow months.
- Startup costs: one-time costs, such as equipment, paid once before the program runs at full speed.
- Working capital: cash kept in the bank to pay bills while waiting for grant payments.
- In-kind: goods or services given instead of money, such as donated space.
- Fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for a new group and passes the money to its program, usually for a fee.
- 501(c)(3): the tax status that lets a nonprofit receive tax-deductible gifts and many grants.

How to read the numbers. Every income and cost figure is a plan, not a result. Income rises as sponsors and donors join, costs rise a little each year, and each year's budget is planned to balance with a small surplus. Startup costs are shown separately because they are paid once. If a real number turns out different, we will update the plan and tell our funders why.

Startup Costs