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Executive Summary
Our Voice Community Network is a nonpartisan nonprofit that helps people in our county and the nearby towns understand how their government works and take part in it. We provide workshops on how local government works, nonpartisan voter information and leadership training, with a community organizer who works with residents in their own neighborhoods.
Democracy works best when everyone takes part. But many people, especially those with lower incomes, young people and newcomers, do not vote, attend public meetings or speak up. Often it is not apathy. They do not know how decisions get made, who to talk to or how to start. Our program gives people plain information and practical skills so they can take part in decisions that affect their lives.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 400 people through workshops and events. Our Year 1 budget is about $107,000, growing to about $183,000 by Year 5 as we grow from one community organizer to three. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Brightpath Foundation for $30,000, as part of the $97,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $10,000 in Year 1 comes from donations, which we plan to grow to about $33,000 a year by Year 5. Grant money pays for community organizer time, civic education materials and the record-keeping funders require.
We will measure how many people attend our trainings and events, how many take a concrete civic action (such as attending a public meeting, registering to vote or joining a board), and what participants tell us about how confident they feel. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Our Voice Community Network is a nonprofit organization in Indiana. A 501(c)(3) public charity
Our mission. To help everyone in our community understand local government and take part in the decisions that affect their lives.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2022 when a group of librarians and teachers started holding evening sessions on how to speak at a city council meeting. Since then about 300 people have attended, with 10 volunteers helping each month.
What we do:
- Offer plain-language workshops on how local government works, how to attend a meeting and how to speak up.
- Provide nonpartisan voter information, including how and where to register and vote, with no endorsements of candidates or parties.
- Train neighborhood leaders and young people to organize and lead.
- Host candidate forums and community conversations where all sides are invited.
- Help people take part in public decisions, like budgets, school boards and planning.
Where we work. Library meeting rooms and community centers, weekday evenings and Saturday mornings.
Our partners. The county library system, the local League of Women Voters, two high schools and a community center.
Our approach. We are strictly nonpartisan. We never support or oppose any candidate, party or ballot measure. We teach people how to take part and what questions to ask, and they decide for themselves.
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 nearby towns, voter turnout and attendance at public meetings are often low, especially in neighborhoods with lower incomes. Many residents do not know how local decisions are made, what their local government does or how to take part. As a result, decisions about schools, streets and budgets are often made without their voices.
Facts about our community. According to the county election office, turnout in our south side precincts was far lower than the countywide turnout in the last city election.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Information. Government can be confusing, and few people were taught how it works.
2. Access. Meetings are often held at times and places that do not work for working families.
3. Trust. Many people feel their voice does not matter, or that politics is not for them.
4. Skills. Speaking at a public meeting or leading a group takes practice.
5. Language. Many materials are not available in the languages residents speak.
What we have seen ourselves. Many people told us they did not know when
Who we serve first. Residents who are less likely to take part, including people with lower incomes, young adults, newcomers and first-time voters, in residents in the south and east neighborhoods, first-time voters and newcomers.
Products & Services
How the program works. 1. Plain-language workshops. Short, friendly sessions teach how local government works, how a meeting runs and how to speak up. About $7,000 in Year 1 pays for guides, printing, event costs and training materials, in the languages residents speak. 2. Nonpartisan voter information. We share information about how and where to register and vote, what is on the ballot and how to find neutral information. We never tell anyone how to vote. 3. Leadership training. A small group of residents learns to organize their neighbors, run a meeting and work on a local issue. 4. Community conversations. We host open meetings with local officials and invite all sides, so residents can ask questions face to face. 5. Follow-through. We help people take the next step, like attending a meeting, joining a committee or contacting an official. How we will measure results. We count people trained and events held. After workshops, we ask people how confident they feel and what they plan to do. Our goals for Year 1: reach 400 people through workshops; train 25 neighborhood leaders; host two candidate forums with all candidates invited; and have 100 people take a civic action like attending a public meeting.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve residents in our county and the nearby towns, especially residents in the south and east neighborhoods, first-time voters and newcomers.
How we know people need this. Our first workshop had 20 seats and 60 people signed up, and the library asked us to hold more.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 400 people through workshops and events. Voter turnout by neighborhood, the share of residents who have never attended a public meeting and the number of residents who speak limited English are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from one community organizer to three, we expect to reach more residents each year.
How people reach us. Libraries, schools, churches, community centers and our social media.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- The local election office registers voters and runs elections. We partner with them and help residents understand the process. The county election office gives us voter information and attends our events.
- The League of Women Voters and similar groups offer voter guides and forums. We partner with them and reach neighborhoods they may not.
- Libraries and schools offer civics education. We partner with them for space and participants.
- Advocacy and political groups push particular views. We do not. We stay neutral so everyone can trust us.
- Other community organizations work on specific issues. We train their members in civic skills.
What makes us different: plain-language workshops in English and Spanish, strictly nonpartisan and held in familiar places
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from libraries, schools, churches, community centers and other nonprofits.
- Door knocking, flyers and events in places people already go.
- Social media and text messages with simple information.
- Word of mouth from participants and local leaders.
Staying nonpartisan. As a 501(c)(3), we may not support or oppose any candidate for public office, and our lobbying must stay within legal limits. We write clear rules for staff and volunteers, train them and apply them every day.
Volunteers. Librarians, teachers, retired professionals, college students and church groups.
Raising money beyond grants. Donations are planned at about $10,000 in Year 1, growing to about $33,000 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 participant moves through the program:
1. An invitation to a workshop or event, in a familiar place.
2. A short, practical session with plain information.
3. A chance to try a skill, like writing a comment or speaking for two minutes.
4. A follow-up invitation to a meeting, a committee or a leadership group.
5. A follow-up check to see what the person did next.
A workshop. Participants hear a ten-minute explanation, practice writing and speaking a two-minute comment in small groups, and leave with a one-page guide and a next meeting date.
Nonpartisan rules. Staff and volunteers do not wear campaign items or endorse candidates or parties while representing us. We invite all candidates to forums. Any voter registration drives we run are open to everyone. Our lobbying, if any, is limited and tracked.
Privacy. Participant information is kept private. We never share it with campaigns or political groups, and funders get totals, never names.
Equipment. In Year 1 we buy about $3,000 in equipment (laptops, a printer, a projector and portable sound equipment), then about $1,000 to $1,500 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. One community organizer in Year 1, then two in Year 2, two in Year 3, three in Year 4 and three in Year 5. Organizers are trained on nonpartisan rules and in how local government works.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $9,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Keisha Hassan, Executive Director.
The Executive Director leads the organization, raises money and manages grants and contracts, builds partnerships, oversees the finances and reports to the Board. Planned salary: $52,000 a year.
Community organizers. Lead workshops, train leaders, host events and keep records. One position in Year 1, growing to three by Year 5, at a planned salary of $36,000 each. Qualifications we look for: experience in community outreach, education or organizing, an even-handed manner and willingness to follow nonpartisan rules.
Volunteers. Volunteers help with events, outreach and workshops. They are trained on our nonpartisan rules before they begin.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including Lauren Perry, 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:
- Write and train staff and volunteers on our nonpartisan rules.
- Hire our first community organizer and partner with libraries and community centers.
- Reach about 400 people through workshops and events.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for workshops, leaders trained and people who take action.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $107,000.
Year 2: two community organizers; budget of about $144,000.
Year 3: two community organizers; budget of about $145,000.
Year 4: three community organizers; budget of about $182,000.
Year 5: three community organizers; budget of about $183,000.
Over the five years: grow to three community organizers, add languages and neighborhoods and create a youth civic leadership program. Civic education materials costs grow about 5% a year.
How we will check our results. We record workshops, attendance and follow-up actions. We ask participants how confident they feel. Staff and the Board review results and share them with funders. We never report how any participant voted or what views they hold.
Funding Request
What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $30,000 from the Brightpath Foundation for our first community organizer's salary, civic education materials in English and Spanish and the costs of reporting results, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $107,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $97,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Donations: $10,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director: $52,000. - Community organizers: $36,000. - Civic education materials (guides, trainings, printing, event costs): $7,000. - Office costs (bookkeeping, insurance, reporting): $9,000. - That is about $104,000 in costs. The remaining $3,000 or so goes into savings. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $3,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The next five years. Our budget grows from about $107,000 in Year 1 to about $183,000 in Year 5 as we grow to three community organizers. Grants and contracts are planned at $97,000 in Year 1, $129,000 in Year 2, $125,000 in Year 3, $156,000 in Year 4 and $150,000 in Year 5. Donations grow from $10,000 to $33,000, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time. Savings. We start with about $12,000 of our own plus $40,000 in startup support, and we add to savings each year. Important for grants. Many civic engagement funders are particular about nonpartisan work, and some pay in installments or after a report. We plan for that and keep careful records of how we stay within the rules. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated space, volunteer hours, donated printing and refreshments, and partner events are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Free use of library meeting rooms (about $3,000 a year in rent value), about 600 volunteer hours a year and donated refreshments If we are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status. One way is a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that agrees to receive grants for you and pass them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Many funders accept this. Another way is to start smaller: partner with a library or church, hold a few workshops and a candidate forum, and track results carefully. Write your nonpartisan rules before you start. Strong results from a small start make larger grants and contracts easier to win.
Appendix Notes
Documents to attach with this proposal:
- Your IRS 501(c)(3) letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current budget.
- A list of your Board members and what they do.
- Letters of support from libraries, schools, community groups or election officials.
- Your nonpartisan policy and rules for staff and volunteers.
- Your workshop outline and sample materials.
- Your participation numbers from the past year, if you have them.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and key staff. If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.
The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Staff pay: Executive Director $52,000; each community organizer $36,000, growing from 1 to 3.
- Civic education materials about $7,000 in Year 1, rising about 5% a year
- Office costs about $9,000 in Year 1, rising about 4% a year.
- Grants and contracts set so each year's budget balances with a small amount saved.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your organization's real budget.